Kyoto  

Kyoto is a city of strong traditions, having been the center of Japan's government from the eighth to the eighteenth centuries.  During World War II, suffered minimal damage from enemy bombing.  As a result, Kyoto's 1600 temples and 400 shrines are perfectly preserved today.

Highlights for sightseers include the gargantuous Heian Shrine, the Imperial Palace and Kiyomezu Temple.  In the mysterious Sanajusangelo Temple is a mind-boggling display of 1000 life sized gold leafed Kannons dating from 1164.  Many of Japan's antiquities are to be enjoyed in comprehensive museums, such as Kawai Kanjiro Kinekana and Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan.