Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)

Lore & Background

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) encompasses 17 locations in Japan within the city of Kyoto and its immediate vicinity. In 794, the Japanese imperial family moved the capital to Heian-kyō. The locations are in three cities: Kyoto and Uji in Kyoto Prefecture; and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture; Uji and Ōtsu border Kyoto to the south and north, respectively. Of the monuments, 13 are Buddhist temples, three are Shinto shrines, and one is a castle. The properties include 38 buildings designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures, 160 properties designated as Important Cultural Properties, eight gardens designated as Special Places of Scenic Beauty, and four designated as Places of Scenic Beauty. UNESCO listed the site as World Heritage in 1994.

Reader's Guide

Kyoto has a substantial number of historic buildings, unlike other Japanese cities that lost buildings to foreign invasions and war, and has the largest concentration of designated Cultural Properties in Japan. Although ravaged by wars, fires, and earthquakes during its eleven centuries as the imperial capital, Kyoto was spared from much of the destruction and danger of World War II. It was saved from the nearly universal firebombing of large cities in Japan in part to preserve it as the primary atomic bomb target. It was later removed from the atomic bomb target list by the personal intervention of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, as Stimson wanted to save this cultural center which he knew from a diplomatic visit in 1926. As a result, Nagasaki was then added as a target. The 17 properties originate from a period between the 10th century and the 19th century, and each is representative of the period in which it was built. The historical importance of the Kyoto region was taken into account by UNESCO in the selection process.

Did You Know?

• The site includes 13 Buddhist temples, three Shinto shrines, and one castle.
• Kyoto was spared from firebombing in World War II in part to preserve it as a primary atomic bomb target.
• Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson removed Kyoto from the atomic bomb target list after a diplomatic visit in 1926.
• The properties include 38 buildings designated as National Treasures and 160 as Important Cultural Properties.