Kyoto is today the seventh largest city in the country, with a population of 1.4 million. It's known for the 19th century university, but also for the headquarters of the famous Nintendo video games and consoles. The first thing that gets your eyes in Kyoto is the train station. The city has an immense train station - Japan's second largest, after Osaka train station. The train station houses a mall, a cinema, shops, a hotel - and has a special architecture: an irregular cubic facade, totally contrasting with the traditional style houses of the city. The train station was designed by architect Hara Hiroshi and was built to mark 1200 years of history since Kyoto was designated the capital of Japan. Hara Hiroshi is one of the country's most well-known architects, and another famous building designed by Umeda Sky Building in Osaka.
It's hard to see all the sights of Kyoto in a day or two (it has not less than 17 sites under UNESCO heritage). In general, what to see here are temples and altars, but they are located in all the city's cardinal points, plus the center. The reason you should see the Kyoto on portions, in a relaxing way. We chose to go through the former Japanese capital by bus. A relatively convenient means of transport - the city is full of bus lines that have hundreds of stations. In fact, they have so many stations, that at some point you get bored and come down to get to the floor, hoping you will get faster. It's funny that the Japanese buses climb backwards and get down on the descent showing his ticket ... buying one (220 yen adult ticket - about 2 euros, but you can get a one-day subscription for 500 yen). This is somewhat unpleasant when the bus is busy and you have to come back (they are pretty crowded) to get down. But it's not a problem: the driver (who continuously speaks on his beard and on his tongue) patiently waits if you had the inspiration to press one of the buttons every step of the bus. One over the other, without going underground (there is also this transport means - two lines, red and green), I am convinced that it would save time. Road traffic in Kyoto is intense, especially as the streets are quite narrow and crowded and the city stretches over a very large area.
You will not instantly discover the charm of this city through which Japan breathes its past. Initially, you may not like crowds and homes, but the secret is to have a little patience. Kyoto reveals his secrets slowly, like a shy girl, whose smile intrigued you and called you: temples floating above the quiet waters, zen gardens, gates in magnificent natural frames, geysers that quickly disappear behind the doors that hold traditional restaurants - all this, and many others, make up the charm of one of the most subtle and beautiful cities in the world.