Location: Kyoto is located on the middle-western portion of the island of Honshu.

Physical Features: Kyoto is surrounded by mountains. To the north, has a coast along the Sea of Japan. The Tamba Mountains divide Kyoto in the middle, making the climate of Kyoto very different in the north and south.

Symbols:
Flower: Weeping cherry blossom (Prunus spachiana)
Tree: Kitayama Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica)
Bird: Streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas)

History: Kyoto or Heian, the imperial capital of Japan, was laid out according to traditional Chinese geomancy in a grid pattern adopted from the Chinese Xi'an. Over the next four centuries the city became Japan's cultural and commercial centre as well as its political hub. Arts and literature flourished, and the court reached the apogee of elegance. The Fujiwara family controlled the political scene of the Heian period over several centuries through strategic intermarriages with the imperial family and by occupying all the important political offices in Kyoto and the major provinces. The power of the clan reached its peak with Fujiwara Michinaga in the year 1016. However, the power of this clan began to decline, while the military class became more and more influential, especially in Eastern Japan. In the 12th century, two military families with aristocratic backgrounds gained much power: the Minamoto (or Genji) and Taira (or Heike) families. When Minamoto Yoritomo was appointed Shogun (highest military officer), he established a new government in his home city Kamakura. A new era was beginning.