The city of Kyoto is well known as the former imperial capital of the country, also titled the thousand-year capital. Also it is a religious epicentre of Japan with over 2,000 places of worship, among them Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Kyoto was on the American target list as a possible detonation site for the first range of atomic bombs which destroyed Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but was saved in the last minute by a diplomat who new the city and wanted to save it as a cultural treasure for humanity. If you plan a Japan trip make sure to stop in Kyoto. There is a lot see and if you have time you can easily spend here four or five full days.