About Kyoto
Kyoto has the longest history as a national capital for more than 1000 years. Many years of placing Emperor at the center of ruling system nurture a courtly culture, and they influence the culture among people in the city accordingly. What we now think of Japanese-style are more or less born, developed and refined in the era. Kyoto is the city where today during your visit you can delve into Japanese history as well as experience the way of living that keeps Kyoto at the forefront of developing emerging technologies.


Geography
Kyoto is located in a valley, part of the Kyoto Basin, in the eastern part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba highlands. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains of Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama, with a height just above 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level. This interior positioning brings Kyoto hot summers and cold winters. There are three rivers in the basin, the Ujigawa to the south, the Katsuragawa to the west, and the Kamogawa to the east.
The original city was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). Some of the streets in the modern-day still follow a grid pattern.
Kyoto sits atop a large natural water table that provides the city with ample freshwater wells. Due to large scale urbanization, the amount of rain draining into the table is dwindling and wells across the area are drying at an increasing rate.

Climate in Kyoto
Kyoto has a humid subtropical climate((Köppen Cfa), featuring a marked seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation. Summers are hot and humid while contrarily winters are relatively cold with snow. The rain season in Kyoto begins around the middle of June and lasts until summer comes in July. The climate of city area around that time is getting hot and humid. Conference venue, Hotels, and most of public transportations are air-conditioned. Kyoto, along with most of the Pacific coast and central areas of Japan is prone to typhoons during September and October.

Way to get to Kyoto
From Kansai International Airport:
Approximately 75 minutes to Kyoto Station by JR express Haruka.

From Narita International Airport:
Approximately 70 minutes form Narita Airport to Tokyo by Narita Express Train,
and 2 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto Station by Nozomi Bullet Train.

You are recommended to use international flights to Osaka.
There are direct flights to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) from a number of airports in the world.

Public Transport in Kyoto
Details of Bus and Subway
https://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html
Route Map of Bus
Map 1 : http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/img/basunabieigo-omote.pdf
Map 2 : http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/img/basunabieigo-rosenn.pdf

Bicycle Rentals
There are several shops of Bicycle Rentals in Kyoto.
Bicycle is one of the most convenient way to get around Kyoto in which there are many narrow alleys.
http://www.cyclekyoto.com/bike-rental
http://www.kctp.net/en/rental/

World Heritage sites in Kyoto
There are seventeen World Heritage sites in Kyoto
1) Kamigamo shrine
2) Shimogamo shrine
3) Toji-temple
4) Kiyomizudera-temple
5) Enryakuji-temple
6) Daigoji-temple
7) Ninnaji-temple
8) Byodoin-temple
9) Ujigami shrine 10) Kozanji-temple
11) Saihoji (Kokedera)-temple
12) Tenryuji-temple
13) Kinkakuji-temple
14) Ginkakuji-temple
15) Ryoanji-tenple
16) Hongaji-temple
17) Nijo Castle

Activities
Kyoto is famous for its historical architecture and preserved culture. You will have a variety of opportunities to get exposed to Kyoto traditional culture through Tea Ceremony, sake brewing, kimono wearing, swordsmanship, and more during your visit. The easiest way to get such an experience is to participate in one-day or half-day tour provided by travel agencies and bus companies. Otherwise, you may make your own original plan by visiting the following website.

• Kyoto Convention Bureau: http://hellokcb.or.jp/
• Kyoto Official Travel Guide: http://www.kyoto.travel/

Kyoto is compact in size, and it enables you to get from one place to another easily on foot. If you go for a stroll around the street, it will reveal many of its delightful secrets to you that are normally hidden as people pass by.

Rent-a-cycle is another way for traveling within and outside the part of the city. The Cycling terminals are located in major tourist areas, and the rental fee is one day from about $10. With the help of multilingual tourist information maps and signposts located everywhere, you will have a pleasant bike-ride of a different kind of experience in Kyoto. .

Buses and trains are the chief means of public transport in the city. Taxis are also very convenient. They are not so expensive (no tip is needed), and are easy to catch on any street in the city.