The city of Kyoto also has a reputation as the cultural heart of the country in this two part video.

I'm taking a look at some of the wide range of things to see do and experience here from stylish cuisine and cafes to galleries, museums and historic sites.

So join me matt Evans, staff writer at Japan guide dot com for part two of Kyoto city of culture, here's the plan from Kyoto station, we'll take the train to tofu koji and the Kayhan line to Sanju where we'll take a look at some interesting examples of modern architecture, visit a museum dedicated to Kyoto's history and check out our performance at the gear theater from there, we'll make our way to our hotel the next day we'll start with breakfast at the coffee, one of kyoto's best loved coffee chains.

Then take a 20 minute walk to me, jo castle From there we'll take the subway back to Kyoto station and walk to a stylish cafe run by Kyoto's oldest maker of artisanal tea caddies.

Finally, it's just a 10 minute walk to our final stop at the Kyoto National Museum, Day one after arriving into Kyoto station, we take the train to tofu koji and change their to the kayhan line for SAN Jo Mhm Mhm Now I can't show this to you because there's no filming allowed inside.

But just down this tiny side street is one of Kyoto's oldest businesses, A family owned business that's been selling handmade artisanal sewing needles for 360 years.

Think of kyoto and what probably comes to mind is temples, gardens, traditional architecture.

But here on San Jo Dori, you can see some fascinating art deco inspired buildings like this.

One from the 1850s to 1930s, Kyoto has had a very special place right at the heart of traditional japanese culture for well over 1000 years.

One of the best places to learn more about the city itself is right here at the museum of Kyoto on Sancho Dory, let's take a look inside once the Kyoto branch of the Bank of Japan, the museum's distinctive western style annex building is full of interesting architectural details.

Over in the main building, visitors can take in a permanent collection covering the city's history from ancient times and temporary exhibitions with a focus on art and culture.

Located in another interesting period building that was once the Kyoto bureau of the Mainichi shimbun newspaper gear is an innovative nonverbal theater show for the whole family.

Set in a broken down toy factory in the far future gear tells the story of four robot workers whose simple existence is changed forever with the sudden arrival of a living female doll in a performance combining dance, mime, juggling and sleight of hand.

After enjoying the show.

I check into my hotel.

Next to Kyoto station.

1000 Kyoto is a stylish new hotel with a modern design built around an open light filled atrium.

Mm hmm.

One of two restaurants at the hotel scala is an elegant but cozy space offering an innovative take on italian cuisine made with healthy local ingredients.

Yeah.

Mhm.

Day two.

Mhm.

We're starting the day at the main branch of coffee, a popular coffee chain that started right here in Kyoto in 1947.

All right from china to coffee, we make our way to Nido castle, one of just a handful of castles with an intact original palace building.

After his rise to power, the first Tokugawa shogun Ieyasu moved the nation's capital from Kyoto to Edo today known as Tokyo but Kyoto remained an important political center.

So he built Ni jo castle to serve as a residence headquarters and a symbol of his power.

On visits to the city behind me, you can see the tourism right, which served as waiting rooms for visitors to the palace.

On these beautifully elaborately decorated screens, you can see pictures of great big fierce tigers and bamboo which showed the power of the Tokugawa and intimidated.

The visitors behind me are the shaky Dino MMA or reception rooms.

This is where we start to see these images of large pine trees.

Pine trees are a symbol of power because of their height and also because they're green all year round.

This is the second room of the Ohio Roma or great hall.

Now here the decoration reaches a peak and those tall pine trees we saw before seemed to curl protectively towards that raised stage at the back of the room where the Children would have sat to receive daimyo or feudal lords.

Mm hmm, mm hmm.

Thank you.

Okay, after visiting my jo castle, we make a stop at the kai condo cafe, A beautifully designed spot near Kyoto station, run by a well known local artisan Kai Condo is Kyoto's oldest manufacturer of tea caddies.

They've been making beautifully made metal cylinders just like this one since 1875.

Here at the very stylish cafe, you can enjoy tea, coffee cake or with a definite cylindrical thing.

Mm hmm.

A short walk from the cafe, visitors can check out a range of these same cylinders at the kai condo store each one expertly handmade with the design virtually unchanged since the company began From the Avocado cafe.

We take a 15 minute walk across the river to the Kyoto National Museum, one of only four national museums in Japan.

This is one of the best places to see outstanding exhibitions about Kyoto's and Japan's history and culture.

With renovation work ongoing on the classically styled old building.

Exhibitions from the museum's permanent collection and special visiting exhibitions can both be found in the new building and that concludes our two day trip, exploring some of kyoto's cultural highlights.

Thanks for joining me.

I hope this video has inspired some ideas for your future travels for more information about this trip or to watch another video, click the links on the screen now or head over to Japan guide dot com.

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