{{infobox university| name

Kyoto University | native_name 京都大学 | image_name Seal_kyoto.png | image_size 150px | motto 自由の学風 | established Founded May 1, 1869,Chartered Jun. 18 1897 | type Public (National) | endowment ¥ 250.2 billion (2.2 billion USD)| faculty 2,864 (Teaching Staff) | staff 5,397 (Total Staff) | students 22,707 | undergrad 13,399 | postgrad 9,308 | president Hiroshi Matsumoto | city Kyoto | state Kyoto | country Japan | undergrad 13,399 | postgrad 9,308| campus Urban,333 acres (1.3 km²)| | colors Dark blue | nickname Kyodai| mascot None| free_label Athletics | free 48 varsity teams | affiliations Kansai Big Six, ASAIHL| website www.kyoto-u.ac.jp| }}

, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.

History

The forerunner of the Kyoto University was the founded in Osaka in 1869, which, despite its name, taught physics as well. ( is a transcription of a Dutch word chemie.) Later, the was established in the place of ''Seimi-kyoku'' in 1886, it then transferred to the university's present main campus in the same year.

as a part of the Imperial University system was established on June 18, 1897, using the Third Higher School's buildings. The higher school moved to a patch of land just across the street, where the Yoshida South Campus stands today. In the same year of the university's establishment, the College of Science and Technology was founded. The College of Law and the College of Medicine were founded in 1899, the College of Letters in 1906, expanding the university's activities to areas outside natural science.

After World War II, the current Kyoto University was established by merging the imperial university and the Third Higher School, which assumed the duty of teaching liberal arts as the . The faculty was dissolved with the foundation of the in 1992.

Kyoto University has since 2004 been incorporated as a national university corporation under a new law which applies to all national universities.

Despite the incorporation which has led to increased financial independence and autonomy, Kyoto University is still partly controlled by the .

The University's Department of Geophysics and their Disaster Prevention Research Institute are both represented on the national Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction.

Athletics

Kyoto University competes in 48 sports. The university is a member of the Kansai Big Six Baseball League.

Organization

The university has about 22,000 students enrolled in its undergraduate and graduate programs.

Faculties

Faculty of Integrated Human Studies

Faculty of Letters

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Economics

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Agriculture

Graduate schools

Graduate School of Letters

Graduate School of Education

Graduate School of Law

Graduate School of Economics

Graduate School of Science

Graduate School of Medicine

Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Graduate School of Engineering

Graduate School of Agriculture

Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies

Graduate School of Energy Science

Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies

Graduate School of Informatics

Graduate School of Biostudies

Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies

School of Government

Graduate School of Management

Kyoto University Law School (Japanese Text Only)

Kyoto University School of Public Health

Campuses

The university has three campuses in Yoshida, Kyoto; in Gokashō, Uji; and in Katsura, Kyoto.

Yoshida Campus is the main campus, with some laboratories located in Uji. The Graduate School of Engineering is currently under process of moving to the newly-built Katsura Campus.

Academics

Kyoto University promotes itself as an academic institution fostering a "spirit of freedom." The university claims six Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medalists among its faculty and alumni. The university is also known as the starting point for the Kyoto School philosophical movement.

Notable research institutes and facilities

Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics

Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Primate Research Institute

Kosobe Conservatory

Seto Marine Biological Laboratory

Academic Rankings

tsu n	3
kawai n	2
tr n	2
we n	10
nikkeibp k	1
gbudu n	SA
line 1	0
qs a	8
arwu a	2
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the w	57
qs w	25
arwu w	24
ensmp w	5 }}

soc 1	0
law 1	0
asahi l	6
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be pr	4
econ 1	0
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line 1	0
nstr 1	0
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mat 1	0
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phy 1	0
tr n2	4
tr w2	25
che 1	0
tr n3	1
tr w3	4
bio 1	0
tr n4	2
tr w4	23
math 1	0
arwu n1	1
arwu w1	33
line 2	0
life 1	0
imm 1	0
tr n5	3
tr w5	25
pht 1	0
tr n6	2
tr w6	30
line 3	0
note 1	T. Reuters World rankings include non-educational institutions
note 2	}}

Kyodai is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.

General Rankings

The university was ranked 3rd in 2008 and 2010 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai. In another ranking, Japanese prep school Kawaijuku ranked Kyodai as the 2nd best university in Japan.

Kyodai is also one of the top universities in the world. The following rankings are the example of Kyodai's ranking positions in the world rankings.

Kyoto University was ranked 24^th in the world in the 2010 ''Academic Ranking of World Universities''

11^th worldwide in the Global University Ranking.. A human competitiveness index & analysis by the Human Resources & Labor Review, and published in Chasecareer Network, ranked the university 24th internationally and 2nd in Asia for 2010. QS World University Rankings in 2010 placed Kyoto University 25th overall in the world, one behind University of Tokyo, and maintaining its 2009 position in the THE-QS World University Rankings.

The 2010 global rankings make Kyoto University the third highest ranked university in Asia, the highest being the University of Hong Kong.

Research Performance

Kyodai is usually considered as one of the top research institution in Japan. In fact, the 2nd largest amount of investment has been spent for Kyodai in Grants in Aid for Scientific Research, which is the national grands for research institutions.

This financial supports from the Japanese government directly effect to Kyodai's research outcomes. According to Thomson Reuters, Kyodai is the 2nd best research university in Japan. Its research excellence is especially distinctive in Chemistory (1st in Japan, 4th in the world), Biology & Biochemistry (2nd in Japan, 23rd in the world), Pharmacology & Toxicology (2nd in Japan,30 in the world), Immunology (3rd in Japan, 25th in the world), Material Science (4th in Japan, 22nd in the world), and Physics (4th in Japan, 25th in the world).

In another ranking, Nikkei Shimbun　on 2004/2/16 surveyed about the research standards in Engineering studies based on Thomson Reuters, Grants in Aid for Scientific Research and questionnaires to heads of 93 leading Japanese Research Centers, and Kyodai was placed 10th (research planning ability 6th) in this ranking.

Kyodai also has a high research standard in Social Science & Humanities. Repec in Jan 2011 ranked Kyodai's Institute of Economic Research as Japan's 3rd best economic research institution. Kyodai has provided 6 presidents of Japanese Economic Association in its 42 year history, and it is the 3rd largest number.

Asahi Shimbun summarized the amount of academic papers in Japanese major legal journals by university, and Kyodai was ranked 6th during 2005-2009.

Graduate school Rankings

Kyodai Law School is considered as one of top Law schools in Japan, as it was ranked 4th in terms of the number of successful candidates of Japanese Bar Examination in 2009 and 2010. The cumulative number of people qualified as lawyer and prosecutor has been also historically also 4th after WW2.

Eduniversal ranked Japanese business schools, and the Faculty of Economics in Kyodai is placed 4th in Japan (111th in the world).

Alumni Rankings

Kyodai alumni are distinctively successful in Japanese industries such as shown below.

According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings, graduates from Kyodai have the 10th best employment rate in 400 major companies in Japan. However, it has to be noted that this lower ranking position is because of the large number of alumni who become government bureaucrats, which is 2nd largest among Japanese universities. In fact, alumni of Kyodai's average salary is the 5th best in Japan, according to the PRESIDENT.

École des Mines de Paris ranks Kyodai as 5th in the world in 2011 in terms of the number of alumni listed among CEOs in the 500 largest worldwide companies. The university is also ranked 5th in Japan for the number of alumni holding the position of executive in the listed companies of Japan, and this number per student (probability of becoming an executive) is the 4th best.

Furthermore, the number of Members of Parliament who graduated Kyodai has been 4th in Japan.

Popularity and Selectivity

Kyodai is one of the most selective universites in Japan. Its entrance difficulty is usually considered as one of the top among 180 national and public universities.

Nikkei BP has been publishing a ranking system "Brand rankings of Japanese universities" every year, composed by the various indications related to the power of brand, and Kyodai was top in 2010 in Kansai Area.

Notable people

Notable alumni

Graduates of Kyoto University including Nobel laureates, Japanese politicians, philosophers, economists, and scientists.

See also

Kikuchi Dairoku

List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials)

References

External links

Kyoto University

The 10th US-Japan Symposium on Drug Delivery Systems

Kyoto University Category:Kansai Six (original) Category:Kansai Big Six Category:Japanese national universities Category:National Seven Universities Category:Kyoto Category:Kyoto Prefecture Category:Education in Kansai region Category:Forestry education

ar:جامعة كيوتو de:Universität Kyōto es:Universidad de Kioto fa:دانشگاه کیوتو fr:Université de Kyōto ko:교토 대학 id:Universitas Kyoto he:אוניברסיטת קיוטו ka:კიოტოს უნივერსიტეტი lt:Kioto universitetas nl:Universiteit van Kioto ja:京都大学 pnb:کیوٹو یونیورسٹی pl:Uniwersytet Kioto pt:Universidade de Quioto ru:Киотский университет fi:Kioton yliopisto sv:Kyoto universitet th:มหาวิทยาลัยเกียวโต uk:Кіотський університет ug:كيوتو ئۇنىۋېرستېتى vi:Đại học Kyoto zh:京都大学

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coordinates region	JP
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|''Kyōto''|"Capital city"}} () is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.

History

Although archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the islands of Japan to approximately 10,000 BC, relatively little is known about human activity in the area before the 6th century AD, around which time the Shimogamo Shrine is believed to have been established. During the 8th century, when the powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the Imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence. Emperor Kammu selected the village of Uda, at the time in the Kadono district of Yamashiro Province, for this honor.

The new city, Heian-kyō (, "tranquility and peace capital"), a scaled replica of the then Tang capital Chang'an, became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history. Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto (Muromachi shogunate) or in other cities such as Kamakura (Kamakura shogunate) and Edo (Tokugawa shogunate), Kyoto remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the imperial court to Tokyo in 1869 at the time of the Imperial Restoration. (Some believe that it is still a legal capital: see Capital of Japan.)

The city suffered extensive destruction in the Ōnin War of 1467-1477, and did not really recover until the mid-16th century. Battles between samurai factions spilled into the streets, and came to involve the court nobility (''kuge'') and religious factions as well. Nobles' mansions were transformed into fortresses, deep trenches dug throughout the city for defense and as firebreaks, and numerous buildings burned. The city has not seen such widespread destruction since.

In late 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi restructured the city by building new streets to double the number of north-south streets in central Kyoto, creating rectangle blocks superseding ancient square blocks. Hideyoshi also built earthwork walls called 　circulating the city. Teramachi Street in central Kyoto is a Buddhist temple quarter where Hideyoshi gathered temples in the city. Throughout the Edo period, the economy of the city flourished as one of three major cities in Japan, the others being Osaka and Edo.

The Hamaguri rebellion of 1864 burnt down 28,000 houses in the city, and the subsequent move of the Emperor to Tokyo in 1869 weakened the economy. The construction of Lake Biwa Canal in 1890 is one measure taken to revive the city. The population of the city exceeded one million in 1932.

There was some consideration by the United States of targeting Kyoto with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II because, as an intellectual center of Japan, it had a population "better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon." In the end, at the insistence of Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the city was removed from the list of targets and replaced by Nagasaki. The city was largely spared from conventional bombing as well, although small-scale air raids did result in casualties.

As a result, Kyoto is one of the few Japanese cities that still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as ''machiya''. However, modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the Kyoto Station complex.

Kyoto became a city designated by government ordinance on September 1, 1956. In 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the protocol on greenhouse gas emissions that bears the city's name.

Name

In Japanese, the city has been called Kyō (), Miyako () or Kyō no Miyako (). In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto ("capital city"), after the Chinese word for capital city, ''jingdu'' (). After Edo was renamed Tokyo (meaning "Eastern Capital") in 1868, Kyoto was known for a short time as Saikyō (, meaning "Western Capital").

An obsolete spelling for the city's name is Kioto; it was formerly known to the West as Meaco or Miako (; miyako, meaning "the seat of Imperial palace" or "capital".). Another term commonly used to refer to the city in the pre-modern period was Keishi (), meaning "metropolis" or "capital".

Geography

Whs	Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
State party
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Id	688
Region	Asia-Pacific
Year	1994
Session	18th
Link	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/688 }}

Kyoto is located in a valley, part of the Yamashiro (or Kyoto) Basin, in the eastern part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba highlands. The Yamashiro Basin is surrounded on three sides by mountains known as Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama, with a height just above above sea level. This interior positioning results in 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. Kyoto City takes up 17.9% of the land in the prefecture with an area of 827.9 km²

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). The Imperial Palace faced south, resulting in Ukyō (the right sector of the capital) being on the west while Sakyō (the left sector) is on the east. The streets in the modern-day wards of Nakagyō, Shimogyō, and Kamigyō still follow a grid pattern.

Today, the main business district is located to the south of the old Imperial Palace, with the less-populated northern area retaining a far greener feel. Surrounding areas do not follow the same grid pattern as the center of the city, though streets throughout Kyoto share the distinction of having names.

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.

Demographics

Historically Kyoto was the largest city in Japan, later surpassed by Osaka and Edo (Tokyo) towards the end of the 16th century. In the prewar years, Kyoto traded places with Kobe and Nagoya ranking as the 4th and 5th largest city. In 1947, it went back to being 3rd, but its population has gradually declined ever since. By 1960 it had fallen to 5th again, and by 1990 it had fallen to 7th. If current trends continue it could fall to 9th after Fukuoka and Kawasaki.

Climate

Kyoto has a Humid subtropical climate (Koppen ''Cfa'').

Politics and government

The directly elected executive mayor in Kyoto as of 2011 is Daisaku Kadokawa, an independent supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito Party and Social Democratic Party. The legislative city assembly has 69 elected members.

Kyoto City Assembly

! Political party	! Number of seats
	22
Japanese Communist Party	20
Democratic Party of Japan	14
New Komeito Party	12
vacant	1

Elections

Kyoto mayoral election, 2008

Wards

Kyoto has eleven wards. They are

Fushimi-ku () Higashiyama-ku () Kamigyō-ku () Kita-ku () Minami-ku () Nakagyō-ku () - administrative center Nishikyō-ku () Sakyo-ku () Shimogyō-ku () Ukyō-ku () Yamashina-ku ()

Together, they comprise the city of Kyoto. Like other cities in Japan, Kyoto has a single mayor and a city council.

Culture

Although ravaged by wars, fires, and earthquakes during its eleven centuries as the imperial capital, Kyoto was spared from much of the destruction of World War II. It was removed from the atomic bomb target list (which it had headed) by the personal intervention of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, as Stimson wanted to save this cultural center which he knew from his honeymoon and later diplomatic visits.

With its 2000 religious places- 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture intact, it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples in Japan are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryōan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingū is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens.

Other notable sites in Kyoto include Arashiyama and its picturesque lake, the Gion and Pontochō geisha quarters, the Philosopher's Walk, and the canals which line some of the older streets.

The "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" are listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. These include the Kamo Shrines (Kami and Shimo), Kyō-ō-Gokokuji (Tō-ji), Kiyomizu-dera, Daigo-ji, Ninna-ji, Saihō-ji (Kokedera), Tenryū-ji, Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji), Jishō-ji (Ginkaku-ji), Ryōan-ji, Hongan-ji, Kōzan-ji and the Nijo Castle, primarily built by the Tokugawa shoguns. Other sites outside the city are also on the list.

Kyoto is renowned for its abundance of delicious Japanese foods and cuisine. The special circumstances of Kyoto as a city away from the sea and home to many Buddhist temples resulted in the development of a variety of vegetables peculiar to the Kyoto area (''kyōyasai'', ).

Japan's television and film industry has its center in Kyoto. Many ''jidaigeki'', action films featuring samurai, were shot at Toei Uzumasa Eigamura. A film set and theme park in one, Eigamura features replicas of traditional Japanese buildings which are used for ''jidaigeki''. Among the sets are a replica of the old Nihonbashi (the bridge at the entry to Edo), a traditional courthouse, a Meiji Period police box and part of the former Yoshiwara red-light district. Actual film shooting takes place occasionally, and visitors are welcome to observe the action.

Kyoto International Manga Museum is also situated in Kyoto. For an entrance fee visitors are able to view exhibitions and read as much manga as they desire. The museum is making an attempt to acquire every manga ever published and so far houses approximately 200,000 titles.

Economy

The key industry of Kyoto is information technology and electronics: the city is home to the headquarters of Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, TOSE, OMRON, Kyocera, Shimadzu Corp., Rohm, Horiba, Nidec Corporation, Nichicon, GS Yuasa and Murata Machinery and the headquarters of Murata Manufacturing are located in the suburbs of Kyoto in the city of Nagaokakyō.

Tourism also forms a large base of Kyoto's economy. The city's cultural heritages are constantly visited by school groups from across Japan, and many foreign tourists also stop in Kyoto. In 2007, the city government announced that a record number of tourists had visited Kyoto for the sixth year in a row., and it was chosen as the second most attractive city in Japan, in a regional brand survey.

Traditional Japanese crafts are also major industry of Kyoto, most of which are run by artisans in small plants. Kyoto's kimono weavers are particularly renowned, and the city remains the premier center of kimono manufacturing. Such businesses, vibrant in past centuries, have declined in recent years as sales of traditional goods stagnate.

Sake brewing is Kyoto's traditional industry. Gekkeikan and Takara Holdings are major sake brewers headquartered in Kyoto.

Other businesses headquartered in Kyoto include the apparel company Wacoal, the delivery transportation company Sagawa Express and the garage kits maker Volks.

Colleges and universities

thumb|Kyoto UniversityHome to 37 institutions of higher education, Kyoto is one of the academic centers of the country. Kyoto University, one of Japan's national universities, is considered to be one of the top universities in Japan. According to The Times Higher Education Supplement top-ranking university, Kyoto University is ranked the second university in Japan and 25th in the world. The Kyoto Institute of Technology is also among the most famous universities in Japan and is considered to be one of the best universities for architecture and design in the country. Doshisha University and Ritsumeikan University are popular private universities in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.

Kyoto also has a unique higher education network called the Consortium of Universities in Kyoto, which consists of three national, five public (prefectural and municipal), and 41 private universities, as well as the city and four other organizations. The consortium does not offer a degree, but offers the courses as part of a degree at participating universities.

As well as more than 30 Japanese universities and colleges, American universities find the city as an important place for education and research. Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) is a consortium of 14 American universities that sponsors a rigorous, two-semester academic program for undergraduates who wish to do advanced work in Japanese language and cultural studies. In addition, Stanford University has its own Japan Center in Kyoto.

Transportation

Rail

Kyoto Station is the center for transportation in the city. The second-largest in Japan, it houses a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities all under one fifteen-story roof. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen Line (see below) as well as all conventional rail lines operated by JR West connect here.

The Keihan, Hankyu, Kintetsu, and other rail networks also offer frequent service to other cities in the Kansai region. JR West and Kintetsu connect at Kyoto Station. Hankyu has a terminal at the intersection of Shijō Kawaramachi, Kyoto's most thriving shopping and amusement district. Keihan has a station at which is not far from Shijō Kawaramachi.

Subway

The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau operates the Kyoto Municipal Subway consisting of two lines: the Karasuma Line and the Tōzai Line.

Karasuma Line

The Karasuma Line is colored green, and its stations are given numbers following the letter ''K''.

The line has following stations, from north to south: Kokusaikaikan (terminal) and Matsugasaki in Sakyō-ku; Kitayama and Kitaōji in Kita-ku; Kuramaguchi and Imadegawa in Kamigyō-ku; Marutamachi and Karasuma Oike in Nakagyō-ku; Shijō, Gojō and Kyōto in Shimogyō-ku; Kujō and Jūjō in Minami-ku; and Kuinabashi and Takeda (terminal) in Fushimi-ku.

Between and , trains run beneath the north-south , hence the name. They link to the other subway line, the Tozai Line, at . They also connect to the JR lines at Kyoto Station and the Hankyu Kyoto Line running cross-town beneath Shijō Street at the intersection of Shijō Karasuma, Kyoto's central business district. At Shijō Karasuma, the subway station is named , whereas Hankyu's station is called .

The Transportation Bureau and Kintetsu Corporation jointly operate through services, which continue to the Kintetsu Kyoto Line to Kintetsu Nara Station in Nara. The Karasuma Line and the Kintetsu Kyoto Line connect at and . All the stations are located in the city proper.

Tozai Line

The Tōzai Line is coloured vermilion, and its stations are given numbers following the letter ''T''. This line runs from the southeastern area of the city, then east to west (i.e. ''tōzai'' in Japanese) through the Kyoto downtown area where trains run beneath the three east-west streets: , and .

The line has following stations, from east to west: Rokujizō (terminal) in Uji; Ishida and Daigo in Fushimi-ku; Ono, Nagitsuji, Higashino, Yamashina and Misasagi in Yamashina-ku; Keage, Higashiyama and Sanjō Keihan in Higashiyama-ku; Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae, Karasuma Oike, Nijōjō-mae, Nijō and Nishiōji Oike in Nakagyō-ku; and Uzumasa Tenjingawa (terminal) in Ukyō-ku.

The Keihan Keishin Line has been integrated into this line, and thus Keihan provides through services from in the neighbouring city of Ōtsu, the capital of Shiga Prefecture.

The Tōzai Line connects to the Keihan lines at , , and , to the JR lines at , and , and to the Keifuku Electric Railroad at Uzumasa Tenjingawa. All the stations except Rokujizō are located in Kyoto.

High speed rail

The Tōkaidō Shinkansen operated by JR Central provides high-speed rail service linking Kyoto with Nagoya, Yokohama and Tokyo to the east of Kyoto and with nearby Osaka and points west on the San'yo Shinkansen, such as Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kitakyushu and Fukuoka. The trip from Tokyo takes about two hours and twenty-two minutes. From Hakata in Fukuoka, Nozomi takes you to Kyoto in just over three hours. All trains including Nozomi stop at Kyoto Station, serving as a gateway to not only Kyoto Prefecture but also northeast Osaka, south Shiga and north Nara.

Airport

Although Kyoto does not have its own airport, travelers can get to the city via Kansai International Airport and Itami Airport in Osaka Prefecture. The Haruka Express operated by JR West carries passengers from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station in 73 minutes.

JR-WEST: Travel Information > Access to Kansai Airport

Osaka Airport Transport buses connect Itami Airport and Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit in an hour and cost 1,280 yen for a one-way trip. Some buses go further, make stops at major hotels and intersections in downtown, and get to Nijō Station or the Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto near Keage Station of Municipal Subway Tozai Line.

Buses

Kyoto's municipal bus network is extensive. Private carriers also operate within the city. Many tourists join commuters on the public buses, or take tour buses. Kyoto's buses have announcements in English and electronic signs with stops written in the Latin alphabet.

Most city buses have a fixed fare. A one-day bus pass and a combined unlimited train and bus pass are also available. These are especially useful for visiting many different points of interest within Kyoto. The bus information center just outside the central station handles tickets and passes. The municipal transport company publishes a very useful leaflet called "Bus Navi." It contains a route map for the bus lines to most sights and fare information. This too is available at the information center in front of the main station.

Buses operating on routes within the city, the region, and the nation stop at Kyoto Station. In addition to Kyoto Station, bus transfer is available at the intersections of Shijō Kawaramachi and . The intersection of Karasuma Kitaōji to the north of downtown has a major bus terminal serving passengers who take the Karasuma Line running beneath Karasuma Street, Kyoto's main north-south street.

Cycling

Cycling is a very important form of personal transportation in the city. The geography and scale of the city are such that the city may be easily navigated on a bicycle. Bicycle theft is not common, but finding permitted bicycle parking areas can be difficult. Bicycles parked in non-permitted areas are impounded.

Roads

The city is connected with other part of Japan by the Meishin Expressway, which has two interchanges in the city: Kyoto Higashi (Kyoto East) in Yamashina-ku and Kyoto Minami (Kyoto South) in Fushimi-ku. The Kyoto Jūkan Expressway connects the city to northern regions of Kyoto Prefecture. The Daini Keihan Road is a new bypass (completed in 2010) to Osaka.

Unlike other metropolitan cities of Japan, Kyoto has poor network of intra-city expressways. As of 2010, only 8.2 km of the Hanshin Expressway Kyoto Route is in operation.

There are nine national highways in the city of Kyoto: Route 1, Route 8, Route 9, Route 24, Route 162, Route 171, Route 367, Route 477 and Route 478.

Tourism

Kyoto contains roughly 2,000 temples and shrines, and receives over 30 million tourists annually.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site

About 20% of Japan's ''National Treasures'' and 14% of ''Important Cultural Properties'' exist in the city proper. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) includes 17 locations in Kyoto, Uji in Kyoto Prefecture and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. The site has been designated as World Heritage in 1994.

Iwatayama monkey park

The Iwatayama Monkey Park (popularly called "Monkey Mountain") in Nishikyō-ku is a park where monkeys roam freely. The park itself is inhabited by a troupe of over 170 Japanese macaque monkeys. After paying admission, one walks up a steep hill, at the top of which is an enclosure where visitors may go in and safely feed the monkeys. As there are no fences, the monkeys can come and go as they please, but they are especially tempted by food such as apples or peanuts. Even though the animals are wild, they have become accustomed to humans, and so are not afraid to come close to tourists bearing food.

Museums and gardens

{| |- |valign="top"| Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum () Onishi Seiwemon Museum () Kitamura Museum () The Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum () Kyoto City Heiankyo Sosei-Kan Museum () Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art () Kyoto City Archaeological Museum () Kyoto Art Center () The Kyoto International Manga Museum () The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto () The Kyoto National Museum () The Kyoto University Museum () Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts () The Museum of Kyoto () The Kyoto Botanical Garden () Garden of Fine Arts, Kyoto () Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fire Arts () Koryo Museum of Art () Joutenkaku Museum　() Ryozen Museum of History () Sen-oku Hakuko Kan () Toei Kyoto Studio Park () Nomura Art Museum () Namikawa Cloisonne Museum of Kyoto () The Yurinkan Museum () The Tin Toy Museum () The Hosomi Museum () Hakusasonso Hashimoto Kansetsu Memorial Museum and Garden () The Raku Museum () Kyoto Museum for World Peace of Ritsumeikan University () Ōkōchi Sansō () |}

Festivals

Kyoto is well known for its traditional festivals which have been held for over 1000 years and are a major tourist attraction. The first is the Aoi Matsuri on May 15. Two months later (July 1 to 31) is the Gion Matsuri known as one of the 3 great festivals of Japan, culminating in a massive parade on July 17. Kyoto marks the Bon Festival with the Gozan Okuribi, lighting fires on mountains to guide the spirits home (August 16). The October 22 Jidai Matsuri, Festival of the Ages, celebrates Kyoto's illustrious past.

Sports

Soccer

In soccer, Kyoto is represented by Kyoto Sanga F.C. who won the Emperor's Cup, in 2002, and rose to J. League's Division 1 in 2005. Kyoto Sanga has a long history as an amateur non-company club, although it was only with the advent of professionalization that it was able to compete in the Japanese top division.

Amateur football clubs such as F.C. Kyoto BAMB 1993 and Kyoto Shiko Club (both breakaway factions of the original Kyoto Shiko club that became Kyoto Sanga) as well as unrelated AS Laranja Kyoto compete in the regional Kansai soccer league.

Baseball

With the popularity of the nearby Hanshin Tigers, Kyoto has never had a team in Nippon Professional Baseball, though the Tigers play several neutral-site games at Kyoto's Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium every year.

Additionally, Kyoto's high school baseball teams are strong, with Heian and Toba in particular making strong showings recently at the annual tournament held in Koshien Stadium, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, near Osaka.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

The city of Kyoto has a sister city relationship with:

Boston, United States Paris, France (Friendship Pledge city) Cologne, Germany Cuzco, Peru Konya, Turkey Prague, Czech Republic Florence, Italy Kiev, Ukraine Xi'an, People's Republic of China (Friendship city) Guadalajara, Mexico Zagreb, Croatia

See also

List of Kyoto's Bridges

List of Kyoto's Buddhist Temples

List of Kyoto's Fires

List of Shinto shrines in Kyoto

References

Bibliography

Fiévé, Nicolas (ed.). (2008).''Atlas historique de Kyôto. Analyse spatiale des systèmes de mémoire d’une ville, de son architecture et de ses paysages urbains''. Foreword Kôichirô Matsuura, Preface Jacques Gernet, Paris, Éditions de l’UNESCO / Éditions de l’Amateur, 528 pages, 207 maps et 210 ill.ISBN 978-2-85917-486-6.

Fiévé, Nicolas and Waley, Paul. (2003). Japanese Capitals in Historical Perspective: Place, Power and Memory in Kyoto, Edo and Tokyo. London: Routledge. 417 pages + 75 ill. 10-ISBN 0-700-71409-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-700-71409-4

Lone, John. (2000). ''Old Kyoto: A Short Social History.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-590940-2.

Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869.'' Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.

Stewart, Harold. (1981). ''By the Old Walls of Kyoto: A Year's Cycle of Landscape Poems with Prose Commentaries''. New York: Weatherhill. ISBN 083480154X.

Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652], ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon.'' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)

Wyden, Peter. (1984). ''Day One: Before Hiroshima and After.'' Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN 0-671-46142-7.

Notes

External links

Kyoto Travel Guide — City of Kyoto and Kyoto Tourism Council

Kyoto City Local Government

Kyoto Guide including interactive map & over 1,300 pictures.

Kyoto's temples & shrines— Information on 26 temples and shrines.

Category:Populated places established in the 8th century Category:794 establishments Category:Buddhist pilgrimages Category:Former capitals of Japan Category:Environmental model cities

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name	Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb
birth date	December 21, 1550
birth place	Amber, Rajasthan, India
death date	July 06, 1614
death place	Ellichpur, Maharashtra, India
religion	Hindu
title	King of Amber
father	Raja Bhagwant Das
Mother	Rani Sa Bhagawati Ji Sahiba
issue	}}

Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb (Man Singh I) (December 21, 1550 – July 6, 1614) was the Kacchwaha King of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur. He was a trusted general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, who included him among the Navaratnas, or the nine gems of the royal court.

Early life of Man Singh I

He was the son of Rani Sa Bhagawati Ji Sahiba at Amber; his father was Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber. He was born on Sunday, December 21, 1550. He was about eight years younger than Mughal Emperor Akbar who was born on November 23, 1542 and about ten years younger than Rana Pratap who was born on May 9, 1540, These three great personalities, of the same generation, had a great impact on sixteenth century India's polity, society, and history. They are remembered with reverence in India, although Rana Pratap fought unrelenting wars with both of them. Raja Bharmal, the first Rajput ruler to marry his daughter to a Mughal, was Man Singh I's grandfather.

Initially known as ''Kunwar'' (prince), Man Singh received the title of ''Mirza Raja'' and the ''mansab'' (rank) of 5000 after the death of his father on December 10, 1589 from Akbar. On August 26, 1605, Man Singh became a mansabdar of 7,000, i.e., a commander of 7,000 cavalry in the Mughal forces, which was the maximum command for anyone other than a son of the Mughal emperor and the guardian of Khusrau, the eldest son of Jahangir. Akbar called him ''Farzand'' (son). He fought many important campaigns for Akbar. Kunwar Man Singh led the Mughal Army in the well-known battle of Haldighati fought in 1576 between the Mughal Empire and Maha Rana Pratap.

Conflict with Rana Pratap

Man Singh was sent by Akbar to persuade Maha Rana Pratap to make a treaty with Akbar and accept Mughal sovereignty. But Maha Rana Pratap, as a grandson of Rana Sanga, considered the Mughals invaders and intruders on Indian territory; he declined to accept Akbar's sovereignty. The great-grandfather of Man Singh, Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan, was married to Rana Sanga's niece (Rana Raimal's daughter). This makes Maha Rana Pratap and Man Singh relative.

On the day of their meeting Maha Rana Pratap invited Man Singh for dinner. Maha Rana Pratap deliberately avoided attending the dinner in person and sent his son "Kunwar" Amar Singh to dine with "Kunwar" Man Singh (as a custom Rajput men are called "Kunwar" in the lifetime of their father). The attitude of other Rajput nobles was also discouraging. They were secretly making mockery of Man Singh as his aunt Jodhabai was married to Akbar. Man Singh took this as an insult to Akbar and himself. He knew Maha Rana Pratap was making an excuse to avoid him. He refused to dine with Amar Singh. He remarked, "I will come again and then will have a dinner". Understanding the hidden meaning a noble of Pratap remarked "well, don't forget to bring your uncle Akbar". This laid the foundation of war between the Mughals and Rana Pratap, who already had many decades of rivalry and enmity.

Appointed by Akbar to lead the Mughal Army against Rana Pratap, Kunwar Man Singh started from Ajmer on 3 April 1576. A gruesome battle was fought on June 18, 1576 at Haldi Ghati. Rana Pratap personally attacked Man Singh, who defended himself by ducking. Man Singh's "Mahout" (the driver of his elephant) was killed. Rana Pratap's famous warhorse "Chetak" was mortally wounded. Rana Pratap, himself, amazingly survived this battle. A nobleman, Jhala Man Singh, who pretended to be Rana Pratap, was killed by the Mughal forces. Jhala Man Singh put the helmet of Rana Pratap on his head, though he knew he would be killed soon by doing this. Ultimately, the Mughal army won the battle. The next day Man Singh advanced and captured Gogunda, the seat of Pratap's coronation, but the geographical situation of Mewar was such that Rana Pratap could hide between hills. He exploited this and began guerrilla warfare. Ultimately, Pratap was able to liberate all of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Despite his success Akbar was not happy with Man Singh, and stopped conversing with him for some time. Perhaps he thought Man Singh was responsible for Pratap's escape from the battlefield. Conspirators also fed this to his ears, but Akbar's doubts cleared when he visited Ajmer's shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti the following year.

In the Battle of Haldighati, despite exaggerated figures, it is estimated that Rana Pratap had 3,000 horsemen, some elephants and the same number of Bhil warriors under Rao Poonja. A small artillery unit was also with him under Hakim Khan Sur. The force was divided into five wings. Advance wing was under Hakim Khan Sur, Bhim Singh Dahiya and Ramdas Rathore. The right wing was under Bhamashah and Ramshah Tanwar. The left wing was under Jhala Man Singh. Rana Pratap was in the centre. Behind him was Rao Poonja with his Bhil warriors.

The Mughal army had 10,000 horsemen, some elephants and infantry. Among the horsemen 4,000 were Kachwaha Rajput warriors. One thousand other Hindu warriors and rest were Uzbeks, Turkics, Kazakhs, Sayyids and other Muslims. This force divided into five wings. There were two advance wings. The first was under Sayyid Hashim Barah son of Sayyed Mahmud Khan, Barah Jagganath Kachwaha and Asaf Ali Khan. The second advance troop was under Madho Singh Kachwaha. Behind this was Man Singh. To his right was Mulla Kazikhan Badkhsi and to left were Sayyeds of Barah. At first Rana Pratap attacked and scattered the advance and left wings of the Mughal army. Jagnnath Kachwaha killed Ramshah Tanwar and Rajput warriors of both sides engaged in fierce battle. The Mughal army could not distinguish between friend and foe and killed Rajputs of both sides. The Mughal army surrounded Rana Pratap; so to save his life Jhala Man put the Rana's helmet on his head and died in his place. This provided Maha Rana Pratap a chance to escape. After this, Rana's army dispersed. The Mughal Army, expecting another attack, remained vigilant all night. Only in the morning they were able to judge their success. Almost half of Rana's army was finished. The battle was won but the Maha Rana had survived.

Expedition to Kabul

In 1580 CE, some prominent Muslim officers of Akbar, displeased with his liberal religious policies, started to conspire against him. Qazi Muhammad Yazdi declared it the duty of every Muslim to rebel against Akbar. In Bihar and Bengal they declared Mirza Hakim, Akbar's stepbrother and Governor of Kabul, to be the emperor. Akbar sent armies to Bihar and Bengal to crush this rebellion, while he himself started towards Kabul; Man Singh with him. On March 8, 1581, Akbar reached Machhiwara and soon arrived on the banks of River Indus, he then sent an advance force led by Man Singh to Kabul. Although, Akbar's army was hesitating to cross the swelling Indus River, Man Singh was able to cross it first followed by troops. Hearing the news Mirza Hakim fled to Gurband. Following the army, Akbar himself arrived at Kabul on August 10, 1581. Hakim was pardoned by Akbar, but his sister "Bakhtunissa Begum" was appointed Governor of Kabul. After Akbar returned to Fatehpur Sikri; Bakhtunissa remained as the nominal head of state, while Hakim acted as the Governor (Hakim died in July, 1582). Kabul was annexed by the Mughal Empire and Man Singh was appointed Governor. He remained in Kabul for some years and built a fortress, used by succeeding Mughal Governors. Man Singh brought many talented men with him when he returned from Kabul. Some of their descendants still live in Jaipur.

Again in 1585 CE, some Afghan tribes rose against the Mughal empire. The "Yusufzai" and "Mandar" tribes were the main ones among them. Akbar sent an army under Zain Khan, Hakim Abul Fateh and Raja Birbal to control these revolting tribes. However, they failed to control the revolting Afghans and Raja Birbal, friend of Akbar and one of his Navratnas was also killed in the battle with Afghans. Akbar then sent Raja Todar Mal to crush the revolt and called Raja Man Singh to help Todar Mal. Todarmal had some success in controlling the rebellious Afghan tribes, but the real source of the revolt was behind the Khyber Pass. It was hard to cross this pass which was dominated by Afghan "Kabailies". Man Singh was accompanied by "Rao Gopaldas" of Nindar in this expedition, who bravely made way for Mughal army in the pass. After crossing the pass Man Singh decisively defeated five major tribes of Afghans including "Yusufzai" and "Mandar" tribes. The flag of Amber was changed from "Katchanar" (green climber in white base) to "Pachranga" (five colored) to commemorate this victory. This flag continued in use until accession of Jaipur state in India. This permanently crushed the revolt and the area remained peaceful thereafter.

In 1586 CE, Akbar sent another army under Raja Bhagwant Das, father of Kunwar Man Singh to win Kashmir. Kashmir was included in the Mughal Empire and made a Sarkar (district) of Kabul province. Man Singh and his father Raja Bhagwant Das are reputed to have brought the technology of cannon production from Kabul and Lahore to Amber.

Conquest of Orissa

In 1588, Man Singh was appointed Governor of Bihar. In 1590, Qutlu Khan Lohani, an Afghan ruler of north Orissa declared himself independent and assumed the title of "Qutlu Shah". Raja Man Singh started an expedition against him. Before facing Man Singh, Qutlu Shah was killed by Rao Gopaldas of Nindar. Qutlu Khan's son Nasir Khan, after little resistance, accepted Mughal sovereignty and paid homage to Man Singh on 15 August 1590. Nasir Khan was then appointed Governor of Orissa. Nasir Khan remained faithful to the Mughal empire for two years but after that he violated the conditions of his treaty and seized the Jagannath Temple of Puri, which was Mughal territory. Man Singh again attacked Orissa and decisively defeated Nasir Khan on April 9, 1592 in a battle near the present day Medinipur town and ousted him from Orissa. Orissa then was annexed to the Mughal Empire and included in Bengal "Subah" (Province).

Governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa

On 17 March 1594, Raja Man Singh was appointed Subahdar (Governor) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. He made his headquarters in Rohtas, in Bihar. He built a Haveli (Palatial House) in Rohtas Fort. During his tenure as Governor, Man Singh further expanded the Mughal Empire by defeating and subduing the old kingdoms of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. He defeated Maharaja Pratap Aditya of Jessore, and brought the famous idol of "Shila Devi" to Amber. The temple of this goddess is still present in Amber fort. During Navratris lakhs of people gather here. Raja Man Singh served three successive terms as Governor of this area, in 1594-98, 1601–1605, 1605-1606.

Jahangir and twilight of Man Singh I

Prince Salim was born, but he soon became addicted to alcohol and opium. He disobeyed royal orders and became infamous for torture such as murdering Abul Fazal. Akbar tried hard to reform him as well as his Salim's eldest son Khusrau Mirza. Two of Akbar's sons, Murad and Danial, died in his lifetime. The royal court was divided into two factions, one favoring Khusrau and the other Salim to be the next emperor. Raja Man Singh and Mirza Aziz Koka were in Khusrau's favour. In 1605, when Akbar fell ill, he appointed Salim to be his heir. Though Man Singh opposed Salim's accession to the throne during Akbar's lifetime, he never opposed Jahangir (Salim) after his coronation. After Akbar's death, Jahangir (Salim) became emperor. Man Singh was initially sent as Subahdar of Bengal on November 10, 1605 for a short period, but soon he was replaced by Qutb-ud-Din Khan Koka on September 2, 1606. Jahangir also ordered removal of some of the modifications which had been made by Raja Man Singh to his palace at Amber. But in 1611 CE, the southern provinces of Ahmednagar, Berar and Khandesh defied Mughal sovereignty under Malik Ambar. Jahangir sent Raja Man Singh and others to crush the revolt.

Man Singh died a natural death on July 6, 1614 at Ellichpur. Following his death, he was succeeded by his son Mirza Raja Bhau Singh. His direct descendants became known (to this date) as the Rajawats who had the privilege to the throne of Amber and subsequently Jaipur.

Cultural achievements

Raja Man Singh was a devotee of Shri Krishna. He had a seven-storied temple of Krishna constructed at for Srila Rupa Goswami, disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in Vrindavan. The cost of construction was one crore rupees at that time. Akbar is also believed to have donated the red sandstone for this temple. Aurangzeb later demolished three storeys of this temple. The four-storey temple is still present at Vrindavan. He also constructed a temple of Krishna at his capital, Amber. The place is now known as "Kanak Vrindavan" near Amber Ghati of Jaipur. He constructed the temple of Shila Devi at Amber Fort. He also constructed and repaired many temples at Benaras, Allahabad and various other places. He added much beautification to his palace at Amber. When Akbar called a meeting of his nobles at Fatehpur Sikri in 1582, to discuss Din-i-Ilahi, Raja Bhagwant Das was the only man to oppose this religion. Later, Man Singh also refused to convert to Din-i-Ilahi. It is believed his son Jagat Singh I received education from Goswami Tulsidas and Man Singh himself used to attend his religious lectures. Tulsidas was a contemporary of Akbar and author of Ramcharit Manas, known as Tulsi Ramayana, and much other famous poetry devoted to Rama and Hanuman. He used to be accompanied by Charan poets. There are two occasions when these poets inspired Man Singh by their Poetry:

When the Mughal army was hesitating to cross the Indus River at Attock, the poet said:

:''Sabe bhumi Gopal ki, ya men Atak kahan'' :''Ja ke man men Atak hai, so hi Atak raha'' :(All land belongs to one deity, where is hindrance in that? : But they who have hindrance in their souls are hindered).

Hearing this, Man Singh crossed the river first, followed by the army. It is believed after winning Orissa, Man Singh wanted to create a naval force and attack "Sri Lanka". But a poet said:

:''Raghupati dino dan, vipra Vibhishan janike'' :''Man mahipat man, diyo dan kimi lijiye'' : (Lord Rama had given Lanka (in donation) to Vibhishana as a Brahmin. : O Raja Man Singh, stop! How something, once donated, can be taken back)?

(Sri Lanka was won by Shri Rama, forefather of Man Singh. Rama appointed Vibhishana, brother of Rawana, to rule it). It is believed that he dropped the idea of winning Lanka, perhaps because the lack of a naval force was a weak point of the Mughal empire.

See also

House of Kachwaha

List of Rajputs

Pratap Singh, Maharana of Mewar

origin of Rajputs

Notes

References

Beveridge, H. (tr.) (1939, reprint 2000). ''The Akbarnama of Abu´l Fazl'', Vol. III, Kolkata: The Asiatic Society, ISBN 81 7236 094 0.

Sarkar, Jadunath (1984, reprint 1994). ''A History of Jaipur'', New Delhi: Orient Longman ISBN 81 250 0333 9.

Sagar, Nanuram ''Kavita Kalptaru''.

Raja Man Singh of Amber by Rajiva Nain Prasad. Calcutta, World Press Private Ltd., 1966.

External links

Akbarnama by Abul Fazal Part III chapter 31,32,34

Version of Mewar

Genealogy of Kachwaha kings

Category:Mughal nobility Category:1540 births Category:1614 deaths Category:Mughal soldiers Category:Maharana Pratap Category:Maharajas of Jaipur Category:Indian military leaders Category:Subahdars of Bengal Category:Subahdars of Bihar Category:Subahdars of Orissa

ca:Man Singh hi:राजा मान सिंह