Kyoto offers the classic image of Japan - traditional wooden houses, weeping cherry and the sound of geta on the paving stones. In contrast, you may first encounter Kyoto from inside the vast Station, a futuristic 16 storey building, completed in 1997, creating one of the greatest controversies in Kyoto's 1200 year history.

Only in Kyoto however, is it possible to cross paths with a real Geisha as you stop for a snack at a cafe. You can take a deep breath of the crisp mountain air as you stroll leisurely through a bamboo thicket, or savour the sight of cherry blossoms overhead as you picnic with the locals on the banks of the Kamogawa River.

In the midst of this ancient culture is a thriving city, home to cutting edge industries and upscale shopping.

Kyoto, that was the capital of Japan for over a thousand years, has an overwhelming number of ancient Buddhist Temples, majestic palaces and gardens of every size and description, not to mention some of the most important works of art in the country, its richest culture and most refined cuisine.