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Wednesday, 8th July 2015
In Japan Travel News,
Kyoto named world's best city by Travel + Leisure for second consecutive year
Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have declared Kyoto the best city in the world for the second year in a row.
The annual poll, which has been run by the publication since 1995, ranks the top ten cities as decided by its readers.
They are asked to make a judgement based on six areas, including places of interest, culture, food and the location's people.
Tourists are increasingly travelling to Kyoto, which was once the capital of Japan and home to the imperial family for more than 1,000 years.
Its rising popularity was highlighted by being at the top of the list once again this year, being described the best place to have a quintessential Japanese experience.
Kyoto offers everything from immense history, as exhibited by its shrines and temples, to delicious cuisine, such as the shojin ryori - a type of Buddhist vegetarian diet that was introduced to the city in the 6th century.
The cities that have been voted as the top ten by Travel + Leisure have been invited to New York on July 23rd to attend a ceremony in their honour.
Among the delegation from Kyoto to make the trip will be the city's deputy mayor, Kenichi Ogasawara.
His colleague, Daisaku Kadokawa, Kyoto's mayor, said: "The high rating for Kyoto is a high rating for Japan overall."
Last year represented a record period for the former capital, as visitor numbers hit 55.64 million, which was underpinned by more people travelling to Japan as a whole.
Among the fascinating sites to visit in Kyoto are the Imperial Palace, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Gion district of the city.
Visitors should also be sure to visit the local food markets to dry regional delicacies and seek out beautiful handicrafts made in the area.
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