Its subtitle, Perspectives from Asia, reflects its commitment to "local voices, from all over Asia" and "ideas that illuminate cultural differences in a positive way, that promote intercultural understanding via specifics, not generalities.

Its diverse readership and list of contributors has been described by former editor Stewart Wachs as a "psychographic" community.

Kyoto Journal was founded in 1986 by editor and designer John Einarsen, whose editorial vision was heavily influenced by publications like CoEvolution Quarterly, which blended arts, spirituality, and Asian cultures.

[4] Until 2011, it was published by Harada Shokei of Heian Bunka Center, a Japanese calligraphy school in Kyoto.

[5] Contributors to Kyoto Journal have included Gary Snyder, Pico Iyer, Nobuyoshi Araki, Royall Tyler (academic), Donald Richie, Barry Lopez, Arne Naess, Kōbō Abe, J. Scott Burgeson,Peter Matthiessen, Arundhati Roy, Noam Chomsky, and Linda Connor.