[2]: 477, 587  Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358[3] (as of October 2021[update]) and has a geographic area of 4,612 square kilometres (1,781 sq mi).

[2]: 565–587  Kyoto Prefecture is located on the Sea of Japan coast and extends to the southeast towards the Kii Peninsula, covering territory of the former provinces of Yamashiro, Tamba, and Tango.

In 794, Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyō, and this was the beginning of the current-day city of Kyoto.

Even today, almost all of the streets, houses, stores, temples and shrines in Kyoto exist where they were placed in this year.

Although in 1192 real political power shifted to Kamakura, where a samurai clan established the shogunate, Kyoto remained the imperial capital as the powerless emperors and their court continued to be seated in the city.

Imperial rule was briefly restored in 1333, but another samurai clan established a new shogunate in Kyoto three years later.

A new strong man, Tokugawa Ieyasu, established the shogunate at Edo (today's Tokyo) in 1603.

In the 15th century AD, tea-jars were brought by the shōguns to Uji in Kyoto from the Philippines which was used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Although many Japanese major cities were heavily bombed during World War II, the old capital escaped such devastation.

These are the towns and villages in each district: According to Agency for Cultural Affairs research in 2020, over 60% believe in Shinto and Buddhism.

[11] The previous governor of Kyoto is former Home Affairs Ministry bureaucrat Keiji Yamada.

He has been reelected to a fourth term in April 2014 with support from the major non-Communist parties against only one JCP-supported challenger.

On 1 August 2013, prefectural and municipal authorities gave consent for a USFJ missile monitoring station to be set up in the city of Kyōtango.

At least initially, its primary sensor will be a mobile X-band radar used to gather data on ballistic missile launches which will then be relayed by the station to warships equipped with Aegis air defense systems and to ground-based interceptor missile sites.

Takara Holdings, GS Yuasa, Mitsubishi Logisnext, Maxell, and Kyoto Animation are also based in the prefecture.