Kyoto Prefecture
Kyoto Prefecture stretches from the Pacific-facing region of Kansai northwards to the Sea of Japan, where it has a short length of coast. Kyoto City is the capital city and is better known as a historical destination than as a location with great archaeological antiquity - yet the archaeology there goes back more than 10,000 years. The main economic focus of the prefecture has been development of Kyoto city as a cultural and political capital; yet there are large areas of forestry and many remnant areas of rice farming. The main farming valley occupied by Kyoto City lies about 50 km from the Pacific coast, and lies at the headwaters of the Yodogawa, a large river that runs through the Osaka delta. Although archaeological sites are found throughout the prefecture, the main focus for public presentation of archaeology is Kyoto city and its many neighbouring cities. See menu at left