The Jidai Matsuri on October 22 pays homage to Kyoto's 1,200-year history, from the Meiji through the Heian periods, with 2,000 people parading in period costumes. The festival shows the Kyotoites' resilience as they redefined their city and created a new, modern Kyoto.

Kyoto City University of Arts, founded around 140 years ago, has produced leading painters in the art world. Its educational policy emphasizes Shasei - painting from life through intensive observation to glean a subject's true essence. It continues a practice advocated by 18th-century Kyoto artist, Maruyama Okyo. Discover the ethos underlying Kyoto art through the eyes of contemporary students of Nihonga Japanese-style painting.