The second oldest university in Japan, Kyoto University is also one of Asia’s most prestigious educational institutions. It has an especially strong reputation for research and counts 10 Nobel Prize laureates among its alumni.
The greatest attraction for non-students at Kyoto University is the Kyoto University Museum, open to the public. Its primary exhibition covers cultural, natural, and technological history, with various ancient manuscripts and Japanese artefacts on display.
The main campus of Kyoto University is the Yoshida Campus, though there is also a campus in the Katsura neighbourhood and some laboratories in the nearby town of Uji. The Yoshida Campus is located near several of Kyoto’s shrines and temples, including the Kawai Shrine, the Shinnyo-do Temple, the Konkai-Komyoji Temple, and the Heian Shrine. The nearest bus stop to the university museum is Hyakumanben, and the nearest rail station is Demachiyanagi.
First established as the Kyoto Imperial University in 1897, Kyoto University can trace its origins to the Chemistry School founded in 1869. This institution was replaced by the Third Higher School which lent the use of its buildings to the Imperial University. The two merged into the current iteration of Kyoto University after World War II.