Nishikyo Ward

Nishikyo is a ward of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, in western Japan. It occupies the west side of the Katsura River and includes both suburbs and wooded hills. The ward was created in 1976 when Ukyo Ward was divided, yet the area long predates this as estates and temple lands on routes toward Tamba. The 17th-century Katsura Imperial Villa, built for Prince Hachijo Toshihito, shaped Japanese palace and garden design. Key sites include Katsura Imperial Villa (Katsura Rikyu) with its famed strolling garden; Saiho-ji temple, the Moss Temple, part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto; Matsuo Taisha, an ancient Shinto shrine linked to sake brewing; and Yoshimine-dera temple on the Nishiyama hills. The Katsura River and forested foothills frame these areas. Today Nishikyo is a residential and academic area, home to Kyoto University's Katsura Campus, and a tourism hub for classical gardens and temples. Hankyu Railway provides direct access to central Kyoto and Osaka.