TRAVEL

A replica of a statue of the ancient monk Ganjin has been shown to the media before being put on public display. (NHK)

The Kyoto Imperial Palace has begun its annual spring viewing. The former official residence of Japan's emperors opened to the public on Thursday. The palace welcomes visitors for 5 days every spring and autumn. (NHK)

The Japan Tourism Agency has started a ranking system of tourist information offices managed by municipalities or railway companies to serve foreign tourists. (Yomiuri)

Michelin awarded three stars to 12 restaurants in western Japan, dropping from 15 last year, when the Asian nation amassed a total of 32 top-rated establishments. Another 51 venues garnered two stars, with 24 in Kyoto, 14 in Osaka, 10 in Kobe and three in Nara, plus one ryokan, or inn, in Kyoto. (Bloomberg)

Gardens, temples, shrines, palaces, a geisha quarter - Kyoto is one of Japan's treasure chests of culture and, fortunately for visitors, is easy to get around and relatively compact. Tokyo, the city that took the status of capital away from Kyoto, is a sprawling mass of 35 million residents. Kyoto, capital from the 8th century until 1868, has a population of only 1.5 million and is a more manageable size. (bayofplentytimes.co.nz)

For a first-time foreign visitor to Kyoto, perhaps there is nothing so tantalizing as catching a glimpse of dainty "maiko," or apprentice geisha, as dusk descends on this historic city. (Asahi)

Armed with lists and a stroller, Barry Divola and his wife head to Japan for 10 days, their nine-month-old in tow. Will they survive as a family unit? (The Age)

There are two Japans. One is the tangible, modern nation of today, the LED-spangled cities and bullet trains. The other is more ephemeral, the mystical psychological landscape of the nation's past. Always present, always just out of reach, it is the kingdom of the geisha, kabuki and the ryokan, the traditional roadside inn. (Huffington Post)

Home to Nintendo, kimonos, and famous temples -- Kyoto, Japan, is always a big hit with visitors to Japan. But don't expect a small, Japanese village. Kyoto is home to nearly 1.5 million people, but still manages to retain a cultural charm that keeps people coming back; a whopping 30 million annual tourists, in fact! (about.com)

As Japan struggles to get its groove back, the capital beckons as a bright bargain. Lee Hannon visits. The bright neon lights of Tokyo may dim this year, but the flicker of hope that Japan will remain a top tourist destination still glimmers. (China Daily)

Jessica Alba loves to keep her fans up-to-date by tweeting personal pictures and now she's sharing new snaps from her family vacation in Japan. The Sin City actress and husband Cash Warren are continuing their jaunt around Japan, this time visiting Kyoto with their two daughters, Honor and Haven. (Daily Mail)

One could spend 30 days exploring Kyoto and never get bored. However, being this was our first trip to Japan, there were a few day trips from Kyoto we simply couldn't pass up. The two that we decided would be most meaningful were Nara and Hiroshima. Both were incredible experiences and definitely worth the trip. (USA Today)

I can confidently say Kyoto is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would certainly include it in my top 5. For over 1000 years, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. As an American, that concept is extremely tough to grasp. Walking through today's Kyoto you can't help but appreciate the incredible commitment to and feat of preservation this city represents. (USA Today)

A theme park attraction billed as the "scariest ever" haunted house debuted in Kyoto last month, with actors playing ghosts and filmmaking expertise used to turn an old samurai residence into a spine-chilling experience. The attraction, part of Toei Kyoto Studio Park, reopened after a 14-year run following a major renovation that cost ¥150 million. (Japan Times)

Korea's low-cost airlines are girding for fierce competition in the skies as Japan's Peach Aviation is racing to launch a new route to Seoul, seeking a slice of a budget travel boom in Asia's fourth largest economy. With the number of cost-conscious tourists surging, budget carriers are increasingly steering abroad in a bid to offset high jet oil prices and prop up their balance sheets. Osaka-based Peach is the latest in a string of no-frills airlines venturing into Korea's aviation market. (China Post)

When the Imperial family moved to Tokyo at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, after more than a millennium in Kyoto, many in the ancient capital were convinced the Emperor was just embarking on a long visit and would someday return. Now, more than 140 years later, Kyoto's top political and business leaders are working to have at least some members of the Imperial family take up residence here again. The reasons have less to do with romantic dreams of the past and more to do with modern concerns ranging from safety from natural disasters to the strengthening of Kyoto's role domestically and abroad as the center of traditional Japanese culture. (Japan Times)

In the suburbs of Nakatsugawa, about 300 kilometers west of Tokyo, a wooden signboard carries notices of the kind common in travelers' haunts across Asia, such as the right prices to pay for porters and transport. But in famously orderly Japan, where crime against visitors is almost unknown, it's a surprise also to see warnings against muggers and drug dealers. But these notices are merely reproductions of edicts from the Tokugawa shoguns once in control of traffic on Japan's ancient Nakasendo, a footpath-highway between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). Their relevance expired 150 years ago along with the shogunate itself, but some sections of the old route have remained unchanged since its creation in the 17th century. (Wall Street Journal)