Urban areas of Kyoto City nestle among mountains in the east, west, and north. Wile a background
scenery richly endowed with these green mountains, the urban landscape among their hillsides possesses a
great many of historic assets such as ancient temples and shrines,scenic spots and historic sites.
The city has launched a program to designate landscape areas as part of its efforts to preserve the
scenic beauty of the city as a whole by conserving its natural environment and thus maintain a good
living environment for the citizens. The basic policy on landscapes is laid down in the city's landscape
preservation plan. Through city planning procedures, the city has expanded in stages the Landscape Areas
since its first designation in 1930 of approximately 3,400 hectares to 17,831 hectares in May 1996,
which accounts for one-third of the area of Kyoto City. The idea is to preserve the excellent natural
and historic landscapes of beautiful mountains and historical heritage, as well as residential areas at
the foot of the mountains.