Quick facts
Kyoto overview
Kyoto (orange) and the other large cities of Japan
Kyoto lies in Japan at 35.02°N, 135.75°E, about 50 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Tokyo (UTC+9); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Kobe (1,525,152) and larger than Saitama (1,324,854). The largest city in Japan is Tokyo with 9,733,276 people; the capital, Tokyo, has 9,733,276.
The national capital, Tokyo, is about 365 km away; the nearest large city is Ōtsu, 11 km from Kyoto.
Japan as a whole has a live population of 122,222,547 (-0.6% a year) and ranks #12 of 238 countries — see the Japan population page for the full statistics and the Japan atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Kyoto
Largest cities in Japan
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kyoto?
Kyoto has about 1,463,723 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Kyoto the capital of Japan?
No. The capital of Japan is Tokyo (9,733,276 people), about 365 km away. Kyoto is the 9th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Kyoto compared with the rest of Japan?
Its 1,463,723 residents are 1.2% of the 122,222,547 people living in Japan today. Tokyo is larger with 9,733,276 people.
Where is Kyoto?
In Japan, at latitude 35.02 and longitude 135.75, 50 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Ōtsu (11 km), Kusatsu (19 km), Nara-shi (38 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Kyoto Population 2026 — Japan. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/japan/kyoto/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/japan/kyoto/">Kyoto Population 2026 — Japan</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.