The ancient capital of Kyoto conjures up many images among international tourists, ranging from quiet rock gardens and temples to performing geisha.
But since 1997, when it hosted the United Nations conference that forged the agreement on greenhouse gas emission reductions that bears its name, tourists also come expecting an exceptionally clean and green city that is at the cutting edge of eco-tourism.
Unfortunately, what they discover are roads clogged with cars, buses and bicycles, sidewalks jammed with pedestrians, and an environmentally unfriendly tourism industry geared toward funneling large groups of sightseers through the major historical sites and into souvenir shops piled with mass-produced tchotchkes, before depositing them back in their sterile Western-style hotels.