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.