Believe it or not, a pair of days is all you need to see the best of Kyoto. That’s what I discovered on a recent trip to Japan: while this sprawling city is filled with palaces once occupied by shoguns, elaborately decorated temples, and streets lined with handsome wooden houses, most of the the sights you’ll want to see on your first or second trip are conveniently located in the center of the city. That makes Kyoto incredibly easy to explore.