( CNN ) -- Kyoto , Japan 's capital from 794 to 1868 , is one of the biggest stars on the Japan tourism trail , recently voted `` world 's best city '' by Travel + Leisure magazine readers . Is it deserving of the title ? Definitely . Unless you 're a traveler under the age of 12 and do n't give a hoot about learning the correct way to whisk a bowl of matcha green tea , exploring ancient UNESCO World Heritage sites or counting how many torii gates there are at the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine ( 10,000 , for the record ) . When traveling to Kyoto with kids , the mutinous cries of `` Not another zen garden , dad ! '' will inevitably ring out , threatening to derail that dream family vacation . This is when you need to hit the Toei Kyoto Studio Park -- or Toei Uzumasa Eigamura -- and spend an afternoon geeking out on some of the most familiar icons of Japanese pop culture , from samurais and geisha to `` Dragon Ball '' and `` Sailor Moon . '' 'The Hollywood of Japan ' First , you 'll need to toss your Universal Studios fantasies out the sliding shoji screen door . There are no rides here . This theme park celebrates the best of Japanese film-making , filled with huge Edo-period ( 1600-1867 ) sets you can explore on foot -- preferably decked out in a funny samurai-style wig you rented in the costume shop near the entrance . Often overshadowed by its traditional cultural allures , Kyoto was called the `` Hollywood of Japan '' between the 1920s and 1960s , until its thriving film industry went into decline . In response , film-making leader Toei Studios Kyoto opened up parts of its sets to the public in 1975 . Further development followed and the theme park grew in popularity among tourists . Today , many of Japan 's `` jidaigeki '' period dramas are still filmed on these sets . On my recent weekday visit to the Toei Kyoto Studio Park , crowds were light and no TV shoots were taking place , but I was able to get a behind-the-scenes sample of what happens on a typical Japanese historical drama shoot at the park 's Jidaigeki Show . More relevant to most foreign visitors , however , is the Anime Museum , filled with impressive displays , pictures and cells from shows produced by the Toei film company 's animation arm , including `` Kamen Rider , '' `` Sailor Moon , '' `` Dragon Ball '' and `` Super Sentai , '' on which the U.S. based its popular `` Power Rangers '' series . In addition to Toei 's dozens of film-related displays , the park has live ninja and samurai shows , a Haunted House , Ninja Mystery House , Trick Art Museum , 3D theater , maze of illusions , science museum , indoor kids play areas and a lovely Japanese `` ukiyo-e '' woodcut print gallery . Haunting , but not horrifying . Given that the Toei film company is behind some pretty terrifying horror flicks , as well as the controversial cult classic `` Battle Royale , '' I expect something a bit more grotesque than what awaited in the Haunted House . Still , it 's pretty darn scary , in a slightly cheesy way . The sound effects alone left me fighting an urge to seek out an emergency `` chicken '' exit as I hissed aloud , `` Why did I come in here ? '' ( Expletive deleted . ) An actor , playing the role of a bloodied `` dead '' body , popped up in silent reply . Next , bearing in mind the words of author Jarius Raphel -- `` Ninjas do n't wish upon a star , they throw them '' -- I eagerly hit the Ninja Mystery House , where staff conducted a quick primer on the history of the cloaked assassins ' residences before setting me free to get out of a fun maze of false walls and doors . Alas , no ninja stars were thrown . Over in the Trick Art Museum , quirky 3D anamorphic art and props made for a perfectly Instagrammable experience . As I was traveling solo , a staff member was kind enough to accompany me through the space and take photos with my camera , doing a fine job of stifling her cringes as I struck awkward , unconvincing poses . Though few would likely make a special trip to Kyoto to see the Toei Studio Park , it 's definitely a kitschy and fun way to spend a few hours . Buy the kids a souvenir ninja costume with their own set of throwing stars and you might even earn yourself an extra day of zen garden exploration . Additional Toei Kyoto Studio Pak information . Many of the shows are presented in Japanese only , but inasmuch as they 're highly visual , they 're still worth watching . Park displays include English text , while staff give out English-language maps at the entrance . Toei Kyoto Studio Park has multiple restaurants throughout , which serve Japanese , Chinese and Western cuisine . Admission is 2,200 yen ( $ 21 ) for adults . Some attractions require an additional charge . Toei Kyoto Studio Park , JR Uzumasa Station,10 Uzumasa , Hachigaoka-cho , Ukyo-ku , Kyoto ; +81 ( 0 ) 75 864 7716 . CNN Travel 's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile . However , CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports . Read the policy .
Kyoto was once called ` ` the Hollywood of Kyoto '' due to high number of films produced in the city . The Kyoto Movie Park features Hollywood - themed sets , samurai / ninja shows and a scary haunted house . Anime Museum highlights shows produced by Kyoto including ` ` Sailor Moon , '' ` ` Dragon ' '' and ` ` Super Sentai ''