I disagree.

Kyoto, the metropolis, is drab and mediocre; a typical, modern, Japanese urban sprawl. For the first time visitor who has read that Kyoto is Japan's cultural capital, it can be a surprise to find that the streets are lined with the same boxy residences and business premises that you can find all over Japan. The materials and designs (as well as the overall "plan") are pretty consistent with other large cities in Japan today.

Tucked away in these rather disappointing surroundings are the "gems" of Kyoto - remnants of old Japan that truly deserve their status as cultural treasures. There are a few corners of town where the atmosphere is beautiful and you can conjure up a mental image of a bygone era - as long as you focus on the right spot and ignore the contemporary paraphernalia (overhead cables, insensitive construction, invasive signage etc.) that tends to impinge on many views.

IMO, Kyoto is a "must visit" city. But I think it's a big mistake to set people's expectations for "a metropolis that is close to "original" Japan as we think Japan is, based on the movies".

Ah yes, straight out of Memories of a Geisha:

Yes, I always tell visitors to be prepared for a letdown when their train pulls into Kyoto Station. No samurai, no geisha, not even a rickshaw!

The delights of Kyoto are found in a few well-preserved neighborhoods, the historic and religious sites, and in serendipitous discoveries on obscure side streets. I advise visitors to get Diane Durston's Kyoto: Seven Paths to the Heart of the City, which lays out walking tours of the most interesting areas.

When I took my two soon-to-graduate university-aged neices to Japan a few years ago, I wasn't too surprised when, on the 3rd day, we visited Gion and Yanaka Shrine. When they saw the red lantern-lined sidewalks in front of old-style store fronts, one remarked "Now this is what I was expecting in Japan!" She was happy elsewhere but older Gion provided what she expected.

All of Kyoto is not Gion but Gion is one of many smaller parts of "original" Japan located in Kyoto.