Kyoto was chosen to be the capital partly because the four gods were in harmony surrounding the city.

The mountains to the north are for Genbu the turtle,
the river to the east is for Sieryuthe dragon,
The lake to the south is for Sasaku the phoenix
and the road to the west is for Byako the tiger.

so the city was protected by the mountainsm had the convenience of a river and roads nearby. And was open to the west... a perfect scenario.

There's also the spirit gate and the foot that there were many temples built in all four directions.

They believe that without those temples, it would be too easy for the magical creatures to get in.