The Kansai area is the gateway to Western Japan and is full of tourist attractions, attracting many tourists from both within Japan and overseas.

This article provides an overview of the Kansai region, including the major cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, as well as Nara and Wakayama, and introduces recommended tourist spots. From temples and shrines to theme parks, we introduce a variety of Kansai attractions, so please use this as a reference when traveling to the Kansai area.

What prefectures are the main focus of "Kansai"? What can you enjoy there?

First, we will introduce some basic information about the two prefectures and four cities in the Kansai area.

Osaka Prefecture

Located in the heart of the Kansai region, Osaka is a large city with a population of 8.82 million, making it the third largest in Japan after Tokyo and Kanagawa. Osaka city is dotted with bustling shopping districts such as Umeda, Namba, and Tennoji, and the city is known for its many ancient tombs outside the city, with the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group, which includes the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, being registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site this year. It is also known as the "city of gourmets," and is famous for its cheap and delicious cuisine.

Kyoto Prefecture

Kyoto Prefecture, with a total population of approximately 2.6 million, once flourished as the capital of Japan. As a result, Kyoto City is home to many world-famous shrines and temples, such as Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera, as well as World Heritage Sites, and nearly half of Kyoto's population is concentrated in the city. It is also an area that is packed with the image of Japan that people overseas have, such as Gion's maiko and Kyoto cuisine.

Hyogo Prefecture

Located in the western part of the Kansai region, Hyogo Prefecture boasts the largest area in the region with a population of approximately 5.5 million. The prefectural capital, Kobe, is home to foreign-style buildings and a Chinatown, and shares bay area characteristics with Yokohama.

Nara Prefecture

Nara Prefecture, with a population of approximately 1.33 million, is famous as an ancient capital that flourished during the Asuka and Nara periods. It is known for its diverse natural scenery, including basins, mountains, the Yamato River and Yoshino River, famous temples and shrines such as Horyuji Temple and Todaiji Temple, and Nara Park, which is home to many deer.

Shiga Prefecture

Shiga Prefecture is an inland prefecture with a population of approximately 1.4 million people, and is known as the prefecture that is home to Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. In addition to being able to enjoy outdoor activities such as jet skiing and fishing around Lake Biwa, cultural assets such as Enryaku-ji Temple and Hikone Castle are also worth seeing.

Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama Prefecture, with a population of approximately 930,000, is an area where you can enjoy both the sea and the mountains, and is known as one of the best hot spring spots in the Kansai region. In addition to leisure facilities such as Adventure World and Marina City, it is also famous as a producer of mandarin oranges and plums.

What can you see at the recommended tourist spots in Kansai?

Next, we will introduce some Kansai tourist spots that are fun to visit and enjoy.

shrine

Famous sites in Kyoto include Fushimi Inari Taisha, known for its thousand torii gates, Shimogamo Shrine, a World Heritage Site, and Sumiyoshi Taisha, affectionately known as Sumiyossan, in Osaka. Kasuga Taisha in Nara is also registered as a World Heritage Site.

temple

Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto and Todai-ji Temple in Nara are both registered as World Heritage Sites and are famous temples that have been used as settings in literary works. Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei in Shiga Prefecture is also a World Heritage Site. Buildings from the 14th to 17th centuries still remain.

Castle

Himeji Castle in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, is beautiful white and is registered as a World Heritage Site. Osaka Castle in Osaka City has a park nearby and feels like an oasis in the city. Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture, with its cute mascot "Hikonyan," is also a national treasure-class castle.

others

If you want to experience nature on a grand scale, we recommend the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge connecting Kobe and Awaji, or Nachi Falls in Wakayama Prefecture, which boasts the highest and largest water volume in Japan. Other spots where you can enjoy nature include the bamboo forests in Kyoto's Arashiyama and Nara Park, where you can encounter deer.

What can you experience at recommended tourist spots in Kansai?

Finally, we will introduce some tourist spots in Kansai that you can enjoy visiting and experiencing.

Theme parks

When it comes to theme parks in the Kansai region, the most famous is Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka, where you can experience the world of Hollywood movies. However, we also recommend Adventure World in Wakayama, where you can enjoy live dolphin performances, and Himeji Central Park, where you can take a safari tour.

tourist train

On the Sagano Scenic Train in Kyoto, you can enjoy the natural scenery of Kyoto, from fresh greenery to autumn foliage. On the Panda Kuroshio, which connects Kyoto and Wakayama, the train's front design, modeled after a panda's face, and the cute seat covers make it perfect for commemorative photos. Between Maibara and Kinomoto in Shiga Prefecture, the SL Kita Biwako, where you can take photos of a classic steam locomotive, is popular with train enthusiasts.

Gourmet

Gourmet spots in Kansai include Kobe Nankinmachi, where you can enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto's kitchen, Toretore Market, where you can enjoy Wakayama seafood at reasonable prices, and Dotonbori, the gluttonous area of Naniwa, Osaka.

summary

In addition to the places mentioned here, the Kansai region is packed with many other sights, tourist spots, and delicious food. Not only Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, but also Nara, Shiga, and Wakayama are dotted with abundant nature and national treasure-class temples and shrines. Whether you're planning a trip to theme parks or a long trip on a sightseeing train, why not create your own Kansai travel plan?

This article has been partially re-edited by KARUTA from an article originally published on "Nihongo Biyori."
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