Things to Do in Kansai, Japan

Japan's cultural heart: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, plus the pilgrim trails and islands of the Kii Peninsula.

362 destinations across 7 prefectures

Festivals in Kansai

Awaji Island Festival Fireworks

8 November 2026

Hyogo · Fireworks festival

Wakakusa Yamayaki

23 January 2027

Nara · Fire festival

Omizutori

1 to 14 March 2027

Nara · Fire festival

Aoi Matsuri

15 May 2027

Kyoto · Float procession

Gion Matsuri

1 to 31 July 2027

Kyoto · Float procession

Tenjin Matsuri

24 to 25 July 2027

Osaka · Boat festival

Photo: Idushin at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri

18 to 19 September 2027

Osaka · Float procession

Nada Kenka Matsuri

14 to 15 October 2027

Hyogo · Float procession

Jidai Matsuri

22 October 2027

Kyoto · Float procession

Suggested Itineraries

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into You do not need a ryokan booking to bathe in Japan's best-known hot spring water. Most onsen towns keep public ba...

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Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road

Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road Hitō (秘湯) means "hidden hot spring". It is the onsen you reach only after a long mountain road, a forest trail or a boat, and very often i...

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Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There

Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There Hikyo (秘境) is the Japanese word for a remote, secluded place. The two characters mean something like "hidden region", and in Ja...

Kyoto beyond the crowds: quiet temples and mountain shrines

Kyoto beyond the crowds: quiet temples and mountain shrines Kyoto's crowding problem is smaller than it looks. It is concentrated in about six places: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, t...

Awaji Island and Nushima: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

Awaji Island and Nushima: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Awaji Island sits in the sea between Kobe and Shikoku, crossed by most people at 100km/h on the highway bus and seen by almost n...

Silver grass on the Tonomine Highlands under a blue autumn sky

Hyogo's Hidden North: A San'in-Side Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

Hyogo's Hidden North: A San'in-Side Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Almost everyone who comes to Hyogo sees Himeji Castle and Kobe and goes no further. Head north from Himeji, though, and t...

Lake Biwa and Hidden Shiga: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

Lake Biwa and Hidden Shiga: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Shiga sits right next to Kyoto, barely fifteen minutes by train, yet almost no visitors stop. That is their loss. Wrapped arou...

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Off the Beaten Path in the Kii Peninsula: A Kumano Kodo Itinerary (2026)

Off the Beaten Path in the Kii Peninsula: A Kumano Kodo Itinerary (2026) Most first trips to Kansai never leave the Kyoto to Osaka to Nara triangle. The Kii Peninsula, the big forested block of ...

The Weirdest and Most Exciting Soft Serves in Kansai

The Weirdest and Most Exciting Soft Serves in Kansai Soft serve is a road-trip institution in Japan, and the best place to find it is a michi-no-eki, the roadside stations that double as farm mark...

When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region

When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region Most Japanese beaches are only open for swimming during a fixed season. A beach holds an "umibiraki" (海開き), the official ope...

How to Get from Kansai Airport to Umeda (Osaka) by Train – 2026 Guide

Traveling from Kansai International Airport to the Umeda area of Osaka is simple and convenient. One of the easiest options is to take the Haruka Limited Express and get off at Osaka Station. The ...

The Easiest Way to Travel from KIX to Kobe, Sannomiya (2026 Guide)

Traveling from Kansai International Airport to Sannomiya Station in Kobe is easy and comfortable using the Airport Limousine Bus that is operated by Hankyu. The bus goes directly from the airport t...

The Fastest and Easiest Way to Kyoto From Kansai International Airport (2026 Guide)

Traveling from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto is simple and convenient. The most direct option is the Haruka Limited Express, which connects the airport directly to Kyoto Station in about 75...

Places to Visit in Kansai

Beach

Hyogo

Ohama Beach

Sumoto's White Sand Beach, One of Japan's 100 Best

A 750-meter white sand beach in Sumoto, recognized as one of Japan's top beaches by the Ministry ...

Sumoto, Hyogo, Japan

Photo: nnh / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Shrine

Kyoto

Nonomiya Shrine

A Small Shrine in the Bamboo Grove Linked to The Tale of Genji

Small shrine at the bamboo grove entrance. Featured in The Tale of Genji. The black torii (bark-c...

Kyoto, Japan

Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Historic Site

Kyoto

Kyoto Imperial Palace

The Former Imperial Residence in a Spacious National Garden

The former residence of Japan's Imperial family for over 500 years until 1869, set within the exp...

Kyoto, Japan

Market

Kyoto

Nishiki Market

Kyoto's Kitchen

A narrow five-block shopping street with over 100 shops and restaurants, known as 'Kyoto's Kitche...

Kyoto, Japan

Garden

Hyogo

Nunobiki Herb Gardens

Hilltop Herb Garden with Panoramic Ropeway Views

Hilltop herb and flower garden reached by a scenic ropeway ride from Shin-Kobe Station, offering ...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Attraction

Shiga

Okishima

Okishima, Japan's Only Inhabited Lake Island

A small fishing island in Lake Biwa with no cars, narrow alleys, old shrines, and around 250 resi...

Omihachiman, Shiga, Japan

Temple World Heritage

Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera

Pure Water Temple

A hillside temple where a vast wooden stage, supported by 139 pillars without a single nail, offe...

Kyoto, Japan

City

Kyoto

Japan's Ancient Capital

Japan's cultural heart and ancient capital for over a millennium, home to 17 UNESCO World Heritag...

Kyoto, Japan

Historic Site

Osaka

Hozenji Yokocho

Atmospheric Stone-Paved Alley of Traditional Osaka Dining

A charming stone-paved alley behind Dotonbori lined with over 60 traditional Osaka restaurants an...

Osaka, Japan

Photo: ほっきー / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Market

Osaka

Kuromon Market

Known as Osaka's Kitchen since around 1822, this 600-meter covered market arcade embodies eat-as-...

Osaka, Japan

Attraction

Kyoto

Philosopher's Path

A serene canal-side walking path in Kyoto lined with cherry trees, connecting Ginkaku-ji and Nanz...

Kyoto, Japan

Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Shrine

Hyogo

Ikuta Shrine

One of Japan's Oldest Shinto Shrines

One of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, said to have been founded in 201 AD, located in the heart o...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Shrine

Osaka

Hoshida Myoken-gu Shrine

North Star Shrine and the Star-Fall Legend

Hoshida Myoken-gu, also called Komatsu Shrine, is a hillside shrine in Katano, Osaka, counted amo...

Katano, Osaka, Japan

Temple

Kyoto

Kennin-ji

Kyoto's Oldest Zen Temple in the Heart of Gion

Kyoto's oldest Zen temple. Founded 1202 by Eisai, who brought Zen and tea to Japan. Twin Dragons ...

Kyoto, Japan

Neighborhood

Nara

Naramachi

Charming Edo-Period Merchant Quarter with Machiya Townhouses

A charming old merchant district south of Sarusawa Pond with well-preserved Edo-period machiya to...

Nara, Japan

Prefectures in Kansai

Hyogo Kyoto Mie Nara Osaka Shiga Wakayama

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