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
© ignis / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Omizutori
1 to 14 March 2027
Nara · Fire festival
© J o / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Aoi Matsuri
15 May 2027
Kyoto · Float procession
© 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Gion Matsuri
1 to 31 July 2027
Kyoto · Float procession
© 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
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
© sailko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Nada Kenka Matsuri
14 to 15 October 2027
Hyogo · Float procession
Jidai Matsuri
22 October 2027
Kyoto · Float procession
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Kansai
Photo: ほっきー / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kuromon Market
Known as Osaka's Kitchen since around 1822, this 600-meter covered market arcade embodies eat-as-...
Sumaura Sanjo Yuen Park
Retro Ropeway and Sea Views Above Suma, Kobe
A nostalgic hilltop park above Suma reached by ropeway, a quirky 1966 'Karreta' inclined people-m...
JR Fukuchiyama Line Disused Railway Trail
Walk an Abandoned Railway Through Gorge Tunnels and Spring Sakura
A flat 4.7 km hiking trail along the original Fukuchiyama Line route through the Mukogawa Gorge, ...
© 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Kinosaki Onsen
Kinosaki Onsen is a traditional hot spring town where visitors stroll between seven public bathho...
© 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Daitoku-ji
Vast Zen Complex of Exquisite Rock Gardens
A vast Rinzai Zen temple complex in northern Kyoto with over 20 sub-temples, many featuring excep...
© Miya.m at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kumano Nachi Taisha
Sacred Grand Shrine Beside Japan's Tallest Waterfall
One of the three Kumano Grand Shrines, perched on a mountainside next to Nachi Falls and Seiganto...
Tonomine Highlands
A Vast Silver Sea of Pampas Grass and Famous Film Location
An 800-metre-high plateau in inland Hyogo covered by roughly 90 hectares of silver susuki pampas ...
Yasaka Shrine
Heart of Gion and Home of the Gion Matsuri
A Shinto shrine at the heart of Gion, center of the Gion Matsuri festival every July, one of Japa...
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Atago Shrine
A Mountaintop Fire God Shrine Reached by a Rewarding Hike
Perched atop 924-meter Mt. Atago, this ancient shrine dedicated to the fire deity has protected K...
Byodo-in
Byodo-in Temple
A UNESCO World Heritage temple famous for its Phoenix Hall, depicted on the Japanese 10-yen coin.
© 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hozugawa River Boat Ride
A Thrilling River Boat Ride Through a Scenic Mountain Gorge
A two-hour wooden boat ride down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama, navigating gentle rap...
© Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Hikone Castle
A National Treasure castle near Lake Biwa, one of only five castles with an original keep designa...
Photo: Mont Blank rich / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Todai-ji
Todai-ji Temple
A UNESCO World Heritage temple housing the world's largest bronze Buddha statue inside the larges...
Ise Grand Shrine
Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu)
Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, rebuilt every 20 years ...
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
The World's Longest Suspension Bridge Until 2022
Suspension bridge whose 1,991m main span was the world's longest from 1998 until 2022, total leng...