Things to Do in Kansai, Japan
Japan's cultural heart: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, plus the pilgrim trails and islands of the Kii Peninsula.
361 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: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Nara
Ancient Capital with Friendly Deer
Japan's first permanent capital, famous for free-roaming sacred deer and the world's largest bron...
© Type specimen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Dotonbori
Osaka's Neon-Lit Food Street
Osaka's neon-drenched heart, where the Glico Running Man has watched over the Dotonbori canal sin...
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...
© 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda
The Birthplace of Instant Ramen
An interactive museum where Momofuku Ando invented chicken ramen in 1958, featuring hands-on work...
Expo '70 Commemorative Park
Expo '70 Park with Okamoto's Tower of the Sun
The legacy of Japan's first World's Fair lives on in this 260-hectare park, where Taro Okamoto's ...
© Nikos Kitsakis / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Himeji Castle
Japan's Most Spectacular Castle
Japan's best preserved feudal castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the White Heron Castl...
Katsuoji Temple
Victory Temple Famous for Daruma Dolls and Minoo Mountain Views
Set in the forested mountains above Minoo, this 1,300-year-old Shingon temple has drawn seekers o...
Photo: ほっきー / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Nijo Castle
UNESCO World Heritage flatland castle. The floors squeak when you walk, designed as a security al...
© Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Okage Yokocho
A charming recreated Edo-to-Meiji period street adjacent to Ise Grand Shrine, packed with traditi...
© Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kinkaku-ji
Golden Pavilion Temple
Kyoto's golden icon, where a pavilion sheathed in real gold leaf floats above its mirror-still po...
Amanohashidate
One of Japan's three most scenic views, a pine-covered sandbar spanning Miyazu Bay on the Sea of ...
© Mti / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Awaji Hanasajiki
Hillside Flower Park with Panoramic Sea Views
A vast hillside flower park on northern Awaji Island with seasonal displays of canola, lavender, ...
Kobe Kaientai Monument (The Kobe Moai)
Five Moai-Like Statues Honouring Kobe's Naval Cadets
A row of five moai-like stone statues facing Kobe's harbor in Meriken Park, dedicated to the youn...
Okochi Sanso Garden
A Hilltop Garden with Panoramic Views of Kyoto and Arashiyama
The former villa garden of silent film actor Okochi Denjiro, perched on a hillside above the bamb...
Tenryu-ji
Arashiyama's World Heritage Zen Masterpiece
World Heritage Site, head temple of the Tenryu branch of Rinzai Zen. The Sogenchi garden uses the...