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
© 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)
Osaka Castle
Symbol of Osaka
One of Japan's most famous landmarks, a reconstructed castle housing a museum about the unificati...
Kyoto Tower
The First and Last Landmark Greeting Visitors to Kyoto
Standing 131 meters tall in front of Kyoto Station, this candlestick-shaped tower has been a city...
Iga-Ueno Castle
Rising above the legendary birthplace of ninja culture, Iga-Ueno Castle has Japan's tallest stone...
Kobe Port Tower
Red Lattice Tower with a Rooftop Deck at Kobe Port
A red steel observation tower on a Kobe Port pier, first opened in 1963 and reopened in 2024 with...
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Kasuga Taisha
Kasuga Grand Shrine
Ancient Shinto shrine set in a primeval forest, famous for thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.
Enryakuji Temple
Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei (Hieizan)
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and headquarters of Tendai Buddhism, Enryakuji Temple sprawls across...
Myokensan (Nose Myokensan)
Nose Myokensan Temple
Nose Myokensan is a Nichiren-sect temple at the 660-metre summit of Mount Myoken, on the border b...
Sumoto Castle Ruins
Hilltop Castle Ruins with Panoramic Views of the Seto Inland Sea
A hilltop castle ruin on Awaji Island with Japan's oldest remaining concrete-built tenshu replica...
Miho Museum
I. M. Pei-Designed Museum Hidden in the Shigaraki Mountains
A mountain museum near Shigaraki designed by I. M. Pei, reached through a tunnel and suspension b...
Porto Europa
European-Themed Park at Wakayama Marina City
A theme park on the man-made island of Wakayama Marina City built to look like a Mediterranean po...
Konze Tenma no Mori
Hilltop forest park with Lake Biwa views, beside the Konze roadside station
A green hilltop forest park on the slopes of Konze-yama in Ritto, next to the Michi-no-Eki Konze ...
Michi-no-Eki Konze no Sato Ritto
Roadside Station and Local Market in the Konze Hills
A roadside station in the Konze hills of Ritto, with a farm shop of local Shiga produce and speci...
Kyoto Railway Museum
Steam Locomotives in a 1914 Roundhouse, Near Kyoto Station
JR West's railway museum in Umekoji Park, with more than 50 real trains from steam locomotives to...
Ikuno Ginzan Silver Mine
Walk a Kilometre Into a Silver Mine Worked Until 1973
A silver mine worked from at least 1542 until 1973, now open as a walk-through tunnel of about a ...
Kumihimo KOBE
Stay in the garden of Katsuo Saito, who took the Japanese garden to the world
A Japanese house of about 120 years, registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property, with a ...