Things to Do in Kansai, Japan
Japan's cultural heart: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, plus the pilgrim trails and islands of the Kii Peninsula.
239 destinations across 7 prefectures
Festivals in Kansai
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Nada Kenka Matsuri
14 to 15 October 2026
Hyogo · Float procession
Jidai Matsuri
22 October 2026
Kyoto · Float procession
Awaji Island Festival Fireworks
8 November 2026
Hyogo · Fireworks festival
Wakakusa Yamayaki
23 January 2027
Nara · Fire festival
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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
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Kansai
Kifune
Mountain Village Famous for a Water Shrine and Riverside Dining
A scenic mountain village north of Kyoto famous for Kifune Shrine, dedicated to the water deity, ...
Shigaraki
Shigaraki Pottery Town
Playful tanuki statues with their oversized bellies and sake flasks greet visitors throughout thi...
Shirahama Beach
White Sand Beach in Wakayama
One of Japan's most famous beaches, known for its pristine white sand and crystal clear waters on...
Toba Aquarium
As the only aquarium in Japan where you can observe the gentle dugong, Toba Aquarium offers an un...
Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum (DRI)
Interactive Museum Documenting the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake
Powerful interactive museum documenting the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake with ...
Koko-en Garden
Edo-Style Garden Next to Himeji Castle
A beautifully designed traditional Japanese garden featuring nine separate walled gardens, built ...
Mount Yoshino
Japan's most celebrated cherry blossom viewing site, with approximately 30,000 cherry trees cover...
Nada Kuroiwa Suisenkyo
Cliffside Slope of Five Million Wild Narcissus by the Sea
A steep seaside slope on southern Awaji Island carpeted with around five million wild narcissus t...
Tanzan Shrine
Mountain Shrine with Japan's Only Wooden Thirteen-Story Pagoda
A mountain shrine famous for Japan's only remaining wooden thirteen-story pagoda and its autumn f...
Yakushi-ji
Ancient Temple of Healing with the Frozen Music Pagoda
A World Heritage temple and one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara, celebrated for its elegant Ea...
Sandanbeki
Dramatic Sea Cliffs with a Hidden Pirate Cave
Towering 50-meter sea cliffs along the Shirahama coast with an elevator descending to a cave once...
Gio-ji
A Tiny Moss-Carpeted Temple Steeped in Tragic Romance
A small thatched-roof temple blanketed in luminous green moss, linked to a tragic love story from...
Meoto Iwa
The Sacred Wedded Rocks of Futami
Two sacred rocks connected by a massive shimenawa rope in the sea at Futami, Meoto Iwa symbolizes...
Nachi Falls
Japan's Tallest Single-Drop Waterfall
Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall at 133 meters, a sacred site of the Kumano pilgrimage for o...
Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
Shrine to the God of Learning and Host of the Tenjin Matsuri
A shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, and the site of the Tenjin Ma...