Things to Do in Kansai, Japan
Japan's cultural heart: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, plus the pilgrim trails and islands of the Kii Peninsula.
372 destinations across 7 prefectures
Festivals in Kansai
Awaji Island Festival Fireworks
8 November 2026
Hyogo · Fireworks festival
Kasuga Wakamiya On-matsuri
15 to 18 December 2026
Nara · Float procession
Toka Ebisu at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine
9 to 11 January 2027
Osaka · Festival
Wakakusa Yamayaki
23 January 2027
Nara · Fire festival
Kobe Luminarie
29 January 2027 to 7 February 2027
Hyogo · Lantern 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
Kyoto Gozan Okuribi
16 August 2027
Kyoto · Fire 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
Kobe Harborland
Waterfront Shopping and Entertainment District on Kobe Port
A redeveloped waterfront district on Kobe Port with the Umie shopping mall, the Mosaic complex, a...
Seiryo-ji
The Living Buddha of Saga and Its Hidden Treasures
Houses the 'Living Buddha' statue brought from China in 987, a wooden Shaka Nyorai said to replic...
Shugakuin Imperial Villa
An Imperial Garden Masterpiece with Sweeping Mountain Views
Built in the 1650s by retired Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Three terraced gardens using the Higashiyama mo...
Ine
Ine - The Venice of Japan
The 'Venice of Japan', a fishing village with 230 traditional funaya boat houses lining a tranqui...
Mount Wakakusa
Grassy Hill Above Nara Park with City Views
A 342-metre grass-covered hill at the eastern edge of Nara Park, known for its wide views over th...
Awaji Yumebutai
Tadao Ando Concrete Complex with a Terraced Garden
An architectural complex on Awaji Island designed by Tadao Ando, with the terraced Hyakudanen gar...
Kitano Tenmangu
Shrine of Learning Famous for Plum Blossoms and Flea Markets
A major shrine dedicated to the deity of learning and scholarship, celebrated for its 2,000 plum ...
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...
Ryujin Onsen
Hot Spring Town Among Japan's Three Beauty Waters
A mountain hot spring town in the former Ryujin village of Tanabe, counted among Japan's three be...
Kodai-ji
Nene's Temple for Hideyoshi, With Gold Lacquer and Lit Autumn Nights
The Zen temple Toyotomi Hideyoshi's widow Nene founded in 1606 to pray for him, with her tomb und...
Tomogashima
The 'Castle in the Sky' Island of Jungle-Swallowed WWII Fort Ruins
A cluster of uninhabited islands in the Kitan Strait off Wakayama, where overgrown Meiji-era gun ...
Yoshiki-en
Japanese Garden Next to Isuien near Nara Park
A quiet Japanese garden beside the Isuien garden near Nara Park, made up of a pond garden, a moss...
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...
Nakanoshima
River Island with a Park, Rose Garden, and Historic Public Hall
A narrow river island between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers, home to Nakanoshima Park, a rose ga...
Niutsuhime Shrine
The Amano Shrine Whose Goddess, by Tradition, Gave Koyasan to Kukai
The main shrine of old Kii Province, in the quiet Amano basin below Koyasan. By the shrine's trad...