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
© sailko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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
© 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
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Kansai
Jojakko-ji
A Hillside Temple Famous for Its Fiery Autumn Foliage
Hillside temple in Sagano, best in autumn. The pagoda surrounded by red and orange maples is the ...
Mount Maya Kikuseidai
Mountaintop Viewpoint with One of Japan's Three Great Night Views
An observation plaza near the summit of Mount Maya, reached by cable car and ropeway, known for i...
Wakayama Castle
Hilltop Castle with Panoramic City Views
A reconstructed hilltop castle originally built in 1585, offering panoramic views over Wakayama c...
Mount Gozaisho (Gozaisho Ropeway)
Suzuka-Range Mountain Reached by Ropeway from Yunoyama Onsen
A 1,212-metre mountain in the Suzuka range, reached by the Gozaisho Ropeway from Yunoyama Onsen.
Sorakuen Garden
Japanese Garden with the Historic Hassam House
A municipal Japanese garden in central Kobe, home to the relocated Hassam House and known for its...
Akame 48 Waterfalls
Series of Waterfalls Along a Gorge Hiking Trail
A series of waterfalls along a roughly four-kilometre walking trail through the Takigawa Gorge in...
Chikubushima
Sacred Island in Lake Biwa with a Temple and Shrine
A small sacred island in the north of Lake Biwa, reached by boat and home to Hogonji Temple and T...
Doro-kyo Gorge
River Gorge with Sheer Cliffs on the Kitayama River
A steep-walled gorge on the Kitayama River in Yoshino-Kumano National Park, spanning the borders ...
Hachiman-bori
Historic Merchant Canal District in Omihachiman
A preserved canal in Omihachiman lined with white-walled storehouses and old merchant homes from ...
Kimii-dera
Hillside Temple Known for Early Cherry Blossoms
A hillside temple founded in 770, the second stop on the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage, reached by 23...
Shirasaki Ocean Park
White Limestone Cliffs Above the Sea
A coastal park in Yura built around white limestone cliffs formed from ancient marine rock, with ...
Michi-no-Eki Awaji
Roadside station under the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, with terrace views and raw whitebait
The roadside station closest to the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge on the north tip of Awaji Island, with b...
Kawayu Onsen
Riverbed Hot Spring Where You Dig Your Own Bath in the Ōtō River
A riverside hot spring near Kumano Hongu where hot water wells up through the gravel of the Ōtō R...
Lake Biwa Museum
Lake Museum and Freshwater Aquarium on the Karasuma Peninsula
A museum on the Karasuma Peninsula devoted to Lake Biwa, one of the world's oldest lakes, combini...
Toei Kyoto Studio Park
Working Film Set and Samurai-Drama Theme Park in Uzumasa
A theme park and active film studio in Uzumasa where you walk an Edo-period townscape used for re...