Things to Do in Kansai, Japan
Japan's cultural heart: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, plus the pilgrim trails and islands of the Kii Peninsula.
233 destinations across 7 prefectures
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Kansai
Kamigamo Shrine
Kyoto's Oldest Shrine with Sacred Sand Cone Mounds
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto's oldest Shinto shrines, founded in 678 AD, known f...
Okishima
Okishima, Japan's Only Inhabited Lake Island
A small fishing island in Lake Biwa with no cars, narrow alleys, old shrines, and around 250 resi...
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
One of World's Largest Aquariums
One of the world's largest aquariums featuring a massive Pacific Ocean tank with whale sharks and...
Horyu-ji
The World's Oldest Wooden Buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important temples in Japan, Horyu-ji contains th...
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Shrine of Ten Thousand Torii Gates
Thousands of vermilion torii gates wind up the forested slopes of Mount Inari, creating one of Ja...
Jinrui Mina Menrui
One of Osaka's Most Famous and Best Ramen Restaurants
A legendary Osaka ramen shop offering multiple dashi-based ramen styles, crowned with thick-cut c...
Hoshida Myoken-gu Shrine
North Star Shrine and the Star-Fall Legend
Hoshida Myoken-gu, also called Komatsu Shrine, is a hillside shrine in Katano, Osaka, counted amo...
To-ji
Japan's Tallest Wooden Pagoda and Ancient Capital Landmark
A World Heritage Site founded in 796, home to Japan's tallest wooden pagoda at 55 meters and a be...
Universal Studios Japan
Hollywood Movie Theme Park
Major theme park featuring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World, and movie-t...
Sumaura Sanjo Yuen Park
Retro Ropeway and Sea Views Above Suma, Kobe
A nostalgic hilltop park above Suma reached by ropeway, a quirky 1966 'Karreta' inclined people-m...
LaLaport EXPOCITY
Japan's Largest Shopping and Entertainment Complex Next to Expo Park
Japan's largest entertainment complex, combining over 300 shops with NIFREL aquarium, Japan's tal...
Byodo-in
Byodo-in Temple
A UNESCO World Heritage temple famous for its Phoenix Hall, depicted on the Japanese 10-yen coin.
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Walk Through a Full-Scale Edo-Period Osaka Townscape
A full-scale, walk-through reconstruction of a 19th-century Osaka townscape on the 9th floor, com...
JR Fukuchiyama Line Disused Railway Trail
Walk an Abandoned Railway Through Gorge Tunnels and Spring Sakura
A flat 4.7 km hiking trail along the original Fukuchiyama Line route through the Mukogawa Gorge, ...
Togetsukyo Bridge
Wooden Bridge Over the Katsura River
Spanning the Katsura River for 155 meters, Togetsukyo Bridge has defined Arashiyama's landscape s...