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
Daitoku-ji
Vast Zen Complex of Exquisite Rock Gardens
A vast Rinzai Zen temple complex in northern Kyoto with over 20 sub-temples, many featuring excep...
Hikone Castle
A National Treasure castle near Lake Biwa, one of only five castles with an original keep designa...
Mount Rokko
Kobe's Main Mountain with Million-Dollar Night Views
Kobe's main mountain, 931m high. Famous for its night view of the city and Osaka Bay, which local...
Awaji Hanasajiki
Hillside Flower Park with Panoramic Sea Views
A vast hillside flower park on northern Awaji Island with seasonal displays of canola, lavender, ...
Gion
Kyoto's most famous geisha district with traditional wooden machiya townhouses and atmospheric te...
Kinosaki Onsen
Kinosaki Onsen is a traditional hot spring town where visitors stroll between seven public bathho...
Tore Tore Market
Western Japan's Largest Seafood Market in Shirahama
One of western Japan's largest seafood markets where visitors can buy fresh fish, dine at seafood...
Toshodai-ji
Ganjin's Legacy and the Finest Nara-Period Architecture
A World Heritage temple founded in 759 by the Chinese monk Ganjin, whose Golden Hall is widely re...
Daikaku-ji
An Imperial Temple with Japan's Oldest Artificial Lake
A former imperial palace turned Shingon temple, famous for Osawa Pond, Japan's oldest artificial ...
Kitano Ijinkan
Kobe's Historic Western Foreign Residences
Hillside district of beautifully preserved Western-style foreign residences from the Meiji era, b...
Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen
Kyoto's Legendary Fire Ramen Experience
Prepare for dinner and a show at this legendary Kyoto ramen shop where your meal arrives in a tow...
Osaka
Osaka - Japan's Kitchen and Soul
Japan's second city, famed as the nation's kitchen for its street food obsession, warm and outgoi...
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...
Arima Onsen
One of Japan's Oldest and Most Famous Hot Springs
One of Japan's three oldest hot spring towns, renowned for its iron-rich golden waters and radium...
Kyoto International Manga Museum
A Former School Housing 300,000 Manga Volumes
Housed in a former elementary school, this museum holds approximately 300,000 manga items. Visito...