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
Sagano Bamboo Grove
Tall bamboo stalks forming a corridor in Arashiyama. Very Instagrammed. Go at dawn or it's a queu...
Awaji Island
Largest Island in the Seto Inland Sea
The largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, connected to Kobe by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, known f...
Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group
UNESCO World Heritage Ancient Burial Mounds Including Japan's Largest Tomb
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group consists of 49 a...
Sagano Scenic Railway
A Scenic Open-Air Train Ride Through the Hozukyo Gorge
A 25-minute open-air sightseeing train running along the Hozu River gorge between Saga and Kameok...
Ninna-ji
Imperial Palace Temple with Late-Blooming Cherry Blossoms
A World Heritage Site and former imperial palace temple, famed for its late-blooming Omuro cherry...
Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street
Japan's Longest Shopping Arcade
Japan's longest shopping arcade stretching 2.6 kilometers with approximately 800 shops, offering ...
Kumano Kodo
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails
UNESCO-listed ancient pilgrimage trails through sacred mountains, linking grand shrines of the Ki...
Keage Incline
Historic Railway Tracks Lined with Cherry Blossoms
An abandoned 582-meter railway incline from 1891, once used to transport boats between canal leve...
Kitano Ijinkan
Kobe's Historic Western Foreign Residences
Hillside district of beautifully preserved Western-style foreign residences from the Meiji era, b...
Kumano Hongu Taisha
Head Shrine of 3,000 Kumano Shrines and Pilgrimage Endpoint
The head shrine of over 3,000 Kumano shrines across Japan, serving as the spiritual endpoint of t...
Menbakaichidai Fire Ramen
Kyoto's Legendary Fire Ramen Experience
A Kyoto ramen counter, open since 1984, where staff pour flaming green-onion oil over your bowl. ...
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...
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...
Kushikatsu Daruma
Osaka Kushikatsu Since 1929
A legendary kushikatsu restaurant operating since 1929 in Shinsekai, famous for its deep-fried sk...
Himeji Monorail Memorial
Preserved Cars from Japan's Abandoned Monorail
Preserved cars from the Himeji Monorail (1966-1974), a futuristic transit system that operated fo...