Region guide

Kansai

The old heart of Japan: Kyoto's temples, Nara's deer, Osaka's street food and Kobe's harbour, all close together by train.

prefectures: 7
town guides: 36
places to see: 495

Map of Kansai

Tap a prefecture for its guide.

Loading the map…

Prefectures in Kansai

Pick a prefecture for its guide, or jump straight to a town.

Mie三重県29 places to see · 1 town guideHome of Ise Grand Shrine, Japan's most sacred Shinto site, plus the pearl coast of Toba, the ninja town of Iga and Matsusaka beef.
- Ise
Shiga滋賀県68 places to see · 5 town guidesShiga surrounds Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, with Hikone Castle, the temples of Mount Hiei and lakeside towns just east of Kyoto.
Kyoto京都府115 places to see · 9 town guidesJapan's old capital for over a thousand years, with famous temples and shrines, geisha districts and gardens, plus the Sea of Japan coast at Amanohashidate.
Osaka大阪府88 places to see · 7 town guidesJapan's kitchen: neon Dotonbori, street food like takoyaki and okonomiyaki, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan and lively nightlife.
Hyogo兵庫県95 places to see · 7 town guidesFrom the port city of Kobe to Himeji Castle and the old onsen town of Kinosaki, Hyogo stretches from the Seto Inland Sea to the Sea of Japan.
Nara奈良県66 places to see · 5 town guidesJapan's first permanent capital, with the giant Buddha of Todai-ji, free-roaming deer in Nara Park and the sacred mountain of Yoshino.
Wakayama和歌山県34 places to see · 2 town guidesThe mountainous Kii Peninsula of the Kumano Kodo pilgrim trails, the temple town of Mount Koya, Nachi Falls and the beaches of Shirahama.
- Wakayama City
- Tanabe

Good to know

Kansai International Airport serves Osaka, Kyoto and the whole region.
Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe are all within about an hour of each other by train, so one hotel base can work.
Cherry blossom in early April and autumn leaves in late November are the busiest times in Kyoto.

Other regions of Japan

Sources

We checked the facts on this page against these sources.

WikipediaKansai region (opens in a new tab)