Immerse Yourself in Japan’s History, Charm, and Beauty! 21 Must-Visit Tourist Spots in Kansai

Kansai is most often used in cultural and economic contexts, and it commonly refers to the metropolitan area centered on Osaka and Kyoto. For example, people use “Kansai” when talking about regional characteristics, such as “Kansai dialect” or “the Kansai economy.”
Kinki, on the other hand, is a more formal term that includes Kansai and sometimes also includes Fukui Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture. Historically, from the Heian period through the Edo period, it was used to mean “the region near the capital,” when Kyoto was the center of Japan. Today, “Kinki” tends to be used in more official settings, such as administrative classifications and weather forecasts.
So while the two refer to similar areas, they’re used differently depending on the context and purpose.

For sightseeing in Kansai, spring and fall are especially recommended.
In spring, cherry blossoms—and in fall, autumn leaves—color historic landmarks and lush natural landscapes, letting you enjoy scenery filled with a distinctly Japanese feel.
Kyoto in particular has many famous cherry blossom and fall foliage spots within the city, so you can experience a variety of views in a short time.

Kansai has many airports and Shinkansen stops, so you shouldn’t have trouble getting to popular destinations.
If you can take a flight or the Shinkansen, you can reach Kansai within three hours.
It’s also easy to access from overseas: Kansai International Airport has 58 international routes and serves 71 cities abroad, making it accessible from many countries.
For major gateways into Kansai, see the list below.

With so many popular tourist areas, Kansai is well served by public transportation, and you should have no trouble getting around in cities and major sightseeing areas.
However, in more mountainous areas, trains may not run and buses may be infrequent, so renting a car can be a more efficient way to travel.

Universal Studios Japan—often called USJ—is a huge theme park that visitors of all ages can enjoy.
The park is divided into distinct areas, bringing together world-class entertainment and letting you experience different worlds, each with its own unique vibe.

Osaka Castle’s main keep was begun in 1583 and completed in 1585 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified the country during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1600).
Although it fell in 1615 during the Summer Siege of Osaka, it was rebuilt in 1626 by the Tokugawa shogunate.
In 1955, the Osaka Castle grounds were designated a Special Historic Site, and after the Heisei-era major renovation from 1995 to 1997, it was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

In 1912, a 75-meter iron tower resembling the Eiffel Tower was built on top of a building modeled after the Arc de Triomphe. It’s said that Fujisawa Nangaku, a Confucian scholar from the early Meiji era, named it “Tsutenkaku,” meaning “a tall building reaching the heavens.”
After it was damaged in a fire and dismantled, strong public demand led to the construction of today’s second Tsutenkaku in 1956. The second tower stands 108 meters tall—33 meters taller than the original.

Founded in 778, it was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1994.
Its 130,000 m² grounds on the hillside of Mt. Otowa include more than 30 halls and monuments, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
Kiyomizu-dera is also a must-see for its changing seasonal scenery—from cherry blossoms in spring and vibrant greenery in summer to autumn leaves and winter snow.

Known across Japan as a deity of abundant harvests, thriving business, household safety, recovery from illness, and wishes fulfilled, this is the head shrine of the Inari shrines—said to number around 30,000 nationwide.
It was founded in 711.
The most famous highlight is the Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates), where vivid vermilion torii form a tunnel-like path behind the main hall.

This temple traces its origins to Kitayama-dono, the villa of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate.
Named Rokuon-ji after Yoshimitsu’s Buddhist name, it is a sub-temple of Shokoku-ji located off the main temple grounds (a temple created from a retirement hermitage built in a separate location from the main temple).

This park lets you enjoy precious historical and cultural heritage sites such as Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, the Nara National Museum, and the Shosoin Repository, along with the grand, lush greenery that surrounds them.
Located in the heart of the city, it also offers excellent access to nearby attractions.

The Vairocana Buddha (Rushana Daibutsu), built on the vow of Emperor Shomu during the Nara period, was consecrated in 752.
Over nearly 40 years, its temple complex was developed, making it one of Nara’s most representative temples.
Within the grounds are many National Treasure buildings, including the Daibutsu Hall—one of the world’s largest wooden structures, housing the famed seated statue known as the “Great Buddha of Nara”—as well as the Hokke-do Hall (Sangatsu-do), the oldest building in the Todai-ji complex, and the Nandai-mon Gate, Japan’s largest temple gate.

Mt. Yoshino is known as Japan’s top cherry blossom destination.
From spring into summer, hydrangeas bloom in abundance, and during the season surrounded by fresh summer greenery, it’s a popular spot for forest bathing.
It’s also well known for fall foliage, and in winter it’s blanketed in beautiful snow scenery.

This traditional hot spring town has a history of over 1,300 years and was beloved by literary greats such as Naoya Shiga and Toson Shimazaki.
With seven public bathhouses (soto-yu) within a 20-minute walk, you can enjoy bath-hopping while strolling through the charming streets.

Meriken Park is a waterfront park facing Kobe Port, created in 1887.
It’s a relaxing place to unwind with a refreshing sea breeze in an open, scenic setting.
Nearby are Kobe’s landmark Kobe Port Tower, the Kobe Maritime Museum with exhibits related to ships, and the luxury Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge connects Honshu and Awaji Island. With a total length of 3,911 meters and a main span of 1,991 meters between its two main towers, it’s known as the world’s longest suspension bridge.
Together with the Onaruto Bridge, it forms a link from the Kansai area to Shikoku, making it a popular sightseeing route.

Located in central Shiga Prefecture and part of the Yodo River system (a Class A river), Lake Biwa covers approx. 670 km²—about one-sixth of the prefecture. Fed by rivers flowing down from surrounding mountains over 1,000 meters high, including Mt. Ibuki, the Suzuka Mountains, and the Hira Mountains, it holds 27.5 billion tons of water, making it Japan’s largest in both surface area and water volume.

Biwako Valley is a nature resort in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, with excellent access from the Keihanshin area. It sits at an elevation of approx. 1,100 meters in the Hira Mountains on the western shore of Lake Biwa.
It’s a popular spot offering a wide range of activities, including a ski resort in winter.

Also known as Konki-jo Castle, Hikone Castle was built on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and established the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. Construction was begun by Ii Naomasa, one of the Tokugawa Four Guardians.
Work started in 1604 and took about 20 years, with the castle completed in 1622 under Naomasa’s son, Naotsugu.

The castle’s origins date to Tensho 13 (1585), when Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi), after pacifying Kishu, ordered his younger brother Hidenaga to build it.
It was built on Mt. Torafusu near the lower reaches of the Kino River, and later, his retainer Kuwayama Shigeharu became the castle governor of Wakayama Castle.
After the Battle of Sekigahara, the new lord Asano Yoshinaga began constructing a connected-style main keep.
Along with developing the castle town, residences were built not only in the current Honmaru (main bailey) but also in the Ninomaru and Nishinomaru. In Genna 5 (1619), it was passed down to Yorinobu, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tenth son.

The Tomogashima Islands are the collective name for four islands floating in the Kitan Strait and form part of a national park centered around the Seto Inland Sea. Among them, Okinoshima is also called “Laputa Island” because it resembles the world of a famous Japanese animated film.
The only way to access the islands from the mainland is by ferry from nearby Kada Port. The ride takes approx. 20 minutes, making it a quick trip.

This waterfall lies within the sacred precincts of Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, the head shrine of the Kumano shrines, of which there are more than 4,000 across Japan.
With a height of 133 meters, a width of 13 meters at the Choshiguchi (the point where the water begins to flow downward), and a basin depth of 10 meters, it’s one of Japan’s largest waterfalls. The water flow exceeds one ton per second.
Because water streams from three separate sections merge into one as it falls, it’s also known as “Misuji no Taki” (Three-Stream Falls).

Affectionately known as “Oise-san,” it’s commonly called “Ise Jingu,” but its official name is “Jingu.”
Jingu includes the Naiku (Kotai Jingu), which enshrines Amaterasu Omikami—considered the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family—and the Geku (Toyouke Daijingu), which enshrines a guardian deity of food, clothing, shelter, and industry. In addition, there are 125 shrines in total, including Betsugu, Sessha, and other affiliated shrines.

A theme park where seasonal flowers bloom across expansive grounds.
Flowers reach their peak in each season—tulips and nemophila in spring, cosmos in fall, and more—and illuminations are also held.
In addition, the Begonia Garden, a large greenhouse with hundreds of varieties and approx. 12,000 plants collected from around the world, lets you enjoy beautiful flowers year-round.

This historic aquarium opened in 1955. While it housed only around 50 species at the time, by 2013 it exceeded 1,200 species—the most in Japan.
It’s also the only aquarium in Japan that keeps dugongs, and it offers a wide range of shows and exhibits.
It has also built an impressive record in animal care and research, including the world’s first successful breeding of the finless porpoise (a small whale species that also lives in waters around Japan), the first sea otter birth in Japan, a world record for the long-term care of a captive dugong, and the birth of the third generation of chambered nautilus—the first in the world.