Kansai

Japan's ancient capitals and food country, centered on Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe, with temples, hot springs and the Kumano Kodo all in one place.

Kansai (Kinki) is the cultural heartland of western Japan, centered on Kyoto and Osaka. For travelers it usually means Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe, plus Wakayama (Koyasan, the Kumano Kodo, Shirahama), Kinosaki Onsen and Amanohashidate in northern Hyogo, and sometimes Ise-Shima in Mie Prefecture. It holds Japan's densest concentration of World Heritage sites: the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, Nara's Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha, and Koyasan and the Kumano pilgrimage routes. Suggested plan: spend 3–4 days in Kyoto, exploring by district (Higashiyama, Arashiyama, Fushimi); 2 days in Osaka for eating, shopping and Universal Studios; do Nara, Kobe and Uji as day trips; for more depth, add a night in a Koyasan temple lodging (shukubo), a 2–3 day Kumano Kodo hike, or a night at Kinosaki Onsen. Overall, plan 7–12 days. Kansai Airport is the main gateway, JR and private railways are extensive within the region, and you can buy a Kansai pass (JR Kansai Area Pass or KANSAI ONE PASS) depending on your plans. Buses in Kyoto are crowded in peak season, so use the subway and walk; most temples close at 16:30–17:00.

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