Kansai

関西

Japan's cultural heartland. Kyoto's temples, Osaka's street food, Nara's deer, Kobe beef, and Himeji Castle.

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Region Info

Prefectures

Mie
Shiga
Kyoto
Osaka
Hyogo
Nara
Wakayama

Major Cities

Osaka
Capital
Kyoto
Nara
Kobe
Himeji
7
Prefectures
13
Events/Year

Current Weather

Osaka

☁️
19°Cfeels 20°C

Overcast

2 km/h80%

Kyoto

23°Cfeels 22°C

Partly cloudy

10 km/h54%

Nara

🌤️
22°Cfeels 21°C

Mainly clear

13 km/h57%

Kobe

21°Cfeels 22°C

Partly cloudy

5 km/h63%

Himeji

21°Cfeels 21°C

Partly cloudy

6 km/h64%
Events & Festivals
Hatsumode (First Shrine Visit)
Jan 1-3·Nationwide·
tradition

First shrine/temple visit of the year. Meiji Shrine (Tokyo) draws 3M+ visitors.

Free
Coming of Age Day
Jan 13·Nationwide·
tradition

Celebration for 20-year-olds wearing furisode (kimono).

Free
Nara Wakakusa Yamayaki
Jan 25·Nara·
matsuri

Entire hillside set on fire at night behind the temples.

Free
Plum Blossom Season
Feb 1 - Mar 15·Nationwide·
nature

Plum blossoms bloom before sakura.

Free-¥500
Cherry Blossom Season
Highlight
Mar 17 - May 10·South to North·
nature

Sakura front moves north over ~2 months. Tokyo peaks late March, Hokkaido early May.

Tip: Full bloom lasts ~1 week per region.

Free
Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival)
Mar 3·Nationwide·
tradition

Girls' Day. Ornate doll displays in homes and temples.

Free
Golden Week
Apr 29 - May 5·Nationwide·
tradition

Japan's busiest holiday week. Expect full hotels, packed trains.

Varies
Gion Matsuri
Highlight
Jul 1-31·Kyoto·
matsuri

Japan's most famous festival spans the entire month of July.

Tip: Wear a yukata! Key dates: Jul 17 & 24 float parades.

Free
Tenjin Matsuri
Highlight
Jul 24-25·Osaka·
matsuri

Osaka's biggest festival. Boat procession + 5,000 fireworks.

Free
Obon
Aug 13-16·Nationwide·
tradition

Festival of the dead. Bon Odori dances, floating lanterns.

Free
Autumn Foliage (Koyo)
Highlight
Oct 1 - Dec 5·North to South·
nature

Koyo front moves south. Hokkaido peaks mid-Oct, Kyoto late Nov.

Free
Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri
Highlight
Sep 19-20·Osaka·
matsuri

Japan's most dangerous festival. 4-ton wooden floats.

Free
Winter Illuminations
Highlight
Nov 1 - Feb 14·Nationwide·
nature

Massive LED light displays across Japan.

Free-¥1,000