Area: Kansai (Page6)｜Taiken Japan

Rich in culture and history, the Kansai area includes seven prefectures: Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Shiga. Kyoto, Nara and Osaka are popular tourist destinations.

ALL 282Nara 19Kyoto 82Hyogo 36Mie 14Shiga 17Osaka 84Wakayama 8

Braving the Rain: Strolling Through Kyoto's Gion District

What can you do on a rainy afternoon in Kyoto? The city of course is featuring wonderful museums, a testimony of its central role in Japanese history, culture and art, which you don’t want to miss. But if you really want to dig into the atmosphere of a neighborhood of Kyoto, never mind the rain.

Kansai

Marie Wintzer

June 22, 2016

Aburi-mochi: Imamiya Shrine's Roasted Rice Cake

Aburi-mochi: Imamiya Shrine's Roasted Rice Cake

Only at Imamiya Shrine, can you find the 1000-year-old traditional Kyoto confection, aburi-mochi which is roasted rice cakes skewered on a bamboo stick. Just 2 kilometers from the famous Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). One may go to Kyoto for sightseeing, but in my opinion, you’re not in Kyoto yet if you haven’t tried it.

Food & DrinkKyoto

Ivan Anggoro

June 11, 2016

A Refreshing Break at Kasuga Ninai Jaya

A Refreshing Break at Kasuga Ninai Jaya

After the crowd in Central Kyoto, the wide and sprawling space and parks in Nara is such a welcome break. You can almost feel you are one with nature, especially since deer are roaming freely around. One such place is the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Garden of Kasuga Taisha Shrine. A World Heritage Site and considered a sacred forest. But then as you walk further down the road, this warm and cozy-looking café is right there by the roadside. Welcome to the Kasuga Ninai Jaya!

AttractionsFood & DrinkNara

M Yuasa

June 8, 2016

Kimono Dressup in Kyoto

Kimono Dressup in Kyoto

If you are looking for a way to enjoy your time in Kyoto by looking and feeling like Japanese royalty for the day, I highly recommend taking a moment to pre-book a kimono rental experience online.

CultureKyoto

Joey Furukawa

June 8, 2016

Discover the Dragon Route of Central Japan

First time visitors to Japan like to explore what is known as “The Golden Route of Japan”. This renowned route follows the old Tokaido Road from Tokyo to Kyoto and is a great choice for people who have never visited Japan before. For those of us who are looking for something a little bit different and off the beaten track, I recommend “The Dragon Route of Central Japan”. This new route offers visitors beautiful natural landscapes as well as a taste of traditional Japanese culture and history in a way that lets you explore the heart of Japan and its culture.

AttractionsAichiMieIshikawaToyamaGifu

John Asano

June 6, 2016

Tengachaya-Beyond The Gates

For a long time, like many people the Tengachaya area of Osaka was for me just a transit point between the Nankai Line and downtown Osaka or 'that station at the end of the Sakaisuji Line (or start, depending on which direction I was traveling in)'. That was until one evening, I needed to buy some moisturizer on my way home and opted to take a detour into Tengachaya in search of a drug store. What I saw beyond the ticket gates and the escalators of the station area that night was enough to inspire me to explore the area in more detail.

Osaka

Angelica Sutton

June 1, 2016

Katsura Imperial Villa

Katsura Imperial Villa

Said to be one of the finest examples of Japanese architectural and design tradition in its purest form, Katsura Imperial Villa truly is a sight to behold for those who love architectural and traditional arts. As one of Japan’s most cherished treasures, a visit to Katsura is a truly enriching experience.

AttractionsKyoto

Bjorn Koolen

May 30, 2016

Ibo no Ito: A popular brand of Japanese Soumen noodles

Soumen is a very popular kind of noodle in Japan, especially during the summer season. These are very thin hand-stretched strand like noodles made from wheat flour. The main specialty of this noodle is that it is served cold something which helps to bring down the body temperature in the hot summer months.

Food & DrinkHyogo

Preetha

May 30, 2016

Overlooked by Mystery: Daikakuji Temple

Daikakuji is what one would consider “slightly off the beaten path” as although it is located near Kyoto’s popular Arashiyama district it hardly attracts any visitors outside the autumn and spring season. Featured in the Tale of Genji, the first Japanese novel, Daikakuji was originally a palace for Emperor Saga from which it derived its second name “Saga Imperial Palace”.

AttractionsKyoto

Bjorn Koolen

May 25, 2016

See Japanese Woodcarving in Fushimi Inari

The chisel in his hands is delicate and sharp. It is used to remove slices of wood. As he works meticulously, to chip away the pieces and to transform branches and tree trunks into a variety of traditional sculptures, he stops for a moment, and removes his glasses. Oiwa- san points to a tree trunk in the corner of his wood carving studio and begins to tell a story about this specific piece of wood and his good fortune to acquire it.

CultureKyoto

Randy Poehlman

May 11, 2016