13 Best Sights in The Kansai Region, Japan

If you only have one night in Osaka, the neighborhood of Dotonbori (named after the canal and adjacent street of the same name) is the place to go. Once Osaka's old theater district, Dotonbori is now a lively pedestrian zone centered around the Ebisu-bashi Bridge, which lies under the neon lights of the Glico 'Running Man' sign, one of Osaka's main landmarks and popular hangout spot. Nearby streets are filled with restaurants, shops, and the shouts of countless touts, each proclaiming (usually falsely) that their restaurant is the only one worth visiting. Sadly, many of the restaurants on the main street are being replaced by drugstores catering to overseas tourists, but the side streets in the area are a culinary treasure-trove. Stroll along the riverfront walkways to avoid the crowds, or slip into Hozenji Yokocho Alley, two blocks south of Dotonbori-dori, to splash water on the moss-covered statues at Hozenji Shrine or dine in any of the excellent restaurants hidden away on this quiet street.

Stepping into Shin Sekai is a chance to see the Osaka of a generation ago. Built in 1912, the neighborhood was meant to emulate New York and Paris (complete with its own Eiffel Tower). After the war the area fell into neglect and became one of the few dangerous areas in Osaka. Over the past few decades, Shin Sekai has cleaned up its act while retaining its retro feel. On weekends everyone lines up to try kushi katsu, or batter-fried meat and vegetables on skewers. Near Tennoji Park and Shitennoji Temple, it's an excellent afternoon or early-evening stop. After dinner visit Tsutenkaku Tower for lovely night views of Osaka.

The best place to get away from the noise and concrete of the city, this park contains not only the Osaka Museum of Fine Art and the garden of Keitaku-en, but also Tenno-ji Zoo. At the northern end of the park is a prehistoric burial mound, Chausuyama Kofun, which was the site of Tokugawa Ieyasu's camp during the siege of Osaka-jo in 1614–15. Visit in the morning or evening when the park is at its quietest. Leading up to the park entrance is the newly renovated Tenshiba—an area of terrace cafés and shops looking out on a grassy lawn, popular with couples and families. On weekends it often hosts various events.

Though it takes its name from the original shops that sold cheap American fashions and accessories, Amerika-mura (meaning "America Village"), or Ame-mura (pronounced “ah-meh moo-ra”) as it's more often called, is now a bustling district full of trendy clothing stores, record stores, bars, cafés, and clubs that cater to teenagers and young adults. Shops are densely packed, and it's virtually impossible to walk these streets on weekends. To see the variety of styles and fashions prevalent among urban youth, Ame-Mura is the place to go in Osaka.

The ultramodern gate and fierce guardian statues of Isshin-ji Temple are a stark contrast to the nearby Shitenno-ji Temple. Dating back to 1185, the temple is now known for its Okotsubutsu—a Buddha statue made of the cremated remains of more than 200,000 people laid to rest at Isshin-ji. Far from morbid, the statue is meant to reaffirm one's respect for the deceased and to turn them into an object of everyday worship. An Okutsubutsu is made every 10 years, the first in 1887. Though 12 Okutsubutsu have been made, due to a direct hit to the temple during World War II, only the six crafted after the war remain.

Jihei Ogawa, master gardener of the late Meiji period, spent 10 years working the late Lord Sumitomo's circular garden into a masterpiece. The woods surrounding the pond are a riot of color in spring, when the cherry blossoms and azaleas bloom. Keitaku-en is adjacent to Shiritsu Bijutsukan in Tenno-ji Koen.

Osaka's Champs Élysées, this ginko-tree-lined boulevard is Osaka's most elegant thoroughfare and home to its greatest concentration of department stores. To the east of Mido-suji is the Shin-sai-bashi-suji arcade, one of Osaka's best shopping and entertainment streets. If you're in town on the second Sunday in October, catch the annual Mido-suji Parade, with its colorful procession of floats and musicians.

All the latest video games, computers, cameras, phones, build-your-own-robot kits, and other gadgets are on display here. Even if you are not in the market for electronics, a stroll through Den Den Town provides an interesting look at Japan's anime, video game, and computer subcultures. "Den Den" is derived from the word denki, which means “electricity.”

The building isn't too impressive, but the exceptional collection of 12th- to 14th-century classical Japanese art on the second floor is. Other collections include the works of Edo-period artist Korin Ogata, more than 3,000 examples of modern lacquerware, and a collection of Chinese paintings and artifacts. Temporary exhibitions often feature famous international works and artists. Take the Loop Line or the Mido-suji subway line to Tenno-ji Station, or the Tani-machi subway to Shitenno-ji-mae.

Tenno-ji, as this temple is popularly known, is one of the most important historic sights in Osaka and the oldest temple in Japan. Founded in 593, it's been destroyed by fire many times. The last reconstruction of this Five-Storied Pagoda in 1965 has maintained the original design and adhered to the traditional mathematical alignment. What has managed to survive from earlier times is the 1294 stone torii (gate) that stands at the main entrance. (Interestingly enough, these are rarely used at Buddhist temples.)

The founder, Umayado no Mikoto (573–621), posthumously known as Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi), is considered one of early Japan's most enlightened rulers. He was made regent over his aunt, Suiko, and set about instituting reforms and establishing Buddhism as the state religion. Buddhism had been introduced to Japan from China and Korea in the early 500s, but it was seen as a threat to the aristocracy, who claimed prestige and power based up their godlike ancestry. On the 21st of every month, the temple hosts a flea market that sells antiques and baubles; go in the morning for a feeling of Old Japan.

In a city of mariners it's no surprise that locals revere Sumiyoshi Taisha, dedicated to the guardian deity of sailors. According to legend, the shrine was founded by Empress Jingu in 211 to express her gratitude for her safe return from a voyage to Korea. Sumiyoshi Taisha is one of three shrines built prior to the arrival of Buddhism in Japan (the other two are Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture and Izumo Taisha in Tottori Prefecture). According to Shinto custom, shrines were torn down and rebuilt at set intervals to the exact specifications of the original. Sumiyoshi was last replaced in 1810. Sumiyoshi is also famous for its taiko-bashi (arched bridge), given by Yodo-gimi, the consort of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who bore him a son.

Every June 14 starting at 1 pm, a colorful rice-planting festival takes place here with traditional folk performances and processions. Sumiyoshi Matsuri, a large and lively festival, is held from July 30 to August 1. A crowd of rowdy young men carries a 2-ton portable shrine from Sumiyoshi Taisha to Yamato-gawa and back; this is followed by an all-night street bazaar. To reach the shrine, take the 20-minute ride south on the Nankai Main Line from Nankai Namba Station to Sumiyoshi Koen Station.

The 4th-century mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku is the largest of the Mozu Kofun, 49 burial mounds located in the city of Sakai, southeast of Osaka. This is the largest tomb in Japan, and covers an even bigger area than that of the pyramids of Egypt—archaeologists calculate that the central mound of this site occupies 1.3 million square feet. Construction took more than 20 years and required a total workforce of about 800,000 laborers. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. Surrounding the emperor's keyhole-shaped burial place are three moats and pine, cedar, and cypress trees. You can walk around the outer moat in about an hour to get an idea of the size of the mausoleum and the grounds. The free 21st-floor observatory in the Sakai City Hall complex offers an aerial view of the tomb.

Nearly every major city in Japan has its tower, and while they all offer lovely views, most are not much to look at themselves. But Shin Sekai's Tsutenkaku breaks this trend with its decidedly unique appearance. Built in 1912 with the rest of Shin Sekai, the original tower merged Paris's Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower into a single design. Though the original was damaged after a fire and then dismantled to supply iron for Japan's war effort, it was redesigned and rebuilt in 1956. On the face of the tower is Japan's largest clock (changing color by the minute); the top displays different-color LED lights to indicate the weather. Charmingly gaudy, Tsutenkaku is considered one of the symbols of Osaka, and looks most striking when lit-up in neon colors at night. The 91-meter (299-foot) high observation deck provides a good view of the city and a chance to meet Billiken, Shin Sekai's deity of "things as they ought to be.”