Kansai

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. Located entirely in Shiga Prefecture, it measures approximately 64 km from north to south and covers an area of 672 square km. That’s almost as big as the island nation of Singapore.

Namba’s dizzying mix of neon-lit signs, shopping arcades, and colorful street food stalls is what made me fall in love with Osaka in the first place. It may be crowded and chaotic, but it’s endlessly entertaining, and for me, the heart and soul of Osaka.

Iga Ueno is a city in Mie Prefecture famous for its ninja heritage. Together with Koka in Shiga Prefecture, it’s recognized as the birthplace of ninja culture in Japan, having produced one of the most well-known and respected ninja schools in the country – the Iga-ryu school of ninjutsu.

If the cloak-and-dagger world of ninjas captivated you, then you’ll probably want to visit the towns of Koka and Iga Ueno. Located less than an hour apart – Koka in Shiga and Iga Ueno in Mie – they’re sister towns celebrated for being the ninja capitals of Japan.

Ise is best known for Ise Jingu, a shrine complex housing the most sacred Shinto shrines in Japan, while Toba is where you’ll find Mikimoto Pearl Island, the birthplace of the world’s first cultured pearls. Together with Shima, Toba is also home to the most active ama divers in Japan, the legendary women who free-dive for shellfish without scuba equipment.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kobe? For the vast majority of tourists, it’s Kobe Beef. And who can blame them? It’s arguably the most famous beef brand in Japan, and for many people, a bucket-list experience.

The name Amanohashidate comes from a Shinto creation myth featuring the celestial deities Izanagi and Izanami, the divine couple said to have given birth to the islands of Japan. According to legend, Izanagi once built a ladder to descend from the sky and visit Izanami. But while he slept, the ladder fell and landed in the sea, becoming the long, pine-covered sandbar we see today.

When many people think of Japan, two cities often come foremost to mind – Tokyo and Kyoto. While Tokyo is the modern-day capital, Kyoto held that distinction for over a thousand years, from 794 to 1868, until power shifted from the Shogunate back to the Emperor. Despite that change, Kyoto is still widely regarded as Japan’s cultural and historical heart. With an estimated two thousand temples and shrines, it’s long been considered one of the most beautiful cities in Japan.

“You don’t need to stay the night in Nara. You can just visit on a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto.” I don’t know how or when it got started, but that’s been the narrative on Nara for as long as I’ve been traveling to Japan. Many people seem to think that one of the most popular destinations in the Kansai region isn’t worth more than a day trip!