Kansai

Kansai (関西) is the western region of the main Japanese island of Honshu, second only to Tokyo's Kanto in population. The area is also known as Kinki (近畿), literally "near the capital" (referring to former capital Kyoto).

Differences between Kansai and Kanto (the eastern region dominated by Tokyo) are slight but numerous. Kansai people speak a distinctive dialect of Japanese, use less dark soy in their cooking, ride on the other side of escalators and are renowned for humor and their love of food.

Prefectures

• Hyogo - the largest prefecture in Kansai, stretching from coast to coast and covering Kobe and Himeji
• Kyoto - synonymous with the city
• Mie - eastern prefecture with one leg in Chubu, best known for the Ise shrine
• Nara - Japan's oldest capital Nara and its surroundings
• Osaka - mostly Osaka itself, but covering Sakai as well
• Wakayama - mountainous terrain and the southern coast
• Shiga - rural backwater dominated by Lake Biwa

Cities

• Hikone - castle and garden town off the beaten track
• Himeji - small city famed for its beautiful castle
• Ise - home to the eponymous Ise Shrine, the holiest in all Japan
• Kobe - maritime city known for its beef
• Kyoto - Japan's ancient capital, with temples and geisha
• Nara - an even more ancient capital centered around a beautiful park
• Osaka - a large city famed for its food and nightlife

Islands

• Awaji Island - gateway to Shikoku

Other attractions

• Horyuji - temple complex housing some of the oldest wooden buildings in the world
• Lake Biwa - placid marshy lake nice for a quick getaway
• Mount Hiei - headquarters of Tendai and protector of Kyoto
• Mount Koya - mountaintop headquarters of the Buddhist Shingon sect

Talk

The Kansai dialect (関西弁 Kansai-ben) is Japan's liveliest, and largest dialect group after Kanto's Japanese dialect group collectively. There are many subdialects, ranging from the effete Kyo-kotoba (京言葉) of Kyoto's courtiers to the gruff but imaginative gangster slang of Osaka, much favored by Japanese comedians. Some notable features include the negative ending -hen instead of the normal -nai and the use of akan instead of dame for "No way!".

That said, most Kansaites are perfectly conversant in standard Japanese, so knowledge of the local dialect is by no means necessary, but even a few words will be appreciated. The canonical Osakan greeting is Mōkarimakka? ("Making money?"), to which the canonical reply is Botchi botchi denna ("Well, so-so"); trying this out on a friend or acquaintance is guaranteed to produce a surprised smile, and make yourself look like Kettai (funny, strange) or Omoroi (funny) guy.

Travel to Kansai, visa requirements

Flights to Kansai, airtickets

International flights to the Kansai region land at Kansai International Airport. The primary domestic airport is Osaka's Itami Airport (officially called Osaka International Airport even though there are no longer any international flights), although a new airport opened in Kobe in 2006.

By train

The Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) line from Tokyo serves Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. The San'yo Shinkansen connects to Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata.

Get around

Most of Kansai's regional transportation companies have tied up to offer the Surutto Kansai tickets, which can be used on pretty much any train, subway, monorail, cable car or bus in the region, except JR trains. The Nankai trains from Kansai Airport are also included, and you can buy your card or pass at the airport's train station.

• The Kansai Thru Pass [1] can be purchased as a two-day (¥3800) or a three-day (¥5000) pass. It is valid for two/three separate days within the validity period which is printed on the back (usually a couple of months). It can be used on most non-JR trains and buses (and even some cable cars) in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara with the notable exception of JR trains. The service area extends south to the Kansai International Airport and the city of Wakayama and southeast to Mount Koya (Check the Area Map on the webpage for details). In addition to free transport, these tickets offer a series of small discounts to temples, museums and other attractions in the region. Be aware that you'll have to travel quite a bit to make them pay off. (Note: You might be asked to show your passport when you purchase this card.)

• The Surutto Kansai Card is not a discount card but a convenient stored-value card which can be used on all means of transportation in Kyoto (and the rest of the Kansai region), with the notable exception of JR trains. Slide them in the ticket gate when entering and leaving, and the fare will be deducted automatically. You can purchase the cards in denominations starting at ¥1000 at any train or subway station. This card is also called Miyako Card (Kyoto), Rainbow Card (Osaka), K Card (Keihan) or Lagare Card (Hankyu).

JR-West also offers the Kansai Area Pass [2], which costs ¥2000/¥4000/¥5000/¥6000 for 1/2/3/4 days respectively and is valid for unlimited travel on JR standard and Haruka limited express trains (non-reserved seats only). The area covered is approximately the same as for the Kansai Thru Pass above. There is also a more complicated route-based JR 4-day pass for different routes in the Kansai area called the Kansai Passport [3].

Kansai attractions and sightseeing

• Kyoto and Nara are both ancient capitals of Japan chock-a-block with temples and historical sites.
• Himeji is famous for its gorgeous castle.
• Banded together as the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, the shrines of Yoshino, Mount Koya and Kumano are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Good restaurants and cheap meals

Kansai cooking is subtly different from the Kanto style, although the average short-term visitor is unlikely to spot many differences. Perhaps the most visible difference is a tendency to use light-colored soy instead of dark, especially in soups, and to prefer thick wheat udon noodles over the buckwheat soba favored in Tokyo.

Some classic Kansai dishes include:

• sabazushi (鯖寿司 mackerel sushi), Battera of Osaka, sabazushi in Kyoto, or kaki-no-ha zushi from Nara are local variants of this type
• okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), variously described as Japanese pizza or pancakes. Although Hiroshima also makes a strong claim for this name, they are in fact reasonably different from each other. (The Hiroshima style has much less batter, and is closer to crepes but with bigger toppings than in crepes.)
• takoyaki (たこ焼き) is the common name for the fried balls of octopus and batter. Akashiyaki (明石焼き) from Akashi City area is recognized as the origin of the more famous Osaka-style takoyaki. As opposed to the Osaka-style being served with dark and thick sauce on it, Akashiyaki are eaten without sauce but dipped into clear soup.

Kansai nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.

Kansai is sake country, with Nada (in Kobe) and Fushimi (in Kyoto) alone accounting for 45% of the country's production. Kobe in particular is a good place to tour sake breweries, many of which are open to visitors.

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