Kinki, Japan

Kinki region also known as the Kansai region lies in the southern-central region of Japans' main island, Honshu. The former capital of Kyoto is in Kinki. Kinki is the second-most important industrial region of Kinki. While the region of Kinki has well-defined boundaries and is an official geographical designation, Kansai is used in a more historical context.

The Kinki region comprises of seven prefectures - Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Hyogo, Shiga and Wakayama. Kinki is an important national transportation corridor and industrial hub. In historic times even, it was the first region of Japan to develop politically and culturally. Today, the Kinki region is dominated by the three large cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.

On the Pacific Ocean side of Kinki region, the regional climate is mild and the population density is higher. On the other hand, the northern parts of the Kinki region, facing the Sea of Japan, areas are covered in deep snows during winters. The Kii Peninsula on the southernmost part of Kinki lacks a flat coastal plain and as a result the population density is lower.



The Kinki region is often held in opposition with the Kanto region, which lies to its east and is comprised primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area. This East-West rivalry has deep historical roots, dating back to the Edo period. Whereas the Kanto region is symbolic of standardization in all sectors throughout Japan, the Kinki region displays more varieties of development: the ethnicity in Kyoto, the commercialism of Osaka, the history of Nara, or the cosmopolitanism of Kobe and could be said to represent the counterculture in Japan.

The Kinki region is served by the Kansai International airport. It is also the terminal of JR Tokaido Shinkansen, the bullet train.

The main sight seeing places in Kinki are:

• Nara
• Amanohashidate
• Kyoto
• Osaka
• Hikone
• Ise Shima
• Iga Ueno
• Suzuka
• Mount Koya
• Himeji
• Yoshino