Osaka
This C茅sar Pelli鈥揹esigned tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,鈥
Must-see attractions in Kansai
Kii Peninsula
Oku-no-in, whose name means 'inner sanctuary', is perhaps the most intensely spiritual place in Japan. At its farthest reaches is the 骋辞产测艒, the crypt鈥
Nara
Nara's star attraction is its Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It was unveiled in 752, upon the completion of the鈥
Kansai
滨蝉别-箩颈苍驳奴's inner shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu-艑mikami, considered the ancestral goddess of the imperial family and guardian deity of鈥
Nara
贬艒谤测奴-箩颈 was founded in 607 by Prince Sh艒toku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. It's renowned not only as one of the oldest鈥
Kansai
Located high on a thickly wooded mountain, Kurama-dera is one of the few temples in modern Japan that manages to retain an air of real spirituality. This鈥
Osaka
After unifying Japan in the late 16th century, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this castle (1583) as a display of power, using, it's said, the labour of鈥
Kansai
Famed for its autumn foliage, hydrangea garden and stunning Buddha statues, this temple is deservedly popular with foreign and domestic tourists alike鈥
Osaka
Highly photogenic 顿艒迟辞尘产辞谤颈 is the city's liveliest night spot and the centre of the southern part of town. Its name comes from the 400-year-old canal,鈥
Kii Peninsula
At 133m, Nachi-no-taki is Japan's highest waterfall. It's the first of many still deeper in the Nachi mountains and has long been used in ascetic training.
Nara
This world-class museum of Buddhist art is divided into two sections. Built in 1894 and strikingly renovated in 2016, the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall &鈥
Kansai
叠耻箩艒-箩颈 was founded in the 12th century by Emperor Toba, and while the main hall has been repaired over the years it stands pretty much the same as it鈥
Kansai
Secluded amid hills and valleys near the village of Shigaraki, this knockout museum houses the Koyama family collection of Japanese, Middle Eastern,鈥
Kansai
Kimpusen-ji, founded in the 7th century, is believed to be the incubator of Shugend艒, a unique Buddhist sect that incorporates Shint艒 traditions and鈥
Kii Peninsula
Kumano Hong奴 Taisha is one of the Kumano Sanzan (three great shrines of Kumano) and if you're following the traditional pilgrim route, it's the first one鈥
Nara
Founded in the 8th century, this sprawling shrine at the foot of Mikasa-yama was created to protect the new capital, Nara. It was ritually rebuilt every鈥
Osaka
West of Mid艒-suji, Amerika-Mura is a compact enclave of hip, youth-focused and offbeat shops, plus cafes, bars, tattoo and piercing parlours, nightclubs,鈥
Kansai
Completed in 1622, this diminutive castle of the Ii family of daimy艒 (domain lords) is rightly considered a National Treasure; much of it remains in its鈥
Kansai
Secluded in thick forest, this Shingon temple was founded in the 9th century. It's nicknamed 'Women's K艒ya-san' because, unlike the more famous centre of鈥
Kii Peninsula
The wooden, thatched roof gate here is as far as you can go in Oku-no-in. Beyond it lies the crypt K艒b艒 Daishi entered in 835, never to leave. Pilgrims in鈥
Osaka
This ambitious museum showcases the world's cultures, presenting them as the continuous (and tangled) strings that they are. There are plenty of鈥
Kansai
Believed to have been founded in the 3rd century, 滨蝉别-箩颈苍驳奴 is Japan's most venerated Shint艒 shrine. It鈥檚 in two parts 鈥 骋别办奴, the outer shrine, and 狈补颈办奴鈥
Kii Peninsula
The name of this temple, which is sometimes called Danjo Garan or Dai Garan, derives from the Sanskrit sa峁単h膩r膩ma, which means monastery. With eight鈥
Osaka
Kaiy奴kan is among Japan's best aquariums. An 800m-plus walkway winds past displays of sea life from around the Pacific 'ring of fire': Antarctic penguins,鈥
Nara
Yakushi-ji was established by Emperor Temmu in 680 as a prayer for his ailing wife (who actually outlived him to accede to the throne). With the exception鈥
Kii Peninsula
The most interesting structure at the Garan is the Konpon Dait艒, a 50m-tall, bright-vermilion pagoda seated at what is considered to be the centre of the鈥
Nara
碍艒蹿耻办耻-箩颈 was founded in Kyoto in 669 and relocated here in 710. The original Nara temple complex had 175 buildings, though much has been lost over the鈥
Nara
罢艒蝉丑艒诲补颈-箩颈 was established in 759 by influential Chinese priest Ganjin (Jian Zhen), recruited by Emperor Sh艒mu to reform Buddhism in Japan. The main鈥
Kansai
Established in 672, over a century before the founding of Kyoto, Mii-dera gets its name for its three springs ('mi' means 'three' and 'i' means 'spring')鈥
Kansai
滨蝉别-箩颈苍驳奴's outer shrine dates from the 5th century and enshrines the god of food, clothing and housing, Toyo'uke-no-艑mikami. Daily offerings of rice are鈥
碍艒蹿耻办耻-箩颈 National Treasure Museum
Nara
Reopened in 2018, this compact museum houses 碍艒蹿耻办耻-箩颈's most important works of art, many of which date to the 8th century (and have managed to survive鈥
Nara
The great south gate of 罢艒诲补颈-箩颈 contains two fierce-looking Ni艒 (guardians). These recently restored wooden images, carved in the 13th century by famed鈥
Kii Peninsula
This is the headquarters of the Shingon sect and the residence of K艒ya-san's abbot. The main gate is the temple's oldest structure (1593); the present鈥
Kii Peninsula
Built on the side of a mountain, facing the waterfall Nachi-no-taki, this shrine is one of Kii's most spiritual places, a site of ancient nature worship鈥
Kii Peninsula
Located at the mouth of the Kumano-gawa, Kumano Hayatama Taisha is one of the Kumano Sanzan (three sacred shrines of Kumano), enshrining Hayatama-no-Okami鈥
Osaka
A century ago, Shin-Sekai ('new world') was home to an amusement park that defined cutting edge. Now this entertainment district mixes down-at-heel with鈥
Kansai
闯补办办艒-颈苍 is a small temple on the opposite side of 艑hara from Sanzen-in. It鈥檚 reached by a pleasant 15-minute walk from the bus station through an 鈥榦ld鈥
Osaka
Dedicated to Shint艒 deities of the sea and sea travel, this graceful shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and is considered the headquarters for鈥
Nara
Isui-en is an elegant garden in two parts: one created in the 17th century, in the style of an Edo-period (1603鈥1868) strolling garden, and another added鈥
Osaka
The 70m-tall Tower of the Sun was created by Japanese artist Okamoto Tar艒 for Osaka's Expo '70. While the curious three-faced creature (there's one face鈥
