The heart of Japan

Maikos walking in the rain in Kyoto, Japan

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Beyond Kyoto, the Kansai region boasts iconic cities, characterful culture, and powerhouses of innovation

Some 390km west of Tokyo, the region of Kansai is an economic and cultural hub at the centre of Japan’s largest island, Honshu. Home to at least six million people, it encompasses the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, the multicultural city of Kobe, and Osaka, the country’s second largest metropolis.