What is "Let's go!"?
Here, we select places and events in Kansai which our staff recommend you to see. We will update the seasonal spots throughout the year, as Kansai has much to offer as the seasons change. The 
icon shows which area in Kansai the stories relate to.
By clicking the 
button, you can search for a Free Volunteer Guide to guide you. Guides are registered on the list. They are all local residents who are familiar with the Kansai region, and their knowledge can help to greatly enhance your day. You can send an email request to your chosen Guide, with the item you have selected attached.
The winter months are generally clear and crisp in Kansai, with temperatures averaging around 5-10c by day in Osaka. Snowfalls do occur but are infrequent - it you are lucky enough to be in Kyoto at this time, prepare for picture postcard views of snow clad temples and gardens - breathtaking! Tourist numbers are generally down in winter making it a good time to explore. The first week of New Year is an exception with hundreds of thousands turning out to make shrine visits, the traditional Japanese start to the year. The setsubon events in early February are also colorful occasions well worth experiencing.
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There aren't many tourists going up to the Enryakuji Temple on Mt.Hiei in winter. However, thanks to the quiet, the temple becomes more attractive. The temple was built by the priest Saicho in 8th century and called Enryakuji as a complex of many constructions on the mountain.
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Shinsekai is an entertainment and eat-and-drink district where many restaurants and pubs offer Osaka specialty kushikatsu at a reasonable price. For tourists, there is a symbolic tower with an observation deck called Tsutenkaku, so the town is popular both among local people and tourists.
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There are thousands of sake breweries in Japan and each one develops its unique taste and flavour using the local rice and water. Among them, Nada district (灘) of Kobe has about 40 breweries and produce nearly 30 percent of Japanese sake production.
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Bunraku is a classical theatrical art using puppets. A half life-sized puppet with elaborate costume is manipulated by three puppeteers to make a fluid move and express amazingly various emotions of a character.
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Kinkakuji (金閣寺) was first built in 1397 as a part of Kitayama Palace of Ashikaga Shogun. It is the symbol of Kitayama Culture which is influenced both by the traditional aristocracy and Samurai's rising power.
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If you looking for a good hot spring around the Kansai area, I recommend Arima onsen (有馬温泉) in Hyogo prefecture. Onsen means ‘hot spring’ in Japanese.
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Setsubun - Demons out! Luck in! Early each February a series of events take place to mark Setsubun: the changing of the season from winter to spring.
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New Year, or Shogatsu, is a key time in the Japanese calendar. It’s a time to gather with friends and family, feast on seasonal delicacies, and make shrine visits to pray for the coming year.
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Kobe Illuminations '08 ended.
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New Year is the premier time for shrine visits in Japan. Hatsumode, or the ‘year’s first shrine visit’, is a chaotic time, with millions lining up outside prayer halls across the country to pray for fortune in the coming year.
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