About Northern Kansai

Northern Kansai, Kyoto by the Sea, Toyooka, Kinosaki Onse, Takeno, Hidaka, Izushi, Tanto, Kyotango, Ine, Yosano, Miyazu, Amanohasidate, Maizuru, Ayabe, Fukuchiyama
Discover the hidden land of Japan’s origins. See and experience the beauty of this nature blessed land. You won't find over run temples or over populated metropolises here. This is where Japanese go to get away and get back to their roots. Hike along the coast and through mountain valleys and castle towns. Soak in the natural hot springs of Japan's most popular hot spring village, Kinosaki Onsen. Take a bay cruise past one of Japan's three most beautiful views, Amanohashidate to the fishing village of Ine nicknamed Japan's Sicily. There is also an abundant amount of outdoor activities, cultural workshops, and local delicacies to try. Come and discover the original Japan.
Hyogo Prefecture
KINOSAKI ONSEN & SURROUNDINGS

Toyooka city welcomes 40,000 visitors annualy and those numbers are steadily growing. The main attractions being the nationally famous hot spring town of Kinosaki Onsen, one of Western Japan's top four ski resorts, Northern Hyogo prefecture's "little kyoto" and castle town Izushi. The city of Toyooka is also known as one of the four largest bag production centers in Japan, the bags made in Toyooka and that meet the bag industries standards are given the brand name "Toyooka Kaban".

KINOSAKI ONSEN & SURROUNDINGS
Izushi
Izushi Castle Town
Izushi is a town that continues on from the mythical era. The current townscape was formed by Koide Yoshihide in 1604. Today it is a castle town popular for its nostalgic atmosphere of old Japan. Besides that, there are many local special products such as "Izushi Sara Soba", "Izushi Yaki (pottery)" and "Kiryusaiku". If you change into a kimono and stroll through the town, you will feel as though you have slipped through time.
Takeno beach
Takeno Beach
A hidden gem along the northern coast of Hyogo prefecture. This beautiful beach is among the best and ranked in the top 100. Its crystal-clear waters have been given top marks by Japan's Ministry of Environment and clean, soft, sandy beaches make it all the better. Located on the JR line, it is easy to get to from Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Himeji, taking an average of 3 hours.
Kinosaki Onsen
Kinosaki Onsen
(7 hot spring town)
Nestled in a lush mountain valley along the Sea of Japan is Kinosaki Onsen, an age old hot spring town. The town has been loved by locals and travelers for over 1,300 years and counting for its charm and 7 hot spring bathhouses which are all centrally located and can be easily accessed on foot from anywhere in town.
Toyooka
Toyooka Downtown
A great compact city that is also easy to explore. Near Toyooka station you will find several cafes and boutiques. The town is famous for being Japan’s largest manufactuerer of quality bags and the town that saved the Oriental White Stork from extinction. You can visit the sanctuary and nature preserve where the stork is being breed and raised for reintroduction into the wild.
Hidaka
Kannabe Highlands
Kannabe, is your basecamp for adventure in Northern Hyogo Prefecture. Set up your command center for travel off the beaten pathways of the Kansai Region in the lush mountain valleys near the volcanic crater of Kannabe. Enjoy year-round activities for all ages. Located along the crossroads between Kyoto’s Amanohashidate, Kinosaki hot springs & Tottori sand dunes make it the perfect location for any time of the year.
Tanto
Tanto Countryside
A long-established agricultural town nestled away in a mountain valley in northern rural Hyogo. Here you won’t find convenience stores or many vending machines. What you will find are warm hearted local towns people wanting to share with you a glimpse into what life all over Japan used to be like before the age of globalization.
Kyoto Prefecture
KYOTO BY THE SEA

- The source of Japan -
“Kyoto by the Sea” is where civilization blossomed before any other region in Ancient Japan, as a result of culture from the Asian continent crossing the sea to this bountiful, nature-blessed land. That is, this is the origin of Japan. Visit “Kyoto by the Sea” and experience a yet-undiscovered Japan.

KYOTO BY THE SEA
Ayabe
Ayabe Gunze Square
(Ayabe City)
At this spot, together with the nearby Gunze Memorial Hall (former Head Office of Gunze), buildings that are designated Heritage of Industrial Modernization convey the history and culture of the region, which prospered as a town of sericulture and silk reeling. Housed in four repurposed cocoon warehouses built in the 1910s, Gunze Museum features exhibits highlighting Gunze's technological advancements and more.
Yosano
Chirimen Street
(Yosano Town)
“Kyoto by the Sea” is the hometown of “Toyouke-no-okami” , the God of Food and Textiles, and can also be considered the “Birthplace of Textiles” . In the modern age, this region prospered as a major producer of “Tango Chirimen (a fabric imparted with an uneven surface by a special technique)” that is the silk fabric used in high-end Japanese kimonos. A townscape with the modern atmosphere of this period still remains at Chirimen Street, a perfect backdrop for a stroll in a rental kimono.
Kyotango
Yuhigaura
(Kyotango City)
A fantastic spot for sunsets, the golden reflection on the sea surface just before sunset is known as “sun mirror” . Take time out to sit on the bench and enjoy the sunset. Yuhigaura is also great for swimming in the summer.
Miyazu(Amanohashitate)
Amanohashidate
(Miyazu City)
“Amanohashidate”, one of Japan’s three most famous scenic views, is a naturally-formed geographical feature that is narrow and long, with a total length of about 3.6 km. Legend has it that the god who created Japan used a ladder as a means of traveling back and forth between heaven and earth. One day, this ladder fell and became Amanohashidate. This spectacular and mystical landscape can be viewed from two observatories.
Ine
Funaya Boat Houses
(Ine Town)
The boat houses of Ine are constructed such that the first floor is a garage-like space for boats, with living quarters upstairs. The row of approx. 230 boat houses surrounding the waters of Ine Bay is a unique sight found nowhere else in the world.
Maizuru
Maizuru Brick Park
(Maizuru City)
Red-bricked structures can be found throughout Maizuru, which developed as a port town in the modern age. In particular, the red-bricked warehouses at Maizuru Brick Park are brimming with retro charm and have also been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Another highlight is the 5,300-year-old dugout canoe that was excavated in Maizuru and is considered one of the oldest in the world.
Fukuchiyama
Fukuchiyama Castle
(Fukuchiyama City)
Fukuchiyama Castle was built by the feudal warlord, “Akechi Mitsuhide”. The three-layered, four-storied castle tower is beautiful in its practical design and presents a stately appearance . The stone walls created by ruggedly-stacked stone pagodas, in addition to natural rock, is also a sight to see.
Kyoto Prefecture
WOODLAND KYOTO

-Step into a forest paradise -
Kyoto is a city that has a lot of history with elegant townscapes and a great number of shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. After a 20min. train ride, you will arrive in the area called “Woodland Kyoto”. This region has supported the capital since the days of old. While fostering a deep connection with the forests, the people there led enriched lives and developed their own culture. Come and indulge yourself in these forests of healing and creation.

WOODLAND KYOTO
Yunohana Onsen Hot Springs (Kameoka)
Yunohana Onsen Hot Springs
(Kameoka)
Yunohana Onsen, is a hot spring that rests in a quiet mountain area located about 7 kilometers from the center of Kyoto City. This ancient hot spring is rumored to have healed the battle wounds of warlords during Japan’s civil war era.
Hozugawa River Boat & Sagano Romantic Train(Kameoka)
Hozugawa River Boat & Sagano Romantic Train
(Kameoka)
The city which boasts a rural landscape wrapped in the dense Tamba fog from the Hozugawa River and the city’s basin landform, is not only blessed with an abundance of nature, idyllic fields and agricultural produce, but is also an area where history and traditional culture are kept alive. The city is packed with great tourist sites and experiences like the Hozugawa River Boat where you can experience an extremely thirilling boat ride downstream, the Sagano Romantic Train where you can enjoy the magnificent views of all four seasons along the Hozukyo Ravine.
Synesthesia Hills (Nantan)
Synesthesia Hills
(Nantan)
Originally, the Synesthesia illuminations were something that could only be seen during the winter it has now been reborn as an illumination display to be enjoyed all year round.
Synesthesia is a condition in which one sense, such as hearing, is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Synesthesia Hills uses this concept to dazzle your senses and lets you “feel the color in the sound”. This is an interactive content that produces light and sound, with technology linked to the weather and temperature. This means that each performance is unique to that day.
Shizushi Underground Limestone Caves(Kyotamba)
Shizushi Limestone Caves
(Kyotamba)
Kyotamba is located on the Tamba Plateau surrounded by many mountains. The sourthern part of the mountain range forms part of a divide. The entire town is about 83% forest with narrow valleys in between where small villages are interspersed across the wide expanse of rice fields. Since the past, this region flourished as a transportation hub connecting Kyoto city and northern Kyoto prefecture facing the Sea of Japan. The constant creation of new dishes and the cultuvation of a rich, traditional food culture in the town of Kyotamba makes it truly deserving of the appellation, ‘Gourmet Food Kingdom’
Fukuchiyama Castle(Fukuchiyama)
Fukuchiyama Castle
(Fukuchiyama)
Fukuchiyama Castle was built by the feudal warlord, “Akechi Mitsuhide”. The three-layered, four-storied castle tower is beautiful in its practical design and presents a stately appearance . The stone walls created by ruggedly-stacked stone pagodas, in addition to natural rock, is also a sight to see.
Ayabe Gunze Square(Ayabe)
Ayabe Gunze Square
(Ayabe)
At this spot, together with the nearby Gunze Memorial Hall (former Head Office of Gunze), buildings that are designated Heritage of Industrial Modernization convey the history and culture of the region, which prospered as a town of sericulture and silk reeling. Housed in four repurposed cocoon warehouses built in the 1910s, Gunze Museum features exhibits highlighting Gunze's technological advancements and more.