Sakai is famous as a town of cutlery craftsmen, and Sennan is home to Kansai International Airport. As represented by the nationally famous Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, the city is home to energetic and cheerful people. It is also characterized by many hidden gems.
Sakai and Sennan are home to tourist attractions such as Kansai International Airport, Misaki Park, and Hamadera Park; sightseeing events such as the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, Mantokai, and Sakai Grand Fish Night Market; and local delicacies such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and sake lees soup.
Sakai is a well-known area as the location of "Sakai merchants," "Dejima," and "Sen no Rikyu," all of which have appeared in "Taiga Dramas," but it is also famous as the location of the ancient tomb of Emperor Nintoku, the largest burial mound in Japan. It is also famous for its many ruins and major discoveries.
In the old days, Sakai was the most important trading center in Japan, and was valued by the powers that be of each era. Although guns were introduced to Japan from Tanegashima Island, it was at Sakai's Dejima Island in Osaka that the first full-scale importation of guns took place.
Sennan is now widely known as the location of Kansai International Airport and Rinku-Taun. The airport is the gateway to the Kansai region, and trains and highways are connected to Osaka City, making it a very convenient area. Rinku Town" also serves as a park and amusement park, and is also known as the location of "AEON MALL Rinku Sennan," a foreign outlet mall. If you are a shopaholic, you must stop by.
Sakai is also home to many famous historical figures, including Gyoki, a Buddhist monk who founded 49 temples in his lifetime to propagate Buddhism, and Sen no Rikyu, a master of the tea ceremony who is said to have been feared by the whole country.
Kawaguchi Huikai, a lay Buddhist monk who devoted his life to the spread of Buddhism, is well known for his travels to Tibet, where he collected sutras and folklore materials and recorded them in his "Travels in Tibet.
Akiko Yosano, who composed the poem "Kimi ni shite takonakare" ("You must die, my dear"), is also a native of this area. Francis Xavier, a famous Christian missionary, and Luis Frois, another missionary, also came to Japan via Dejima in Sakai.
As for gourmet foods, the famous "walnut rice cake," "keshi rice cake," and "udon" are well-known, and may be considered as souvenirs. Families may want to consider an excursion to a large children's museum. Another option is to visit the Sakai Shizen Hureai no Mori (Sakai Nature Park), or ask for a free volunteer guide to show you the best of Sakai.
Located on a hillside, this agricultural park is rich in nature, surrounded by greenery and flowers. The vast site is eight times the size of the Koshien Stadium, and is dotted with lawn areas, herb fields, ponds, streams, and suspension bridges. Visitors can also take a ride on the 54-seat Harvest Train, which runs in a relaxing atmosphere. At this park, visitors can enjoy seasonal harvest expe...»
Kishiwada Castle is said to have been built in 1334 by Wada Takaya, a member of Kusunoki Masanari's family, in the town of Noda, east of the present castle. The castle is also called Chikiri Castle ("chikiri" means a device used to sow the warp of a plane) because the shape of the castle, consisting of the main castle and the second castle in a row, resembles a chigiri (a "chikiri" is a device us...»
The name of the temple is "Ryugakuzan" and the main deity of the temple is Sho-Kannon Bosatsu (Bodhisattva of Mercy). The temple is popularly known as "Mizuma Kannon. It is also the fourth temple of the New Saigoku Sanjusanjo, which, together with its surroundings, has been selected as one of the most spectacular natural sites in Osaka. The temple is said to have been opened by Gyoki at the behe...»
Rinku Town is located on the opposite shore from Kansai International Airport, the "Gateway to the World" where many people come and go. There is "Rinku Tower Gate Building" where popular hotels and restaurants are located, "Rinku Premium Outlets" where popular brand-name products are available at reasonable prices, and "Rinku Pleasure Town Seacruise", a commercial complex directly connected to R...»
Also called Daisenryo Kofun, Daisen Kofun, or Nintoku-ryo Kofun, this is one of the largest tombs in Japan and the world, and is shaped like a front-recessed circular mound. It belongs to one of the tumulus groups, the Mozu Kofun Cluster, and is administered by the Imperial Household Agency as the Mozu Mimihara Naka-ryo, the mausoleum of the 16th Emperor Nintoku. In 2019, the Mozu and Furuichi K...»
According to shrine legend, the shrine was destroyed by fire during the Tensho Period (1573-1593) and the shrine territory was confiscated by Hashiba Hideyoshi, but the shrine was rebuilt in 1602 by Toyotomi Hideyori, and has remained to this day. The Makura Matsuri, an annual festival held in May, features a parade of colorful pillows on streamers through the villages, while the Gosha Ondo dance...»
Gansen-ji Temple was once the head temple of the Honganji School of Buddhism, and its main hall, bell tower, drum hall, and front gate are designated as national important cultural properties. The name of the temple is Kinryozan, and it is nicknamed "Bokkan-san. The origin of the temple is said to be a hermitage founded by Gyoki in 774, and the standing statue of Amida Nyorai, the principal image...»