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The of Japan, also known as the , lies in the Southern-Central region of Japan's main island, Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga.

Contents

Overview

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links

Overview

Making up 11% of Japan's land area and 24 million residents, the Kansai region is the cultural and historical heart of Japan.^[1] The Kinki Plain, containing the cities of Osaka and Kyoto, forms the core of the region. From there, the Kansai area stretches west along the Seto Inland Sea towards Himeji and Kobe and east encompassing Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake. The region is bordered in the north by the Sea of Japan and at the Kii Peninsula meets the Pacific Ocean in the south. Four of Japan's national parks lie within its borders, in whole or in part. The area also contains six of the seven top prefectures in terms of national treasures.^[2] Other geographical highlights include Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyōgo.
The Kansai region is often compared (yet more often contrasted) with the Kantō region, which lies to its east and consists primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Whereas the Kanto region is symbolic of standardization throughout Japan (from government to economics to language), the Kansai region displays many more idiosyncrasies: the culture in Kyoto, the mercantilism of Osaka, the history of Nara, or the cosmopolitanism of Kobe, and could be said to represent the focus of counterculture in Japan. This East-West rivalry has deep historical roots, particularly from the Edo period. Having a samurai population of less than 1%, the culture of the merchant city of Osaka stood in sharp contrast to that of Edo, the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate.^[3]

Many characteristic traits of Kansai people descend from Osaka merchant culture. As Catherine Maxwell, an editor for the newsletter ''Omusubi'', writes: "Kansai residents are seen as being pragmatic, entrepreneurial, down-to-earth and possessing a strong sense of humour. Kanto people on the other hand are perceived as more sophisticated, reserved
and formal, in keeping with Tokyo’s history and modern status as the nation’s capital and largest metropolis."^[4]
Popular regional foods include takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kitsune udon. Hyōgo Prefecture is well known for its beef and other dairy products (''see Kobe beef''). Sake is another specialty of the region, the areas of Nada and Fushimi producing 45% of all the sake in Japan.^[5] As opposed to food from Eastern Japan, food in the Kansai area tends to be sweeter, and foods such as nattō tend to be less popular.
The dialects (弁, ''-ben'') of the people of the Kansai region have their own variations of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar which are unique to the region. Kansai-ben is the group of dialects spoken in the Kansai area, but is often treated as a dialect in its own right. Kansai-ben is especially strong in cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

History

Map of 8th century Japan

The terms Kansai (関西), Kinki (近畿) and Kinai (畿内) have a very deep history, dating back almost as far as the nation of Japan itself. As a part of the Ritsuryō reforms of the 6th century, the Gokishichidō system established the provinces of Yamato, Yamashiro, Kawachi, Settsu and Izumi. Kinai and Kinki, both roughly meaning "the neighbourhood of the capital", referred to these provinces. In common usage, Kinai now refers to the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto (Keihanshin) area, the center of the Kansai region.
Kansai (literally "west of the border") in its original usage refers to the land west of the Ousaka Checkpoint (逢坂の関), the border between Yamashiro Province and Ōmi Province (present-day Kyoto and Shiga prefectures).^[6] During the Kamakura period, this border was redefined to include Ōmi and Iga Provinces. It is not until the Edo period that Kansai came to acquire its current form.Kōjien, fifth edition, 1998, [ISBN 4-00-080111-2] (''see Kamigata'') Like all regions of Japan, the Kansai region is not an administrative unit, but rather a cultural and historical one.

Himeji Castle

The Kansai region lays claim to the earliest beginnings of Japanese civilization. It was Nara, the most eastern point on the Silk Road, that became the site of Japan's first permanent capital.^[7] This period (AD 710-784) saw the spread of Buddhism to Japan and the construction of Tōdai-ji in 745. The Kansai region also boasts the Shinto religion's holiest shrine at Ise Shrine (built in 690 AD) in Mie prefecture.^[8]
The Heian period saw the capital moved to Heian-kyō (平安京, present-day Kyoto), where it would remain for over a thousand years until the Meiji Restoration. During this golden age, the Kansai region would give birth to traditional Japanese culture. In 819, Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism
established his monastery at Mount Koya in Wakayama prefecture. Japan's most famous tale, and some say the world's first modern novel, ''The Tale of Genji'' was penned by Murasaki Shikibu while performing as a lady-in-waiting in Heian-kyo. Noh and Kabuki, Japan's traditional dramatic forms both saw their birth and evolution in Kyoto, while Bunraku, Japanese puppet theater, is native to Osaka.
Because of its unique position in Japanese history, the Kansai region hosts a number of well-known historical and cultural landmarks, including five of Japan's thirteen World Heritage Sites: Hōryū-ji, Himeji Castle, Kiyomizu-dera, Tōdai-ji, and Mount Koya.^[9]

Gallery

See also

★ Geography of Japan

★ List of regions in Japan

★ Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto

References

1. Japan Reference: Kansai, retrieved January 17. 2007
2. Kansai Now: History, retrieved January 17, 2007
3. Omusubi - "Japan's Regional Diversity", retrieved January 22, 2007
4. Livingabroadin.com - "Prime Living Locations in Japan", retrieved January 22, 2007
5. Kansai Window - "Japan's number one sake production", retrieved January 24, 2007
6. Entry for 「関西」. Kōjien, fifth edition, 1998, [ISBN 4-00-080111-2]
7. Kansai Economic Federation - "Kansai Brief History", retrieved January 17, 2007
8. Japan Reference - "Ise Jingu Guide", retrieved January 17, 2007
9. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Japan, retrieved January 17, 2007 - Kiyomizu-dera, Todai-ji, and Mount Koya are part of collections of sites and chosen as representative
10. Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco - "History", retrieved March 15, 2007

External links

★

★ KansaiConnect Community for English speakers interested in the Kansai region.

★ KansaiSearch English search engine for the Kansai region.

★ VisitKansai Kansai Japan Travel guide-Japanese culture articles, features etc / Restaurant and shop guide with maps / Free Q and A / Volunteer Guide service.