Biwa-ko, so named because of its resemblance to the biwa, a feminine-bodied stringed instrument, is the largest lake in Japan. West of its shores is Kyoto-fu Prefecture, and behind that Hyogo-ken Prefecture stretches across the island from the Inland Sea to the Sea of Japan. The nearby prefectures of Osaka-fu, Shiga-ken, Nara-ken, Wakayama-ken, and Mie-ken dip southward to the Pacific, and together with Kyoto-fu and Hyogo-ken comprise the Kinki District. Neatly packed into its boundaries is the colossal tourist trio of Kyoto, Nara, and Ise, along with the industrial dynamo of Osaka, which are commonly referred to as Kansai. This area enjoys worldwide acclaim for its art, architecture, performing arts, and religious centers. Kyoto and Nara alone are visited by 30 million tourists per year, mostly Japanese.
Nara, one hour south of Kyoto, is the actual fertile ground where the seeds of Japanese culture took root. Here, surrounded by countryside rich in mythical legends, was the seat of the first permanent Imperial Court, a new concept that followed hundreds of years of constant movement and relocation. Within the city are age-old temples, Daibutsu (the nation's largest Buddha), national treasure depositories, and a bucolic park marauded by Imperial deer.
Ise, deep in Mie-ken Prefecture, provides the serene quiet of the Grand Imperial Shrines, the most venerated in Japan. For many centuries the enthroned living deities, the emperors of Japan, came here to bow to the ancestral gods.
Along the coast southwest of Kyoto is Osaka and its neighbor, Kobe. Together, they are the main sea ports of Japan, eclipsing even mighty Tokyo in yearly tonnage. Amidst the flash and jackhammer rhythm, Osaka somehow still manages to provide the finer pleasures along its surprisingly wide and people-oriented boulevards.
Next door is Kobe, known throughout the nation for its marbled, savory beef. The cattle, treated as exalted members of the farm family, never leave their dimly lit stalls. They are fed the best grains while their rumps are soaked with beer and massaged into soft-muscled shanks. Whole sections of the city have been home to foreigners since Japan opened its doors last century, and the hills surrounding the city, laced with hiking trails, hold hidden spas and even a ski slope whitened by artificial snow. The downtown area bustles with street stalls, inexpensive eateries, and architectural masterpieces that herald Japan's newfound renaissance. Head south to Koya-san, the sacred mountain topped by an ancient temple that holds the earthly remains of the great Buddhist saint Kobo Daishi. Here, shukubo (temple lodgings) offering basic vegetarian fare welcome international visitors for a few nights' stay.
From Kyoto you can travel into the heart of Hyogo-ken Prefecture. On the coast is Amanohashidate, "The Heavenly Bridge," considered along with Miyajima and Matsushima to be the most scenic area in Japan. Nearby is Obama, a coastal town whose hills have long been occupied by Zen teaching temples that open their doors to all seekers on the path. Touring Japan without visiting Kinki would be like dining on an exquisite gourmet meal and neglecting to open the vintage wine.
The Land and Climate
The majority of Kinki's land is sandwiched between these two ranges and the Kii Sanchii mountains that first rise in Shikoku and then dip beneath the Naruto Kaikyo straits until they rise again on the Kii Hanto peninsula. This area, generally not very high above sea level, is dotted with numerous plains and basins, the largest being Kyoto and Osaka. Draining the Kyoto and Osaka basins into the Inland Sea is the Yodo-gawa River. Now dammed to produce hydroelectricity and canaled into a neat network of irrigation ditches, it was at one time a major communication and transportation link for the entire region.
The Kinki District is bordered by three bodies of water: the Sea of Japan on the north, the Inland Sea to the southwest, and the broad Pacific to the southeast. The north coast lies on the fringe of the Hakusan Volcanic Zone, which continues inland until it reaches the tall and rugged Chugoku Sanmyaku mountains. Rolling northeasterly, they level out and a small basin is formed that reaches to the foothills of the Tanba Kochi mountains to the northeast. The Tanbas, much more tame, form many high plateaus, while at their eastern foot sprawls Lake Biwa-ko, covering an area of 674 square kilometers.
The majority of Kinki's land is sandwiched between these two ranges and the Kii Sanchii mountains that first rise in Shikoku and then dip beneath the Naruto Kaikyo straits until they rise again on the Kii Hanto peninsula. This area, generally not very high above sea level, is dotted with numerous plains and basins, the largest being Kyoto and Osaka. Draining the Kyoto and Osaka basins into the Inland Sea is the Yodo-gawa River. Now dammed to produce hydroelectricity and canaled into a neat network of irrigation ditches, it was at one time a major communication and transportation link for the entire region.
History
The spiritual, creative, political, and artistic psyche of the Japanese people blended and solidified, the essence lasting to become the Japan we know today. The greatest and longest-lasting influence came from Buddhism. At first rejected by many nobles, it grew in prominence until it became the national religion. Rituals and festivals such as O Bon were first observed in Nara, the paramount religious center after the casting of the great Daibutsu.
Naniwa ("Rapid Waves"), as Osaka was originally called, was ruled by Emperor Nintoku in the 4th century. Its location on the eastern extremity of the Inland Sea and in the middle of the then-known empire made it a natural trading center. Nintoku realized that trade was the way to prosperity, and in a unique move suspended taxes for a number of years. This was the financial catalyst that early settlers needed. The city's awesome mercantile history and business tradition dates from this period. In remembrance, Nintoku's keyhole tomb was built on a scale even grander than the pyramids of Egypt. Located in Sakai suburb, the tomb required 1.5 million cubic meters of sand that was conveyed by over one million workers.
In 1583, Osaka's prosperity and merchant class grew like never before. At that time, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the dominant warlord of the 16th century who laid the groundwork for the Tokugawa Shogunate, built his enormous castle fortress within the city.
Thereafter, the samurai class, firmly entrenched by 250 years of Tokugawa peace, paid little attention to trifles like money. The merchants of Osaka were looked down upon and for the most part were ignored and thereby freed to amass great fortunes. The arts were pursued, but they were byproducts, not the foundation upon which Osaka developed. World War II leveled the city, but the scars are paved over, and Osaka is once again mighty and sprawling. "Business as usual" moved the city onward.