How to Experience Kansai Without a Yen in Your Pocket

Sep 26, 2024

How to Experience Kansai Without a Yen in Your Pocket

The Kansai region has many great attractions well-known across Japan. However, these often come at a price and you can soon rack up the yen if you want to make the most of things. Fortunately, there is also plenty of free and low-cost fun stuff that can be ideal if you’re living or traveling on a budget. From historic sites to natural wonders to free museums, here is a pick of places to head to in Kansai that won’t cost a penny.

Fushimi-Inari Taisha

Kyoto is a city rich with cultural heritage and the location of some of Japan’s most sacred and iconic shrines and temples. Fushimi-Inari Taisha, on the outskirts of the city, is arguably the most well-known. It attracts thousands of tourists from across the globe who come to walk underneath the thousands of bright orange torii gates lined with numerous fox statues. It may surprise some that this shrine remains free, given its popularity, but yes you can traverse the path that takes you through the sacred forest leading up onto Mount Inari. The whole walk takes around 2-3 hours or you can just wander around the lower parts if you just want to sample the atmosphere.

Website: https://inari.jp/en/

The Nunobiki Falls

TNunobiki Falls are one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Kansai region. Located on the side of the Rokko mountain range and not too far from Shin-Kobe station, the falls are actually four separate waterfalls that are the result of the Ikuta River spilling out of the mountain rocks. Ontaki is the most famous of the four, cascading down 43 meters and considered one of the three “divine falls” of Japan. You can ascend a hiking route to see the falls or take the Nunobiki Ropeway that also takes you past the glorious nearby herb gardens. This does come with a small cost – 1,800 yen for use of the ropeway round trip.

Website: https://kobe-rokko.jp/en/mtrokko/nunobiki/

Cup Noodles Museum

Yes, as bizarre as it may sound there is a museum in Osaka dedicated to instant ramen noodles – and it’s FREE. Located in the town of Ikeda, which is the birthplace of instant noodles, the museum gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the globally popular meal (around 120 billion servings of instant noodles are sold annually) as well as make their own cup noodles where they can choose flavour, toppings and cup design. There are 11 museum zones altogether including the chicken ramen factory, exhibition area, work shed recreation and an interactive drama theater. The only costs are 1,000 yen for the chicken ramen factory and 500 yen for each cup noodles you make yourself.

Website: https://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/en/osaka_ikeda/

Wakayama Castle Park Zoo

This small 100-year-old zoo within the grounds of Wakayama Castle allows you to get up close to many animals for the cost of, well, nothing. The zoo is free entry and houses more than 160 creatures across nearly 50 species. The main attraction is Betty the black bear but also expect to see the likes of flamingos, monkeys and a petting zoo where you can stroke and feed alpacas, deer, goats and horses.

Website: http://wakayamajo.jp/animal/index.html

Dotonbori

One of Osaka’s most vibrant areas, Dotonbori runs alongside a canal. It’s filled with shops, restaurants and bars, which makes it a nightlife hub in the city, albeit one that isn’t free. However, you can stroll along the canal and soak up the atmosphere without spending anything as well as visit the free Kukuru Konamon Museum, where you can learn all about and make Takoyaki, the quintessential Osaka street food.

Website: http://www.dotonbori.or.jp/ja/

By KENPEI (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons