One of the great things about the location of Kansai Gaidai in Hirakata is that it is just about halfway between Osaka and Kyoto, and the nearby Keihan railway goes directly into the heart of both cities. This means that it’s easy to get a taste of both of these unique Kansai cities. Also, Nara, Japan’s first capital is only about an hour away by train. I’ve had the opportunity to take advantage of this prime location throughout the semester, and while I have done a fair amount of traveling, I’m sad to say I probably haven’t seen enough in the area. I’ll definitely have to see as much as I can in the spring semester!
The best thing about the cities of Kansai is how radically different they are. While Osaka is a modern urban sprawl, crowded and full of restaurants, bars and clubs, Nara has a much more quiet atmosphere (although the crowds of tourists going to see the Daibutsu can be hectic sometimes), and there might be more deer in Nara than people. Kyoto is somewhere in the middle of those, with a nice urban shopping district and a ton of temples and onsen to visit around the city. All in all, Kansai is a beautiful and diverse area with lots to see whether you like lively city streets, quiet temples and shrines, or a little bit of both. These pictures are from Dotonburi, Osaka, and a recent trip to Nara that I went on with my host family.