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32-495: Nankai and Kintetsu are the only two private railway operators in Kansai that offer charged Limited Express trains. Listed counterclockwise: All stations are in the city of Osaka , Osaka Prefecture . One of the oldest private railway lines still existing, the 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge Namba - Yamatogawa (since closed) section was opened in 1885 by Hankai Railway ( 阪堺鉄道 , Hankai Tetsudō ) (separate from

64-474: A German curriculum, the school changed to The Primary Years Programme (PYP) in 2002. Today, Deutsche Schule Kobe/European School provides curriculum in three languages: German, English, and Japanese. In 1913, Canadian Methodist Academy opened its doors to sixteen children. The school, renamed Canadian Academy in 1917, served children of missionary parents from grade one through high school and offered boarding facilities for students from throughout Asia. Today,

96-501: A missionary homeschooled her son, his best friend and another student in their home. The next year, the home turned into Kyoto Christian Day School and a full-time teacher was hired. The school was renamed Kyoto International School in 1966. Today, the school serves students from two to fourteen years old. The school has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 1992 and authorized by

128-522: A small population increase beginning around 2010. International schools have served expatriates in the Kansai region since 1909. Outside of Tokyo and Yokohama, Kansai has the largest number of international schools. In 1909, Deutsche Schule Kobe was founded to serve German, Austrian and German-speaking Swiss expatriates, traders and missionaries living in the Kobe area. After a long history of teaching

160-465: Is another specialty of the region, the areas of Nada-Gogō and Fushimi produce 45% of all sake in Japan. 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 of the people from the Kansai region, commonly called Kansai-ben , have their own variations of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Kansai-ben

192-546: Is the group of dialects spoken in the Kansai area, but is often treated as a dialect in its own right. Kansai is one of the most prosperous areas for baseball in Japan. Two Nippon Professional Baseball teams, Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes , are based in Kansai. Koshien Stadium , the home stadium of the Hanshin Tigers, is also famous for the nationwide high school baseball tournaments . In association football ,

224-538: The Gokishichidō . These provinces were collectively referred to as Kinai or Kinki. 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. 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

256-596: The International Baccalaureate (IB) and U.S. high school diplomas. The number of international schools burgeoned after World War II. In 1946, St. Michael's International School was established by Anglican Bishop Michael Yashiro and Miss Leonora Lee, a British missionary. Today, the school offers a distinctive British-style primary education based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales. The school has joint accreditation from

288-903: The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) since 2006. Kansai is also served by Osaka International School , Lycée français international de Kyoto as well as Chinese and Korean schools. 35°N 135°E  /  35°N 135°E  / 35; 135 Regions of Japan Japan is divided into eight regions . They are not official administrative units, though they have been used by government officials for statistical and other purposes since 1905. They are widely used in, for example, maps, geography textbooks, and weather reports, and many businesses and institutions use their home regions in their names as well, for example Kyushu National Museum , Kinki Nippon Railway , Chūgoku Bank , and Tōhoku University . Each region contains one or more of

320-597: 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. ( see Kamigata ) While the use of the terms "Kansai" and "Kinki" have changed over history, in most modern contexts the use of the two terms is interchangeable. The term "Kinai", once synonymous with Kinki, now refers to the Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe (Keihanshin) area at

352-569: The Kansai Soccer League was founded in 1966 and currently has 16 teams in two divisions. Cerezo Osaka , Gamba Osaka , and Vissel Kobe belong to J. League Division 1 and Kyoto Sanga F.C. belongs to J. League Division 2 , the top professional leagues in Japan. As a part of the Ritsuryō reforms of the seventh and eighth centuries, the provinces of Yamato , Yamashiro , Kawachi , Settsu , and Izumi , were established by

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384-520: The Kinki shōkō kaigi-sho rengō-kai ( 近畿商工会議所連合会 , Kinki Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association ) changed its name to "Kansai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association" on July 22, 2015. In the fall of 2014, Kansai Keizai Rengōkai ( 公益社団法人関西経済連合会 , Kansai Economic Federation ) asked the government to unify the name of the local agency to "Kansai". On June 28, 2003, the English name of

416-791: The Shinto religion's holiest shrine at Ise Shrine (built in 690 AD) in Mie prefecture . 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 788, Saicho , the founder of the Tendai sect of Buddhism established his monastery at Mount Hiei in Shiga prefecture . Japan's most famous tale, and some say

448-498: The Tokugawa shogunate . Many characteristic traits of Kansai people descend from Osaka merchant culture. 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 humor. Kantō people, on the other hand, are perceived as more sophisticated, reserved and formal, in keeping with Tokyo's history and modern status as

480-516: The old provinces of Japan were established, several provinces in the area around the then-capital Yamato Province were collectively named Kinai and Kinki, both roughly meaning "the neighbourhood of the capital". Kansai (literally west of the tollgate ) in its original usage refers to the land west of the Osaka Tollgate ( 逢坂関 ), the border between Yamashiro Province and Ōmi Province (present-day Kyoto and Shiga prefectures). During

512-532: The prefectures of Nara , Wakayama , Kyoto , Osaka , Hyōgo and Shiga , often also Mie , sometimes Fukui , Tokushima and Tottori . The metropolitan region of Osaka , Kobe and Kyoto ( Keihanshin region) is the second-most populated in Japan after the Greater Tokyo Area . The terms Kansai ( 関西 ) , Kinki ( 近畿 ) , and Kinai ( 畿内 ) have their roots during the Asuka period . When

544-573: The Council of International Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Brother Charles Fojoucyk and Brother Stephen Weber founded Marist Brothers International School in 1951 after communist authorities pressured them to leave Tientsin, China. Today, the international Montessori - Grade 12 school enrolls approximately 300 students. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges . In 1957,

576-529: The English word " kinky ", which means "twisted" or " perverted ". This has become a problem due to internationalization , and some organizations have changed their name as a result. In April 2016, Kinki University ( 近畿大学 , Kinki Daigaku ) changed its English name to Kindai University . Keizai sangyō-kyoku ( 経済産業局 , Kinki Bureau of Economy ) uses "Kansai" in English notation, and Kinki Unyukyoku ( 近畿運輸局 , Kinki Transport Bureau ) also uses "Kansai" in English notation since 2015. In addition,

608-843: The Hōryū-ji Area , Himeji Castle , Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) , Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara , and Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range . The economy of Kansai region is largely based on that of Keihanshin (Greater Osaka) metropolitan area. Keihanshin metropolitan area contains the Hanshin Industrial Region and is centered mainly around chemical, metal, and other heavy industries. Keihanshin region also contains strong medical and electronics industries within its economy. Per Japanese census data, Kansai region much like Keihanshin has experienced

640-522: The center of the Kansai region. Like all regions of Japan , the Kansai region is not an administrative unit, but rather a cultural and historical one, which emerged much later during the Heian period after the expansion of Japan saw the development of the Kantō region to the east and the need to differentiate what was previously the center of Japan in Kansai emerged. The name "Kinki" is pronounced similarly to

672-816: 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 Kobe and Himeji , and east encompassing Lake Biwa , Japan's largest freshwater lake. In the north, the region is bordered by the Sea of Japan , to the south by the Kii Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean , and to the east by the Ibuki Mountains and Ise Bay . Four of Japan's national parks lie within its borders, in whole or in part. The area also contains six of

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704-540: The country's 47 prefectures . Of the four main islands of Japan, Hokkaidō , Shikoku , and Kyūshū make up one region each, the latter also containing the Satsunan Islands , while the largest island Honshū is divided into five regions. Okinawa Prefecture is usually included in Kyūshū, but is sometimes treated as its own ninth region. Japan has eight High Courts, but their jurisdictions do not correspond to

736-450: The culture in Kyoto , the mercantilism of Osaka , the history of Nara , or the cosmopolitanism of Kobe – and represents the focus of counterculture in Japan. This East-West rivalry has deep historical roots, particularly from the Edo period . With 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

768-504: The day and boarding school offers a PreK to Grade 12 education on the campus on Rokkō Island , a human-made island. The school, which is no longer affiliated with Canada or the church, is the largest school for expatriates in Kansai. The school is approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Council of International Schools. The school awards both

800-444: The eight regions (see Judicial system of Japan for details). This is a list of Japan's major islands, traditional regions, and subregions, going from northeast to southwest. The eight traditional regions are marked in bold . In many contexts in Japan (government, media markets, sports, regional business or trade union confederations), regions are used that deviate from the above-mentioned common geographical 8-region division that

832-459: The line was extended to Wakayama. The present line to Wakayamashi was completed in 1903, and in 1906 the first dining car on a private railway in Japan was introduced on the Wakayama express. The duplication of the line extended to Hamaderakoen in 1907, Kaizuka in 1911, Takako in 1915 and to Wakayama in 1922. Electrification at 600 VDC began in 1907 on the section from Namba to Hamaderakōen, and

864-409: The major private railway company Kintetsu Railway was changed from Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. to the official abbreviation Kintetsu Corporation. It was subsequently changed again to Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. on April 1, 2015. The Kansai region is a cultural center and the historical heart of Japan, with 11% of the nation's land area and 22,757,897 residents as of 2010. The Osaka Plain with

896-591: The nation's capital and largest metropolis." Kansai is known for its food, especially Osaka, as supported by the saying "Kyotoites are ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by overspending on food." ( 京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ , Kyō no Kidaore, Ōsaka no Kuidaore ) . Popular Osakan dishes include takoyaki , okonomiyaki , kitsune udon and kushikatsu . Kyoto is considered a mecca of traditional Japanese cuisine like kaiseki . Kansai has many wagyu brands such as Kobe beef and Tajima cattle from Hyōgo, Matsusaka beef from Mie and Ōmi beef from Shiga. Sake

928-660: The present-day Hankai Tramway ). The line was extended to Sakai in 1888, and the Namba - Sumiyoshitaisha section was duplicated in 1892. In 1897 the then separate Nankai Railway opened the Sakai - Sano (present-day Izumisano) section as 1067mm gauge, with the Namba - Sano section regauged to match, and the Sumiyoshitaisha - Sano section duplicated the same year. The following year the Hankai Co. merged with Nankai Railway, and

960-604: The seven top prefectures in terms of national treasures . Other geographical features include Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyōgo . The Kansai region is often compared with the Kantō region , which lies to its east and consists primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Whereas the Kantō region is symbolic of standardization throughout Japan, the Kansai region displays many more idiosyncrasies –

992-739: The world's first 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 . Kansai's unique position in Japanese history, plus the lack of damage from wars or natural disasters, has resulted in Kansai region having more UNESCO World Heritage Listings than any other region of Japan. The five World Heritage Listings include: Buddhist Monuments in

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1024-552: Was completed in 1911. The voltage was increased to 1500 VDC in 1973. This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Misplaced Pages Kansai The Kansai region ( 関西地方 , Kansai-chihō , [ka(ꜜ)ɰ̃sai tɕiꜜhoː] ) or the Kinki region ( 近畿地方 , Kinki-chihō , IPA: [ki(ꜜ)ŋki̥ tɕiꜜhoː] ) lies in the southern-central region of Japan 's main island Honshū . The region includes

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