{"id":78947,"date":"2021-03-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=78947"},"modified":"2021-12-10T19:23:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T10:23:17","slug":"what-to-do-around-kansai-airport-osaka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/what-to-do-around-kansai-airport-osaka\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do Before your Flight from Kansai Airport in Osaka?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The last day of a trip is often gloomy, those last hours spent at the airport<\/a>, reminiscing about all the great experiences you had during your travels. But instead of waiting hours for your flight at the airport, far from the city center, why not explore the surrounding area? Just a few kilometers away from Kansai International Airport, you can enjoy a mini-trip<\/strong> in the region of Senshu<\/a><\/strong> (\u6cc9\u5dde), south of Osaka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re headed south from Osaka, the Nankai train line<\/strong> will take you anywhere within the Senshu region, all the way to the airport. The train departs from Namba, in downtown Osaka<\/strong>, and goes to Kansai International Airport<\/a> (\u95a2\u897f\u56fd\u969b\u7a7a\u6e2f) and Wakayama (\u548c\u6b4c\u5c71). So you can get off at the different stations<\/strong> along the way to explore the recommended places on this itinerary. Most sites are within easy walking distance of the station, but local buses will also take you to your final destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start your mini-trip at the Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum<\/strong> (\u583a\u4f1d\u7d71\u7523\u696d\u4f1a\u9928). Sakai knives have been famous<\/strong> for centuries, but the city is also well-known for its many other traditional fine crafts. In the 16th century, the harbor of Sakai<\/strong> was the largest in Japan<\/strong>, where many goods and raw materials were traded with other neighboring countries, mostly from Southeast Asia. It was also the last stop on the Silk Road<\/strong>, where the region received the necessary supplies to make local products such as knives<\/strong>, armor,<\/strong> or Japanese incense<\/strong>. Plan to spend at least 1.5 hours visiting this museum rich in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum<\/a> is free to visit<\/strong> and includes guided tours. I was especially lucky to meet Eric Chevallier, a French blacksmith<\/strong> living in Japan for several years and knows all about the history of Sakai. He can tell you the story \u2014 in French, English, or Japanese<\/strong> \u2014 of how the textile and armor industries were key in developing the city<\/strong>. Listening to Eric passionately share his encyclopedic knowledge of local history made my museum visit a truly enlightening and memorable experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Occasionally, artisans come to the museum to sell their knives<\/strong> directly, as well as to give demonstrations on knife-making<\/strong>. If Japanese knives are so highly reputed today, it\u2019s thanks to these artisans who have relayed their craft’s meticulous techniques<\/strong> over several generations and hundreds of years. From sharpening the blade to carving the wooden handle to forging the blade itself, you will discover each step that goes into making an authentic Japanese knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s only natural to ask: Why is Sakai such a reference in the production of cutlery?<\/strong> The answer is surprising but logical: the region is home to many blacksmiths, whose ancestors were originally summoned to forge the biggest mausoleum in Japan some 1,600 years ago<\/strong>. Just a few kilometers away from the museum is Daisenry\u014d Kofun<\/a><\/strong> (\u5927\u4ed9\u9675\u53e4\u58b3), the tomb of the Emperor Nintoku (\u4ec1\u5fb3\u5929\u7687\u9675), which is famous today for its keyhole shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japanese incense is another native craft of Sakai.<\/strong> Thanks to products imported from Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Japanese people have been making high-quality incense<\/strong> for several hundred years. Still today, the incense produced in Sakai is used throughout Japan; various types are produced, especially for temples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum’s shop offers a broad collection of traditionally crafted incense sticks for sale, so you can sniff for yourself and travel through olfactory history<\/strong>. The quality of raw materials used in production ensures that these incense sticks can be burned safely at home, with neither the health risk nor the ceiling marks that are sometimes associated with more cheaply made products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing is certain: the famous Japanese brand Shimano<\/strong> (\u30b7\u30de\u30ce), internationally reputed for its bicycle components and fishing tackles, was born in Sakai<\/strong>. This local mechanical expertise is surprisingly tied to the region\u2019s history of importing firearms. During the Muromachi period (1338\u20131573), Sakai\u2019s harbor was one of Japan\u2019s few ports open to the West, and the Portuguese debarked with their own models of guns, which the Japanese copied and improved upon. These techniques later spread to other industries, eventually being applied to the production of bicycle parts and fishing equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSenshu, easy-to-access via public transportation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Start your day at the Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Unique craftsmanship behind Japanese knives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why are knives made in Sakai?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It is said that Japanese incense originated in Sakai<\/h2>\n\n\n\n