Sakai / Kishiwada堺・岸和田

A fine location of entertainment facilities to the north. In the south, historical temples and burial mounds.

Sakai is a city adjacent to Osaka. The western part of Sakai facing Osaka Bay, it has prospered as a commercial city, especially in trade with China since the 16th century. Nanshu-zen-ji Temple is the place where the great tea master Sen-no Rikyu had his spiritual training for the tea ceremony, and the garden of Kare-sansui using mainly stones from its vicinity, has a quiet atmosphere. Sakai also has the largest kofun, or burial mound, in the world, Nintoku-ten'no-ryo, or the Tomb of Emperor Nintoku. It has triple moats and measures 480 meters in length and is 140 cubic meters.

Kishiwada City is in southern Osaka. It has developed as a castle town since Kishiwada Castle, also called Chigiri, was built in the 16th century. It is famous for the Kishiwada Danjiri matsuri Festival held in the fall. The main event of the Danjiri-matsuri Festival is the dashing of the mikoshi, or portable shrine, on a 4-ton wooden cart the wheels of which are called Danjiri and which is pulled by 500 to 1000 men, through the streets of Kishiwada. It is called "yarimawashi". When the mikoshi turns the corner at full speed, it is a most powerful and exciting scene to watch.