Sakai, Sennan Travel Guides

Sakai is famous as a town of cutlery craftsmen, and Sennan is home to Kansai International Airport. As represented by the nationally famous Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, the city is home to energetic and cheerful people. It is also characterized by many hidden gems.

Sakai and Sennan are home to tourist attractions such as Kansai International Airport, Misaki Park, and Hamadera Park; sightseeing events such as the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, Mantokai, and Sakai Grand Fish Night Market; and local delicacies such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and sake lees soup.

Sakai is a well-known area as the location of "Sakai merchants," "Dejima," and "Sen no Rikyu," all of which have appeared in "Taiga Dramas," but it is also famous as the location of the ancient tomb of Emperor Nintoku, the largest burial mound in Japan. It is also famous for its many ruins and major discoveries.

In the old days, Sakai was the most important trading center in Japan, and was valued by the powers that be of each era. Although guns were introduced to Japan from Tanegashima Island, it was at Sakai's Dejima Island in Osaka that the first full-scale importation of guns took place.

Sennan is now widely known as the location of Kansai International Airport and Rinku-Taun. The airport is the gateway to the Kansai region, and trains and highways are connected to Osaka City, making it a very convenient area. Rinku Town" also serves as a park and amusement park, and is also known as the location of "AEON MALL Rinku Sennan," a foreign outlet mall. If you are a shopaholic, you must stop by.

Sakai is also home to many famous historical figures, including Gyoki, a Buddhist monk who founded 49 temples in his lifetime to propagate Buddhism, and Sen no Rikyu, a master of the tea ceremony who is said to have been feared by the whole country.

Kawaguchi Huikai, a lay Buddhist monk who devoted his life to the spread of Buddhism, is well known for his travels to Tibet, where he collected sutras and folklore materials and recorded them in his "Travels in Tibet.

Akiko Yosano, who composed the poem "Kimi ni shite takonakare" ("You must die, my dear"), is also a native of this area. Francis Xavier, a famous Christian missionary, and Luis Frois, another missionary, also came to Japan via Dejima in Sakai.

As for gourmet foods, the famous "walnut rice cake," "keshi rice cake," and "udon" are well-known, and may be considered as souvenirs. Families may want to consider an excursion to a large children's museum. Another option is to visit the Sakai Shizen Hureai no Mori (Sakai Nature Park), or ask for a free volunteer guide to show you the best of Sakai.