History&Culture - Kansai Window：portal site of Kansai information

Kansai has been leading the politics, economy, cultures, and commerce of Japan for a long time. A bunch of historical and cultural information on Kansai is available.

Osaka was once the capital of ancient Japan, and so were Kyoto and Nara for one thousand several hundred years in total, and the Kansai area has been prospering as the political, economic, and cultural center of Japan since ancient times. Kansai maintains a large number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as a large number of cultural assets including 60% of Japan's national treasures. Furthermore, Kansai is known as the birthplaces of Nogaku, Bunraku, and Kabuki, Japan's three greatest traditional art forms that are selected as UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the birthplaces of traditional cultures representing Japan, such as the Japanese tea ceremony and flower arrangement.

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Kansai has a long distinguished history dating back to ancient times. It is thought that people were living in the Kansai region more than 10,000 years ago. Kansai has always been the center of Japanese history, and the stage for the greater part of the historical events seen in Japan from the ancient period to the modern age. The ancient, successive capitals of Japan are all located in Kansai, in present cities, such as Osaka, Nara and Kyoto, etc. and the region prospered as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. There was also an outstanding amount of international cultural exchange between the Kansai region and the rest of the world, notably over the Silk Road, and there are countless examples of the aggressive integration of foreign technology and construction methods, as seen in the temples and Buddhist statues located in Kyoto and Nara. The region is also a rich storehouse of culture and the performing arts, and as of April 2009, five of the eleven sites inscribed as World Heritage Properties in Japan are located in the Kansai region. The three classic Japanese performing arts, Noh theater, which has been inscribed as an Intangible World Cultural Heritage, Joruri puppet theatre, and Kabuki theater, as well as Chado, (tea ceremony) and Kado (the art of flower arrangement), all originated in the Kansai region. A number of prominent novels, such as The Tale of Genji, were born in the Kansai region, and the mild climate and rich natural environment of the region have led to a progressive spirit and a flexible mind set in the people living in the region. Supported by this rich storehouse of history and culture, exchange and fusion occurred between Japan and the Chinese continent, flowering in the characteristic Japanese culture.

Kansai - A Storehouse of History and Culture

Kansai Spot Guide Search

	Traditional Crafts The Road of History Production in 1997		Japanese Architecture Production in 1997
	Living with washi Production in 1998		Kansai Waters Kansai, home to abundant water Production in 1999
	Structures in Kansai New Collection Production in 2000		Scientific technology Production in 2001
	Japanese Food The Roots of Japanese Food Production in 2002		Japanese Performing Arts Kansai:Where Traditional Performing Arts Come Alive Production in 2002
	Intercultural Exchange Multicultural Kansai Production in 2003		The Artisans of Kansai Kansai artisans enrich the region Production in 2004
	Hands to nurture, hands to inherit Production in 2006		Kansai World Heritage Archives Production in 2007

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