Sakai city (堺市) is in the center of the Kinki district (近畿地方). There are about 840,000 people living in this 149 km2 area. Have you seen the Japanese drama which has one of the highest viewer rating in Asia, “Hanzawa Naoki”? The lead actor Masato Sakai’s acting was awesome, and along with a high-tension storyline, the drama has received good ratings and was a big hit. In that drama, a member of the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau’s Office of Inspections, Kurosaki Shunichi (黒崎駿一), also known as the Kurosaki Queen by the Taiwanese was played by Akinobu Kataoka whose birthplace is this very Sakai city! He is also a famous Kabuki actor as well!
If you are departing from Shin-Osaka, it would take you about 30 minutes by subway to reach Sakai city. In Sakai city, you can purchase an omotenashi ticket “Hankai Kakudai edition one day pass (阪堺拡大版)”, and with it you can ride all the trains in Hankai line all the trams in the designated areas in Sakai city. A very handy way to visit the main tourist spots.
👉Sakai omotenashi ticket “Hankai Kakudai edition one day pass(阪堺拡大版)” – 700 yen/adult, 350 yen/children
One of the world’s 3 largest tomb: Emperor Nintoku’s tomb
Along with the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China, the Nintoku Emperor’s Tomb, Japan is one of the world’s 3 largest tomb. The key-shaped hole tomb in Japan is 486m in length and 480,000 km2 in area. The inside of the tomb is not open to public. You can get a full view of the ancient tomb on the 21st floor of the Sakai City Hall and it’s totally free! You can take a walk to the Sakai City Museum to learn about the history of various ancient tombs and see the relics and weapons that were excavated from those tombs.
Sen no Rikyu, a Japanese Tea Saint and Yosano Akiko, an important Japanese literature poet.
These two people are ranked highly in the Japanese culture and are representatives of Sakai city! Sen no Rikyu (千利休) is called the Saint of Japanese Tea. Whenever one talks about the Japanese tea ceremony, the introduction of Sen no Rikyu is inevitable. He is the founder of the Zen teachings in the essence of tea ceremony. With the “Wakeiseijaku (和敬清寂)” which represents 4 elements which are harmony, respect, purity and tranquility as the base, he completed the “Wabi-cha (侘茶)”. He invited many Tea Masters and held many tea ceremonies when he was still alive. Sen no Rikyu served Oda Nobunaga and then later on served Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was a tea lover. But due to various reasons after that, he was ordered to commit seppuku (suicide) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) and left the world. His disciples went on to spread the culture of tea ceremony. The Nanshuji in Sakai city is Sen no Rikyu’s eternal resting place. Although the Nanshuji isn’t a very big place, it has a calm, quiet and elegant atmosphere which is ideal for Sen no Rikyu’s simple tea ceremony.
Sakai Risho no Mori
The female poet, Akiko Yosano (与謝野晶子) who was born in Sakai city, was a famous romantic poet in the Japanese literature history. During the Meiji period to the Showa period, her works were unrestrained and brought a new wind to the conservative society then. Subsequently, her love with her husband has received various criticism at that time. Her most famous song collection is “disturbed hair”.
Sakai Risho no Mori (さかい利晶の杜) is a new sightseeing spot built by the Sakai city. It is a memorial hall built to commemorate Sen no Rikyu and Yosano Akiko. If you come here, you can understand more about their history and also experience tea ceremony!
If you come to Sakai city, one of the must buy souvenirs: Cutlery
Sakai city’s cutlery is well known all around the world. It is an important trading industry for Sakai city. It is also not an exaggeration to say that all the cutleries used by famous chefs are from Sakai city. There are many types of cutlery produced by the long-established Jikko Hamono (實光刃物) which will put you in a dilemma on what to buy! It would also be a good idea to visit the “Sakai City Traditional Crafts Museum”.
The curtain has closed on the 2018 World Cup and everyone was charmed by the fever of the World Cup. Many players also declared that they would retire after the World Cup, but no matter the players or the fans, their passion towards football will not recede just because many players are going to retire. “World Masters Games 2021 Kansai” is for any sports lovers who are of 30 years and above. Even those players who have retired from the front lines can take part in the “World Masters Games 2021 Kansai” and enjoy sports. You too should join this event and play with those retired players and fight for the gold medal! The World Masters Games 2021 Kansai’s soccer and futsal competition will be held in Sakai city~ For those who likes to travel and enjoy sports, you can’t miss this chance!
For more details on “World Masters Games 2021 Kansai”, click here 👉👉👉https://www.wmg2021.jp/en/
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