4 Best Sights in The Kansai Region, Japan

This striking concrete edifice was designed by acclaimed architect Tadao Ando. Working primarily with concrete, Ando is known for his use of light and water, blending indoors and outdoors and utilizing flowing geometric paths. The permanent exhibit here features art from prominent 20th-century Japanese painters Ryohei Koiso and Heizo Kanayama, Kobe natives who specialized in Western techniques. The museum rotates its vast collection, displaying fantastic modern works from Japanese artists as well as sculptures by Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin. It also hosts international touring shows. It's a 10-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Nada Station, one stop east of JR San-no-miya Station.

The exhibits of "beauty from day-to-day life" at this museum in Senri Expo Park explore the diversity and intricacy of Japanese handicrafts from Hokkaido to Okinawa. The cloth, wood, and bamboo items in simple displays evoke Japan's traditional past and make quite a contrast to Osaka's modernity.

One of the earliest examples of Western-style Meiji architecture, the Nara National Museum was completed in 1889 to much controversy over its decidedly non-Japanese design. True to Nara's reputation as the seat of Japanese culture, the museum houses sculpture from China, Korea, and Japan, though its collection focuses mainly on the Nara and Heian periods. The West Wing has paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and archaeological artifacts from Japan, some dating back to the 10th-century BC. The East Wing is used for temporary exhibitions. During the driest days of November, the Shoso-in Repository, behind the Todai-ji, displays some of its magnificent collection.

The building isn't too impressive, but the exceptional collection of 12th- to 14th-century classical Japanese art on the second floor is. Other collections include the works of Edo-period artist Korin Ogata, more than 3,000 examples of modern lacquerware, and a collection of Chinese paintings and artifacts. Temporary exhibitions often feature famous international works and artists. Take the Loop Line or the Mido-suji subway line to Tenno-ji Station, or the Tani-machi subway to Shitenno-ji-mae.