Kyoto

The Kansai region has many great attractions well-known across Japan. However, these often come at a price and you can soon rack up the yen if you want to make the most of things. Fortunately, there is also plenty of free and low-cost fun stuff that can be ideal if you’re living or traveling on a budget. From historic sites to natural wonders to free museums, here is a pick of places to head to in Kansai that won’t cost a penny. Fushimi-Inari Taisha Kyoto is a city rich with cultural heritage and the location of some of Japan’s most sacred and iconic shrines and temples. Fushimi-Inari Taisha, on the outskirts of the city, is arguably the most well-known. It attracts thousands of tourists from across the globe who come to walk underneath the thousands of bright orange torii gates lined with numerous fox statues. It may surprise some that this shrine remains free, given its popularity, but yes you can traverse the path that takes you through the sacred forest leading up onto Mount Inari. The whole walk takes around 2-3 hours or you can just wander around the lower parts if you just want to sample the atmosphere.…