Kansai...your silence leads me to assume that you're unfamilar with that term, so I'll define it for you.  This is the area that many consider the heart of Japan, consisting of Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Nara.  There are about 22 million people living there.  Most Japanese companies have offices there...Sony, Honda, Toyota, et all.  Also known as the working heart of Japan, Kansai's annual production is roughly that of the third largest economy in the world.  But there are plenty of hidden gems in Kansai.  Amidst Osaka's hustle and Kobe's endless shopping malls you can still spot interesting shrines and red latern-adorned izakaya (traditional pubs).  But the real heart of cultural Japan is Kyoto, with its 2000 gardens and temples, elusive geisha and parades of camera-toting tourists!