Sakai
- Not to be confused with Sakai (坂井) City, Fukui prefecture.
Sakai (堺) is a city in Osaka prefecture.
Understand
[edit]Tourist information site
[edit]The local Tourism and Convention Bureau has a multilingual guide site.
Get in
[edit]Sakai has two main train stations. Nankai Railway's Sakai station (堺駅), is 15 minutes from Nankai Namba Station (南海なんば駅) in Osaka via the Nankai main line and costs ¥250.
JR Sakai-shi station (堺市駅) is 7 minutes from Tennoji Station (天王寺駅) in Osaka via the JR Hanwa line and costs ¥170. This trip is fully covered by the JR Rail Pass.
Get around
[edit]Train service in Sakai is largely provided by Nankai rail service with trains running sometimes intermittently
See
[edit]
Sakai is home to numerous Tumuli. Large burial mounds in various shapes from circular to keyhole mounds with moats around them. The largest--Nintoku-ryo-- is approximately 480 m long, 250-305 m wide and 35 m tall. At Nintoku Ryo there is an accompanying tourist office and volunteer historical interpreters.
Take the JR Hanwa Line and get off at Mozu Station. Address: Daisen-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City
Do
[edit]- Sakai City Hall Observatory Lobby, 3-1 Minami-Kawaramachi, Sakai-ku (3 min walk from Sakai-higashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line), ☏ +81 78 590-0078. 09:00-21:00. Get above street level and get a panoramic view of the city's many Tumulus tombs. There are exhibitions on the history of Sakai and English language videos and pamphlets. There is also a cafe with drinks and snacks. Free.
Buy
[edit]Sakai has always been known for producing some of Japan's best swords and knives. Today there are many stores and even a small museum that houses a coalition of knife makers. If you are a cooking aficionado looking for the best examples of Damascus style blades, or a knife specific to cutting melons, or simply a good sharp knife that you have no idea what it is supposed to be used for. Sakai is a good alternative to the steeper prices in central Osaka.
- Commercial and Industrial Cooperative Federation of Sakai knives, 1 Street材木町西first thirty-ku, Sakai, ☏ +81 78 590-0941.
Eat
[edit]Plenty of fastfood, from American Bob's Big Boy to Yoshinoya, yakitori joints, etc.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- Comfort Sakai Hotel, 1-5-1 Ryujimbashi-cho. A basic but presentable hotel a mere hundred meters from Sakai station. Rates run about ¥6,000 for most rooms.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]| Routes through Sakai |
| Nanba ← Sumiyoshi Taisha ← | N  S |
→ Kishiwada → Wakayamashi |
| Nanba ← | N E |
→ Kawachi Nagano → Gokurakubashi |
| Tennoji ← Sumiyoshi Toriimae ← | N  S |
→ END |
| Umeda ← Nanba ← Tennoji ← | N  S |
→ END |
Suita ← in to  ← |
N  S |
→ Izumisano → Wakayama |
| END ← | W  E |
→ Habikino → Katsuragi |
| Tenpōzan ← | W  S |
→ Izumisano → in to  → Kansai International Airport |
| Minatomachi ← Suminoe ← | N  S |
→ END |
| Hirano ← | N  S |
→ Gose → Gojō → Kumano |