Kinki

(or Kinai), a lowland in the southern part of the island of Honshu in Japan. It occupies a single tectonic basin with Osaka Bay and Lake Biwa. The lowland is composed of the alluvium of the Yodo River and its tributaries; there are marine terraces in the south. Kinki has a subtropical monsoon climate. Rice is grown on the plain, and cereals, mulberry, tea, and citrus fruits, on the neighboring hills. The cities of Osaka and Kyoto are located on the lowland.