January
- NANKAI LINE
- KOYA LINE
- Hatsumode (First shrine visit of the New Year, Sumiyoshitaisha Shrine)
- Visiting shrines at the beginning of the year, called "hatsumode," is an important custom for Japanese people.
Sumiyoshitaisha receives more hatsumode visitors than anywhere else in Osaka. During this period, the shrine comes alive with visitors wearing elaborate kimonos.
| Date | Jan. 1 to 3 |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
- Ebessan (Imamiyaebisujinja Shrine and Tokaebisu)
- This follows "Hatsumode" as the most important ritual for the people of Osaka. The festival features boisterous bells, drums and flutes to pray for good business prospects. Stalls are lined along the road approaching the shrine from Nankai Namba Station to Imamiyaebisu Station, making the walk to the shrine all the more enjoyable.
| Date | Jan. 9 to10 |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
March
- Osaka Sumo Tournament
- Second to the fourth Sundays in March
Sumo wrestling at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
Hear the cheers during exciting matches. Seats start at 3,600 yen.
| Date | Second to the fourth Sundays in March |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
May
- Sanada Festival
- A festival to remember the tragedy of Yukimura Sanada during the Warring States Period, the event takes place at Kudoyama at the foot of Koyasan.
The highlight is a parade of warriors on the festival's final day. Dressed in helmets and armor, the warriors stage a parade through the town.
| Date | May 3 to 5 |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
July
- Fireworks at the Tenjin Festival
- A fireworks event held in the center of Osaka
| Date | July 25 |
|---|---|
| Access | Go to Tanimachi 9-chome Station from Namba Station on the Sennichimae subway line. From Tanimachi 9-chome Station, transfer to the Tanimachi subway line and get off at Temmabashi Station. |
August
- PL Fireworks
- This is a fireworks display claimed to be Japan's biggest.
| Date | Aug. 1 |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
- Koyasan Candle Festival
- This is an event held at the Okunoin Road at the World Heritage site of Koyasan. About 100,000 candles placed alongside the road leading to the temple are lit from around 7 p.m. The 2-kilometer-long road becomes a river of light, giving visitors the sense of being in another world.
| Date | Aug. 13 |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
September
- Kishiwada Float Festival
- This is a lively festival in the old castle town of Kishiwada. A float makes a thunderous sound as it's pulled by many people and travels throughout the area.
A must-see is the "yarimawashi," when the float is turned 90 degrees in front of Nankai Kishiwada Station and other locations at full speed.
| Date | Third weekend of September |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
- Moon Viewing Festival (Sumiyoshitaisha)
- This is a quintessentially Japanese festival that takes place around the time of the harvest moon. Court dance and music are performed on the vermilion arched bridge, a symbol of Sumiyoshitaisha.
| Date | From mid-September to early October |
|---|---|
| Access |
|
