Osaka’s summer is on full blast with festivals, fun, and more!

Summer is the season for festivals! And there are lots of festivals to attend during the summer months in Osaka. The season kicks off with Aizen Matsuri at the end of June and climaxes during the festivities of Tenjin Matsuri. Tenjin may be the biggest, but it isn’t the last. Osaka residents love the Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival in August and many others. There are so many festivals during these very warm months in Osaka. I can’t list them all, but here are a few highlights and tips on how to enjoy a summer festival in Japan.

What’s in a Japanese summer festival?

The oldest Japanese summer festival, Gion Matsuri, began in neighboring Kyoto in the year 869. Osaka’s biggest festival and one of the “Big 3” Japanese festivals, Tenjin Matsuri, began shortly afterwards in the year 951. Traditionally festivals were held as a way to appease the gods and ward off angry spirits and illness. These summer festivals are typically held on and around the grounds of temples and shrines.

Most festivals have some sort of procession, which includes a mikoshi (portable shrine), in which the spirit of the deity is carried throughout the neighborhood. Every festival is different so it’s fun to look for unique elements in each one. And just because you’ve been to one, doesn’t mean you’ve been to them all!

How do you enjoy a summer festival?

When I think of summer festivals I, like many, immediately think of yukata. Festivals are the perfect time to wear these lightweight summer kimono. There are styles available for both men and women, although men often prefer to don a two-piece jinbei instead. Dressing in traditional summer wear is a great way to take part in the festivities. If you decide to wear a yukata for a festival, I recommend renting from one of the great rental shops in Osaka.

This may be stating the obvious, but summer festivals can get hot. Be sure to stay hydrated while you are enjoying the festivities.

If you are headed to a fireworks festival, be aware that spots fill up quickly. Get tickets to a paid seating area to reserve your spot or arrange to arrive early at the firework viewing area. Barring either of these options, you could also join the throngs of people who are satisfied with seeing a partial display of the fireworks from whatever viewing areas are left when you arrive.

Enjoy the festival food!

Most festivals come with an excellent assortment of festival stalls serving everything from takoyaki, to fried squid, to shaved ice. Look out for karaage (fried chicken), cotton candy, and grilled corn on the cob are other crowd favorites. The street food is good so come on an empty stomach!

Advanced festival-goers will volunteer to be part of the action. Summer festivals recruit residents to take part in the festival duties, like carrying the mikoshi or volunteering to clean up afterwards.

Oh, and one more thing—traditional festivals are free! Of course it is nice to make a donation at the shrine that is hosting the festival, but there is no general admission price and they are open to the community. Bring cash to purchase any festival goods you want, whether you’d like to try your hand at a game booth or buy something deep-fried and delicious. Although you may be able to find a place that accepts digital currency, it is a good idea to bring cash with you.

Summer festivals in Osaka

Here are some of the best festivals to enjoy during the summer season in Osaka. Some are big and traditional. Some are small and unique. They’re all a little different and each an important part of celebrating the summer season in Osaka.

Aizen Matsuri—Part festival, part beauty contest!

Perhaps Japan’s oldest summer festival, dating back to 593, Aizen Matsuri is also the first summer festival of the year. It holds a special place on the Osaka calendar and a special place in the hearts of residents. It is well known for the palanquin parade that starts on the first day of the festival, June 30. Before the parade 10 young women are selected from a pool of applicants and earn the name Aizen Musume (Aizen daughters).

The Aizen Musume, dressed in beautiful yukata, ride through the streets between Tenshiba and Aizendo, aka Shomanin Temple. Holding onto a rope, the women balance inside wooden palanquins, called hoekago, which are decorated in bright red and white and adorned in flowers. It is a special sight to see so I highly recommend making the parade part of your visit.

Festival stalls are set up near the temple grounds during the 3-day festival. But please remember not to litter, always but especially at this festival. Due to complaints from local residents, food stalls went on a 6 year hiatus and were finally reopened in 2023.

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Namba Yasaka Jinja Summer Festival—You’ve never seen Dotonbori like this before!

Famous now for its amazing lion-head stage, this Namba area shrine holds an amazing summer festivals with performances held inside the lion’s mouth. The festival is also a special chance to see the lights turned on inside the lion’s massive eyes.

In addition to the festival stalls and performances at the shrine grounds, this event features a boat procession in one of Osaka’s most famous sightseeing spots, Dotonbori. The canal is lined with rows of festive lanterns adding a fun summer mood. Plus lantern-filled boats pass up and down the waterway on the evening of July 13. It’s especially thrilling to watch the Dokodon boats propelled by young rowers in festival garb turning quickly in the narrow canal.

Tenjin Matsuri (Osaka Tenma Tenjin-san)—Osaka’s biggest summer festival!

Osaka’s premier summer festival, Tenjin Matsuri, is the biggest event on the summer calendar in Osaka. It’s actually considered one of the top three festivals in all of Japan! It is Osaka’s most popular festival too, with approximately 1.3 million people attending on the last day. The festival includes a number of rituals that are performed at the Ō River and Osaka Tenmangū Shrine that begin early in the morning on July 24. And then the real festival starts. There are drums, festival stalls, games, and more! The main events are a land parade, followed by a water parade when the spirit of the shrine guided through the streets and nearby river.

Every part of the festival is fun and it lasts well into the night. (There are even some pre-festival events that begin on July 23!) Most people know the festival for its impressive fireworks show on the 25th and the gorgeous boats that light up the night, floating along the Ō River. They are absolutely picturesque as the sunset glows on the city buildings and bridges behind them.

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Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival—A night you will remember!

This amazing display of fireworks will wow spectators with the latest pyrotechnics, exciting music, and a beautiful urban skyline. The riverside event is an absolute must for firework-lovers. It is not affiliated with a shrine, so the main event is the fireworks.

Streets near the venue can get crowded so give yourself enough time to get where you are going. And check the official website for more details and ticket information. Purchasing a ticket will ensure that you have a good view of the fireworks. And don’t forget your yukata!

Sumiyoshi Matsuri—Photogenic summer scenes you won’t forget!

Sumiyoshi Taisha is not only one of Osaka’s most famous shrines, it also holds one of the largest and most celebrated summer festivals in the region. The festival starts with purification rituals to cleanse the portable shrines (mikoshi) with water from Osaka Bay on Marine Day.

July 31st sees an impressive procession of women and children through a grass ring (chinowa) while dressed in Muromachi period (1336–1573) clothing, which is exceptionally eye-catching. On August 1, the mikoshi is finally carried out of the shrine, up and over the iconic Sorihashi Bridge and then through Yamato River into the city of Sakai, to the south, before it makes the return trip to Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine.

*Generally, there are plentiful festival stalls set up during the festival, but please be aware that there will be no stalls for the 2023 festival.

Noda Ebisu Summer Festival—Look for the big red fish!

Noda Ebisu Shrine will give you everything you want in a summer festival, but without the huge crowds. This small neighborhood shrine is located near the massive Osaka Central Warehouse Market and is well-loved by neighborhood residents. They’ve got taiko drum performers paraded through the streets on platforms carried by tough volunteers. They’ve got carved wooden danjiri (festival floats) that are hundreds of years old. They have parades and music and festival stalls.

Look for the giant sea bream festival float when you’re there. Since this shrine is dedicated to the god of fishing and commerce, Ebisu, they have a beautiful red and gold fish that is paraded through the neighborhood on the second day of the festival.

Ikasuri Jinja Summer Festival—Pottery people plus a festival!

This centrally located shrine, is somewhat of a hidden gem in a business-y part of town. The annual summer festival runs from July 21–23. Masked performers play taiko drums, shrine maidens carry out ritual ceremonies, jazz musicians play live concerts. There’s even a rakugo (traditional story-telling) performance.

The most notable part of this summer festival however, has to be the pottery. Life-sized pottery dolls are displayed during the festival and festival-goers are encouraged to bring a piece of chipped or cracked pottery to the shrine for a purification ritual and to show gratitude to this tool that has served you in your daily life. There are also pottery stalls set up where you can peruse the handiwork of potters from all over the region.

Umeda Yukata Festival—Yukata, as far as the eye can see!

This fun event lasts for a whole month in the Umeda area of Osaka. A shopping mecca, the area offers many incentives for patrons to put on a yukata and enjoy the shops and restaurants.

The main event will be held on July 22–23 this year and includes taiko performances, a yukata fashion show, and the ever-popular Yukata de Bon Odori. Spectators are encouraged to join in the simple dances, some of which are set to traditional songs, some are based on current music trends. It’s lots of fun to join or watch. Dances start at 6pm, 6:45pm, & 7:30 and take place in the open outdoor plaza surrounded by water features, Umekita Plaza at Osaka Station City.
*Check the official website for specific times and stage locations.

Summer Sonic—2 days of unforgettable music!

Leave your yukata at home for this one! While not a traditional summer festival by any means, fans of contemporary music will not want to miss this hot summer music fest! Osaka hosts top international and Japanese artists on Maishima Island for 2 days and interestingly most performers switch between the Osaka and Tokyo (Chiba) stages. After performing in Osaka they head to Tokyo to perform the following day and vice-versa.

The 2023 festival features Kendrick Lamar, Blur, Babymetal, and Fall Out Boy among others. Music spans genres from rock to rap to k-pop. This event sells out almost every year, so be sure to purchase your tickets well in advance if you are planning to attend.

Hattori Tenjin Summer Festival—Pray for your feet!

Take a trip up to Osaka’s northern suburb, Toyonaka, for a special summer festival. This shrine is not nearly as crowded as the big Tenjin Festival in Osaka city proper, but it is still charming nonetheless. Shrine grounds are filled with festival stalls and beautiful night lanterns. There will also be live music and danjiri (wooden festival floats).

Plus on the second day of the festival, special rights are held to pray for the health of festival-goers feet and legs. This unique shrine has a long history relating to leg health so if you have any feet or leg issues this is a great place to go. It is obviously popular with runners.