Osaka's three major summer festivals begin with the Aizen Festival, and end with the Sumiyoshi Festival, with the Tenjin Festival squeezed in between. Here are three summer festivals that are indispensable to the people Osaka.
Article Index
1．Aizen Festival
The Aizen Festival is a tradition that heralds the beginning of many summer festivals in Osaka. It is also known by the Osakan locals as the Yukata Festival, and it is crowded with beautiful women in traditional Japanese yukata.
| Event Date | Time |
|---|---|
|
06/30 - 07/02 |
10:00 - 19:00 |
2．Tenjin Festival
The Osaka Tenjin Festival is a festival to pray against natural disasters and for a peaceful world. It is said that the gods enshrined and calmed by the festival so that they will not be violent and punish the people with natural disasters. More than 1 million visitors participate in the Tenjin Festival every year.
Tenjin Matsuri, Osaka’s most famous summer festival, is a must-visit event during the summer in Japan.
| Event Date | Time |
|---|---|
|
07/24 - 07/25 |
- |
3．Sumiyoshi Festival
The Sumiyoshi Festival is a traditional festival that concludes the end of summer. The sight of a crowd of people carrying a 2-ton portable shrine across the Soribashi bridge and forging the the Yamato River is one to behold. It is also a festival of exorcism — come and get rid of the evil spirits that are attached to you this summer!
| Event Date | Time |
|---|---|
|
July 30th |
20:00 - 22:00 |
|
July 31st |
17:00 - 22:00 |
|
August 1st (main event) |
14:00 - 22:00 |
+α．Ikutama Festival
Although the Ikutama Festival is traditionally not one of the “Big Three” festivals of Osaka, we thought it deserved an honorable mention. This is the oldest festival of Ikutama Shrine in Osaka, and is said to have its roots in a Shinto ritual to ward off epidemics. There are powerful taiko drum performances and a parade in a large procession. Come and feel the rhythmic drums reverberating through your chest!
| Event Date | Time |
|---|---|
|
July 11-12, 2023 |
09:00 - 20:00 |
Thanks for Reading
Please join us for a traditional summer festival held in Osaka — the kitchen of Japan.
Many other events are held in Osaka during the summer. See below for more information.
