Osaka Art & Design 2026
Photo: Swag Inc, courtesy of Osaka Art & Design Executive Committee | 'Wind', Haku by Swag
Photo: Swag Inc, courtesy of Osaka Art & Design Executive Committee

The best things to do in Osaka in May 2026

Get ready for a spectacular May 2026 with our list of the best events, festivals, exhibitions and things to do in Osaka

Lim Chee Wah
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In Osaka and across Japan, the month of May always starts in a joyful mood. The long stretch of Golden Week holidays means everyone is out and about, enjoying a wide variety of food events and cultural festivals all over the city.

The month typically brings beautiful spring weather, making it the ideal time to explore the outdoors before the rainy season arrives and the intense heat and humidity of summer set in.

Whether you’re looking for world-class art exhibitions or a chance to immerse yourself in local and international culture, May is jam-packed with exciting activities. To help you plan for an amazing month ahead, here’s our curated list of the best events, festivals and things to do in Osaka. Don’t forget to check back often, as we’ll be updating this guide as and when new events are confirmed.

Going to Kyoto? Here are the best events and festivals happening in the ancient capital this May 2026

Art shows and exhibitions

  • Art
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By bringing together three Kansai-born, internationally renowned artists who each has a singular point of view on the world today, this group exhibition is bound to be a blockbuster hit.

Born in Osaka, Kenji Yanobe creates functional mechanical sculptures that carry underlying social commentary on modern survival. He is perhaps best known for his Ship’s Cat series, ‘catstronauts’ envisioned as guardian spirits to protect travellers. One of these beloved feline figures now permanently greets visitors at the entrance of the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, the host of this showcase.

Fellow Osaka artist Yasumasa Morimura is a master of disguise. A conceptual photographer, filmmaker and visual artist, Morimura is renowned for appropriating iconic Western paintings and historical images. He inserts himself into these works as a form of self-portraiture through a meticulous fusion of props, costumes, make-up and digital manipulation.

Rounding out the trio is Miwa Yanagi. Born in Kobe, Yanagi creates evocative works that put women at the centre of the narrative. Through photography, make-up and digital effects, her captivating images examine women’s roles and gender stereotypes in modern Japanese society...

  • Art

One of the world’s most beloved Impressionist artists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) is widely celebrated as the ‘painter of happiness’. Over an illustrious career spanning 60 years, he explored a wide range of subjects – portraits, landscapes, still lifes, nudes – yet they all exude a characteristic joy, warmth and affection. This was guided by a personal belief that paintings should be lovable and beautiful. 

To commemorate the 185th anniversary of his birth, Sanno Art Museum has brought together 50 works from its collection to trace Renoir’s artistic journey through the major phases of his life – 12 pieces of which are being exhibited for the very first time.

The exhibition unfolds across five chapters. The first covers Renoir’s early years (until 1880), when he was an aspiring artist exploring the early days of Impressionism. Chapter two (1881–1889) highlights his return to classical painting, while chapter three (1890–1900) examines his rising recognition at a time when Impressionism was gaining popular acclaim...

Elsewhere in Kansai

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