Things to do in and around Osaka today

Kagami is an awe-inspiring project conceived and created during the final four years of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s life. Here, visitors don special headsets to experience a digitally reconstructed performance by Sakamoto at a grand piano within a mixed-reality space. This allows for a fully immersive enjoyment of the performance, at a proximity that’s impossible in a traditional concert setting. The experience will also be enhanced by dreamy 3D visuals that respond to the music.  The exhibition premiered in New York in 2023 and has since toured London, Taipei, Singapore, Melbourne and several other international cities to critical acclaim. Now finally arriving in Japan, this exhibition will feature an expanded version titled ‘Kagami+’. The venue will be designed for a multi-sensory immersion incorporating video, photography, text and even a scent blended by Sakamoto himself. In addition to the main Kagami+ experience, visitors will be able to explore other exhibits that offer deeper insight into Sakamoto’s music. These include the theatre and visual piece ‘Time, Time’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani, ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2026 - D’, and a new sound installation, among other works.

The Umeda Tanabata Festival is returning to Shin Umeda City (the area around the Umeda Sky Building) until August 8. Running for its 20th year, the free-to-enjoy festival features brilliantly colourful Sendai Tanabata streamers, which can be found around the Umeda Sky Building and along the ‘Showa retro’ shopping street at Takimi Koji.  Until July 7, those who dine at restaurants along the shopping street are presented with strips of coloured paper to write their wishes on, which are then tied onto bamboo branches along the street.  A small summer festival with carnival games for children will be held at Takimi Koji on the weekend of July 4 and 5, as well as on July 7. The festival runs from 4pm to 8pm daily. In addition, from 5pm to 9pm on the same days, you can light a tealight and set it out on a pond in a bamboo boat at the Star Pocket square outdoors. Live jazz performances will also take place from 6pm on these days to further enhance the vibrant atmosphere.

One of Kyoto’s oldest shrines, Kamigamo boasts a mythical origin story dating back 2,600 years. Today, this Unesco World Heritage Site features a sprawling complex dotted with magnificent prayer halls and buildings, many of which have been designated National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.  The Shingu Shrine in particular, found in the inner grounds of the Kamigamo Shrine precinct, celebrates a water festival every year on the fourth Sunday of July. This celebration honours the shrine’s water dragon deity and prays for protection from the intense summer heat. For 12 days leading up to this tradition, Kamigamo Shrine is opening its doors after sunset for a special nighttime visit.  Here you’ll find over 1,000 wind chimes decorating the shrine grounds while blue and green lights create a cooling atmosphere to counter the daytime summer heat. Moreover, you can enjoy dipping your feet in the Nara-no-Ogawa Stream flowing through the shrine and refresh yourself physically and spiritually. Best of all, you get to watch the mystical shrine maiden dance (twice daily) as well as a sacred Shinto musical performance (three times daily) featuring the shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) and the koto (Japanese zither). For the full experience, you can even partake in a special worship tour guided by a priest, where you’ll venture into the normally restricted Naitei inner garden and visit the National Treasure Main Hall (Honden) and National Treasure Gonden. This requires a...

With most temples and cultural sites closing around 5pm, there aren’t many things to do in Kyoto at night. As a result, large crowds are often seen concentrating in areas like Gion after dark. Kyoto Night Market was launched in June last year as a new evening attraction to help spread out the crowds in the city. Since then, the market has seen its popularity grow steadily, with its previous event on March 29 attracting a record 28,000 visitors. This month, the night market is expanding into a two-day weekend event, happening on both Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12. It will again be held at Ohigashi-san Plaza in front of the majestic Higashi Honganji Temple, less than 10 minutes’ walk from Kyoto Station.  From 3pm to 10pm, the plaza will come alive with a host of food trucks and booths. You can enjoy local street food and seasonal treats, and shop for artisanal crafts and souvenirs. Beyond food and shopping, the night market also offers live entertainment and cultural experiences. Highlights include ninja shows as well as music and street performances. For those looking for something more hands-on, there are craft workshops and trial rickshaw rides to help make this event a fun night out for everyone.

One of the world’s most renowned design houses, Marimekko is beloved for its iconic style combining joyous prints with vibrant colours. Since its inception in 1951, the Finnish brand has produced more than 3,500 original prints, and its signature cheery designs can be found across all aspects of modern lifestyle from fashion to homeware. This two-year touring exhibition takes a deep dive into the brand’s heritage, aesthetics and creative vision. It opens in Kyoto before travelling to other cities in Japan, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum in October. Through a diverse collection of artworks, textiles and dresses across the decades, the exhibition sheds light on Marimekko’s design approach as well as its printmaking techniques.  Highlights include a video installation by multidisciplinary art and design collective plaplax, which uses digital projection to showcase Marimekko's Print Factory in Helsinki. Separately, another installation documents an exchange between Japanese textile artist Akira Minagawa and Marimekko, and its culmination in a new print designed by the artist and produced by the brand in Helsinki. This exhibition is closed on Mondays (except July 20) and on July 21

The annual Kumata Shrine Summer Festival is one of Osaka’s largest float festivals, attracting over 300,000 people every year. Taking place this year from July 11 to 14, it has been held since the 1700s to express gratitude to the deities and to offer prayers for prosperity and divine grace. The main highlights of the festival are the parades, which take place on the evenings of July 12 and 13. The stars are nine spectacular wooden floats, called danjiri, that are carried down the street in a vibrant procession along Hirano ward’s Nanko Street. Lit up with lanterns and adorned with taiko drummers and dancers with paper fans, these giants are not to be missed. On July 14, a special procession led by a priest dressed up as a long-nosed tengu will be performed on the shrine grounds to provide blessings to children. Expect a vibrant bunch of festival stalls along the streets near the shrine grounds, peddling classic Japanese street foods and drinks and offering assorted carnival games for the young and young at heart.

Nestled in the forests of Higashi-Osaka straddling the border between Osaka and Nara prefectures, Nukata Park is home to the Kansai region’s largest hydrangea garden. It boasts roughly 25,000 plants of 30 varieties, including the rare, star-shaped Shichidanka, also known as the Phantom Hydrangea. During peak bloom, usually between late June and early July, the hydrangeas burst out in a spectacular riot of colours. You’ll find them all along a 1.5km hiking trail on the slopes of Mt. Ikoma. The Nukata Park Information Center will open on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the festival period, offering guidance to visitors as well as selling drinks and ice cream to help everyone stay cool. As the garden follows a mountain trail, proper walking or trekking shoes are recommended. For the easiest access, take the Kintetsu Nara Line to Ikoma Station, transfer to the Kintetsu Ikoma Cable Line, and alight at Ikomasanjo Station. From there, the Hydrangea Garden is about 40 minutes’ walk away.

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. Since 2010, her practice has expanded to include large-scale theatre works. To introduce these artists to new audiences, the exhibition features a selection of career-defining pieces. However, the curation is largely focused on the future; new works by these masters anchor the show,...

Beer garden weather is here, and the annual Suntory Building Rooftop Beer Garden is open to ring in the sunny days. Running until September 26, the lofty spot lets you choose from a range of barbecue packages, with the signature Beef Loin BBQ and Beef Loin & Seafood BBQ courses available throughout. There are also seasonal options like the Herb Chicken & Thick-Cut Bacon BBQ Course (available April to June, and September), the Hokkaido Lamb Jingisukan BBQ Course (April to June) and the Okinawa Nakaochi Kalbi Ryukyu BBQ Course (July to September). Barbecue deals start at ¥5,000 and come with an all-you-can-drink plan that includes Suntory’s signature offerings like Premium Malts draft beers, Sui Gin cocktails and All-Free (non-alcoholic beer). Kids meals and various add-ons like sausages, seafood skewers and steak are also available, if you’re looking to make your meal a little more substantial. Walk-ins are possible, but we strongly recommend making a reservation. Note that as this is an outdoor event, the beer garden may be closed in the case of heavy rain or inclement weather.

In Japan, summer is for fireworks – and kakigori, as the lip-smacking shaved ice dessert is the ultimate remedy for the punishing heat. This season, Sesame Street Market, the franchise’s official merchandise store and café in Hanshin Umeda Main Store, is turning our childhood nostalgia into adorable icy cool treats. The lineup features seven beloved Sesame Street characters – Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar, Abby, Ernie and Bert – plus a special rainbow version. Each kakigori is made with natural spring water ice and syrups free of artificial colouring, plus a variety of toppings including fresh fruit, ice cream, sorbet, red beans, rice cakes and coconut. You can expect a vibrant mix of colours and textures. Highlights include Ernie (chestnut and hojicha roasted green tea), Oscar (matcha and milk), Big Bird (mango and coconut), Elmo (strawberry and milk) and Bert (custard pudding syrup and caramel sauce). Note that the first release (June 25–August 31) and the second release (September 1–30) will each feature a different set of characters. Prices range from ¥1,480 to ¥1,980.