18 best events and things to do in Osaka this weekend: July 3–5

A symbol of hope and peace, sky lanterns have become so popular that there are now festivals dedicated to them in many cities across Asia. This July, you can enjoy the experience in the city of Sennan in Osaka prefecture.

Held over the July 4–5 weekend at Sennan Long Park, Senshu Beach Lantern Fest is set to release a sea of sky lanterns each evening at around 7.30pm. This year, the organisers are adding special blue and red lanterns to the usual orange ones, as a nod to the Osaka Expo last year. Participants can choose their preferred colour on a first-come, first-served basis.

For safety and environmental reasons – and with the venue just across the water from Kansai International Airport – the lanterns are tethered with strings and don’t float away. They’re also lit with LEDs, so they’re child-friendly with no fire hazards.

Of course, there’s more to Senshu Beach Lantern Fest than just lanterns. Kids can enjoy traditional festival games and a giant bouncy castle. There’s also a treasure hunt, a water gun tournament, live DJ sets and street performances, making this a fun day out for the entire family...

Good Coffee Fest is one of Hanshin Umeda department store’s signature pop-up food events, and this year, it’s bringing together 19 of Japan’s most popular roasters for a two-week caffeine extravaganza.

This edition focuses on highlighting exceptional coffee for everyday drinking, and it’s divided into two halves, each with its own lineup of roasters. Alongside these coffee experts, you’ll also find stalls offering brewing equipment, coffee lifestyle merchandise, as well as sweets and treats that pair well with coffee such as canelés and bean-to-bar chocolate.

In the second half between Tuesday June 30 and Monday July 6, you’ll find a selection of roasters known for their innovative approaches. Highlights include Keyaki Coffee from Miyagi, Ignis from Tokyo, Nomad Coffee from Shizuoka, and Baristart Coffee from Hokkaido, which serves a mean latte made with Jersey milk from Chiyoda Farm)

To fully enjoy the festival, get the ¥2,530 starter kit. It comes with an event-exclusive mini mug plus four tasting tickets...

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...

The Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne, Germany, holds one of the finest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art outside France. As the museum prepares for a two-year closure to facilitate an extensive renovation, some of its most prized possessions are going on tour across several cities in Japan, including Osaka. 

Held for three months at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum, the exhibition is built around Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Drawbridge’ (1888). This landscape piece is from the artist’s Arles period, a time when he is believed to have established his signature style. The oil painting is widely celebrated for its vibrant, colourful depiction of southern France. 

Overall, the exhibition features 70 masterpieces from 42 renowned Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters including Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin and Pissarro...

Looking for a memorable and photogenic way to make a wish or express your gratitude? Oizumi Ryokuchi Park in Sakai City, Osaka prefecture, is hosting a sky lantern event over the weekend of July 4–5.

Entry is free, but to take part in the main activity, you’ll need to purchase a lantern. Each hot-air balloon-shaped lantern can admit up to four participants. There’s an early-bird discount of ¥4,500 per lantern if purchased online in advance by July 3. Otherwise, they are ¥5,000 on the day.

Do remember to write a wish or message on your lantern before releasing it into the night sky. Families will be glad to know that the lanterns are fitted with LED lights, making them safe and fun for children.

Thanks Lantern 2026 will have a festival-like set-up, with doors opening at 3pm and the lantern release scheduled for 8pm...

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...

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...

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...

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.

From 1901 to 1909, Renoir focused on painting nudes in natural settings while managing his worsening rheumatoid arthritis, as detailed in chapter four. Chapter five (1910–1919) is dedicated to his final years: though confined to a wheelchair, he continued to create joyful, life-affirming works that reflect his unwavering passion for life...

Expo ’70 Commemorative Park is home to two of Osaka’s most popular and best-attended flea markets, one in its Festival Square and one in its East Square. The Expo Garage Sale is noted for the wide range of goods its vendors sell. Expect handmade items, accessories, antiques, bric-a-brac, and plenty of second-hand and vintage clothes. 

Most importantly, expect bargains. The organisers pride themselves on the market being a true-to-its-name ‘out of the garage’ sale. That means you’ll need to bring cash, and that bargaining – albeit politely – is encouraged. If you prioritise low prices over being particular about the products, know that in the afternoon, the crowding calms down and many of the amateur vendors lower their prices. 

The market also attracts food trucks, and the park has several cafés and restaurants so there are plenty of options for a picnic in the park...

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)...