20 best events and things to do in Osaka and Kyoto this weekend: July 17–19

Back in 2022, to coincide with the park’s highly anticipated opening, the ‘Ghibli Park and Ghibli Exhibition’ toured ten venues across Japan, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the park’s concept and creation. The travelling exhibition was a massive hit, drawing approximately 1.7 million visitors at the end of its run in 2025.

Now, more than three years after the park’s debut, a new exhibition is set to tour Japan, this time highlighting the park’s current state. The best part is, the new exhibition will kick off in Osaka this July before travelling to other prefectures.

This new Ghibli Park Exhibition will have 'play' as its theme, with a majority of the showcases designed to be interactive and experiential. One key exhibit is the Mini Ghibli Park, where all five zones of the Aichi attraction are recreated as a board game experience. The squares on the floor are styled after Ghibli Park posters, and there will be plenty of games and photo opportunities.

Moreover, visitors get to enjoy two of Ghibli Park's most popular features here in Osaka...

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 National Museum of Art, Osaka is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting Japanese and international works produced in the modern age, largely from 1945 to the present day. However, there are also a number of pieces that date further back.

As the museum gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027, this commemorative exhibition will re-examine its vast collection to piece together a narrative of the history and development of art. The main focus is to look at the social and historical contexts in the years leading up to the museum’s opening in 1977, and how they shaped the art of that time.

This 50th anniversary exhibition is split into two parts. The first, running from July 19 to November 3, gathers around 140 works by more than 80 artists. The oldest piece in the museum’s collection, the Post-Impressionist ‘Preparation for a Banquet’ by Paul Cézanne from the 1890s, serves as the starting point. With the curation’s chronological flow through to the mid-1960s, visitors can simultaneously learn about the different artistic movements during that time period...

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...

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...

Jeff Koons occupies a singular position in contemporary art. Known for his polished surfaces, bold iconography and unapologetic embrace of popular imagery, the American artist has continually blurred the boundaries between high culture and mass consumption. By elevating everyday objects – vacuum cleaners, basketballs, cartoon figures – into the realm of fine art, Koons interrogates value, desire and collective memory. Held in major museum collections worldwide, his works function as both mirrors and provocations, reflecting the aspirations and contradictions of contemporary society.

This exhibition at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka is organised as part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s ‘Hors-les-murs’ program and brings together seven significant sculptures and paintings drawn from the foundation’s collection, tracing the evolution of Koons’s practice from the 1980s onward...

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)...

The Hankyu Umeda Department Store has opened its lush rooftop once again to ring in the warm weather with summery food and copious amounts of beer.

Seatings run for 120 minutes and include a buffet and an all-you-can-drink deal. You get to choose from a spread of 30 different dishes, including deli items, salads, fritters, curry, pizza and shaved ice desserts. 120 kinds of drinks are available, with a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Travel-themed booths featuring the cuisines of different countries also run for a limited time. The current special, Asian Table, is on until July 7 and serves up a range of Asian dishes alongside beverages like sake and shochu. You’ll get to enjoy eats and drinks from North and South America from July 8 to August 25, while a European wine market takes over from August 26 to October 12.

Standard plans cost ¥5,000 per person (¥1,800 for children in elementary school)...

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...

Every Sunday, the central boulevard of Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park hosts Seseragi Marche, a relaxed, family-friendly market surrounded by the greenery of one of Osaka’s most beloved urban parks. From 9am to 4pm, visitors can browse a rotating line-up of local vendors offering everything from fresh seasonal produce and handmade crafts to hot meals and sweet treats from colourful food trucks.

The stalls change weekly, so there’s always something new to discover. But expect to find anything from fragrant karaage, tacos and even pizza alongside crêpes and baked goods. When the weather is good, the atmosphere feels more like a picnic than a market: visitors spread out under the trees, dogs roaming along the paths, and live music or local community events often add to the charm. The market is the perfect complement to an easy Sunday in nature without leaving the city.