20 best things to do in Osaka this weekend: December 19–21

On the cultural island of Nakanoshima, the Osaka Hikari-Renaissance ('hikari' meaning 'light') has transformed the area into a wintertime 'light museum'. From Osaka City Hall to Nakanoshima Park, several landmarks are illuminated with detailed light shows, offering visitors a series of displays to explore.

The Osaka Central Public Hall Projection Mapping (December 14–25, 5pm–9pm) turns the historic neo-Renaissance building into a night festival space, featuring vibrant stained-glass colours and shimmering effects.

The Osaka City Hall facade, on the other hand, becomes a canvas for 3D LED mapping (until December 31, 5pm–1am), with additional video projections running closer to Christmas (December 14–25). While you're there, you can also pose for a photo with a reclining Myaku-Myaku, the celebrity of the now-concluded Osaka Expo.

The 150 m-long riverside path connecting Osaka City Hall and Osaka Central Public Hall, which is flanked by tall zelkova trees, is transformed into a tunnel of light leading you to the event’s various sites.

Meanwhile, around Naniwabashi Station, the Hikari Marche (December 14–25, 4pm–10pm), or Light Market, combines street food with up-close projection mapping. It’s an ideal spot to indulge in seasonal flavours while experiencing Osaka nights at their brightest. From here, you then slowly stroll over to Nakanoshima Park and enjoy more light installations along the way.

The weird yet undeniably adorable Myaku-Myaku emerged as the breakout celebrity of the now-concluded Osaka Expo. Held at the 9th-floor event hall of Kintetsu Department Store in Abeno Harukas, this free exhibition explores the mascot’s lasting legacy, charting its rise from creation and early popularity to its enduring status as the face of the world’s fair.

Presented through news photography taken before and during the Expo, the exhibition also serves as a visual record of Japan’s biggest event of 2025, told through its most recognisable star. The showcase unfolds in chronological chapters, tracing the key stages in Myaku-Myaku’s life.

Here, you’ll learn how the character was born from a public design competition. The winning entry was created by picture-book author Kohei Yamashita, who envisioned Myaku-Myaku as a mysterious creature designed to leave room for imagination.

The exhibition then follows its nationwide appearances at pre-Expo publicity events, before assuming its intended role at the Expo site itself: engaging with visitors and collaborating with pavilions, celebrities and other popular characters. By the end, Myaku-Myaku had become so synonymous with the Expo that fans formed long queues simply to take photographs with its statues, ultimately cementing its status as a true Osaka icon.

The largest noodle festival in western Japan, Ramen Expo gathers 60 of the best ramen restaurants from Osaka and across the country for a lip-smacking celebration of Japan’s iconic noodle dish. This massive foodie event will take over the festival square at Expo '70 Commemorative Park for six consecutive weekends, offering a delicious foray into Japan’s diverse ramen culture.

With a fresh set of vendors each weekend, this ramen extravaganza offers the perfect opportunity to slurp your way through a wide variety of unique, regional and inventive noodle creations. So bring a big appetite and get ready to indulge in some of the best ramen Japan has to offer

Admission to the event is free, but there’s a general park entry fee of ¥260 for adults and ¥80 for elementary and junior high school students. Ramen purchases are made through special tickets, available online in advance or on-site (cash only).

Beach outings may be a summertime activity in Japan, but Sennan Long Park is proving that this coastal stretch across the water from the Kansai International Airport has plenty of appeal in winter, too. Come sundown, a total of 75,000 lights will illuminate the park, transforming the shoreline into a magical winter nightscape. 

Now in its sixth year, the Sennan Park Light-up features glowing corridors and sculptural light installations shaped like hearts, snowflakes and more, turning this entire waterfront into one giant photo spot.

Originating in Germany, Christmas markets are festive end-of-year street fairs showcasing seasonal goods, food and drinks. Osaka’s annual Christmas Market returns this year from November 28 to December 25 at Tenshiba, a spacious lawn in Tennoji Park, and it’s open daily from 11am to 9pm.

The market is designed to resemble a charming Christmas village, with food stalls and craft stands housed in quaint wooden huts. Here, you’ll get to savour classic German fare such as warm pretzels, sausages and Christmas stollen (a fruit-studded cake), accompanied by seasonal drinks like glühwein (hot spiced wine) and hot cocoa, both served in an exclusive mug that you can take home as a souvenir.

Make sure you allocate plenty of time to browse, and enjoy the vibrant winter illuminations that come on after sundown. There are live performances, too, adding to the market’s festive atmosphere. Admission is free, though you’ll need cash for food and souvenirs.

One of the largest winter illuminations in Japan, this year’s Osaka Castle Illuminage is introducing new light installations while also upgrading some of the most popular exhibits from previous years. This annual after-dark event, held at Osaka Castle’s Nishinomaru Garden, is not your typical winter light-up. The grand showcase is inspired by Japanese history, specifically the country’s Sengoku (Warring States) period, which spanned from the mid-15th to the early 17th century.

This defining era is brought to life through millions of LEDs and an immersive soundscape, all set against the majestic backdrop of Osaka Castle. This year’s theme, ‘Toyotomi’s Dream – The Unification of the Realm’, centres on Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the eminent feudal lord who is regarded as one of Japan’s great unifiers. Six of his legendary samurai are depicted in luminous armour, their loyalty, courage and ambition expressed through vivid colours and light.

In the Osaka Landmark Series, iconic attractions such as Tsutenkaku Tower, Dotonbori, retro trams, temples and markets are recreated in vivid, three-dimensional light displays. The ever-popular takoyaki illuminations also return, now on a grander scale with enhanced lighting effects.

Another past festival favourite making a comeback is the Samurai Helmet Collection, which has evolved into full-body samurai armour.

For parents looking to enjoy winter illuminations with kids in tow, Harvest Hill in Sakai City, Osaka prefecture, makes for a fun family outing. On selected days (mainly Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) until February 23 2026, the sprawling agricultural park comes alive after dark with around a million lights spread across several themed zones.

The illuminations at Wonder Night Hill are designed to highlight the park’s diverse landscape and lush nature. As in previous years, the majestic 15-metre-tall Metasequoia trees will be illuminated, alongside a champagne-gold suspension bridge and hillside displays featuring glowing installations of the park’s beloved farm animals including cows, goats, sheep and capybaras.

Other highlights include wooden huts inspired by Christmas markets selling warm food and seasonal goods, a photogenic rainbow-coloured light tunnel, and a glowing blue forest where meteor-like lights cascade from above. Kids will love the Playground of Light, where they can step on a musical light-up piano, walk across sound-making light plates, and enjoy glowing seesaws.

Step into the world of Gustav Klimt, the celebrated Austrian symbolist painter and a key figure in both the Vienna Secession and the Art Nouveau movements. The ‘Klimt Alive’ exhibition offers a breathtaking and immersive journey through Klimt’s iconic masterpieces, where projection mapping and classical music bring his vibrant works to life.

Experience the stunning beauty of The Kiss, one of the art world’s most renowned paintings, as it’s projected onto the walls and floor to create a 360-degree multisensory environment. At this cutting-edge exhibition, you’ll be literally stepping inside his art. Additionally, the exhibition also features captivating photo spots and exclusive merchandise.

Arguably Osaka’s most iconic piece of architecture, Umeda Sky Building is celebrating the festive season with one of the city’s tallest Christmas trees. Standing at 25 metres, this isn’t your typical fir; it’s a high-tech creation equipped with LED mapping technology. Covered in 130,000 LEDs, it can change colours and display vivid scenes set to music – think of it as a storytelling musical tree.

Located at Wonder Square, the public plaza at the base of Umeda Sky Building, the tree will host three themed shows throughout the festive period. Each runs for around six minutes and is repeated several times every evening between 6pm and 9.30pm.

The final show, titled ‘The Circus of Light: A Fantasy Circus Sparkling in the Night Sky’, is sure to get you in the mood for Christmas. Running from December 1–25, the tree becomes the canvas for a whimsical, circus-inspired projection featuring clowns and animals every 30 minutes between 5pm and 9.30pm.

Aside from being part of the sprawling Champagne Gold Illumination – where some 480,000 LEDs bathe the entire Umekita area in a warm, luminous glow – Grand Green Osaka is rolling out its own celebrations for the year-end season. 

The festivities centre around Umekita Park, where light, sound, fragrance and hands-on experiences come together to create an urban holiday wonderland. Grand Green Osaka’s dining outlets have even set up food trucks to surround the park, adding even more joy to the festive atmosphere.

The star attraction here is the Dome, a giant transparent half-sphere measuring six metres tall and 11 metres wide. Inside, you can escape the winter chill with mulled wine and hot chocolate, unwind with board games and books, and take part in workshops to make Christmas ornaments, room diffusers and more.

Nearby, the reflecting pool hosts the Kagaribi, a bonfire-inspired installation that lights up at dusk. Its flame-like illumination ripples across the water, and with the accompanying sound effects of crackling fire, this mesmerising sight is sure to help warm the senses.

Over at the Pop-Up, an event space with weekly changing activities, Umekita Onsen Ren Wellbeing Park (the massive wellness centre located in the adjacent Grand Green Osaka South Building) has set up a limited-time footbath infused with the soothing aroma of yuzu. It’s another cosy spot to relax and warm up within Umekita Park.