Osaka in August 2025: Highlights, Events & Festivals
In August, Osaka experiences more days with temperatures exceeding 30°C, making it the most energetic season of the year. Additionally, Japanese holiday season falls in August, so Osaka's many tourist attractions become bustling with visitors.
Osaka is called "Japan's Kitchen" because of its delicious and unique food culture. Various Japanese foods now popular among foreigners, such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, are Osaka specialties.
The shopping streets lined with small stores and izakaya alleys will appear fresh and exciting to foreign tourists.
During August 2025, Osaka hosts numerous summer events including traditional festivals and fireworks displays that illuminate the night sky.
This article introduces the features and highlights of these events to help you plan your Osaka Event August 2025 sightseeing schedule.
The Most Recommended Osaka Event August 2025: Sumiyoshi Festival - One of Osaka's Three Major Summer Festivals
Source:Official website
If you're visiting Osaka in August 2025, you cannot miss the Sumiyoshi Festival, the grand celebration that concludes Osaka's summer. With a thousand-year history and counted as one of Osaka's three major summer festivals, this energetic event captivates spectators.
For foreign tourists, the Sumiyoshi Festival provides an excellent opportunity to experience Japan's traditional summer festivals firsthand.
Be sure to visit the venue to add colorful memories to your Japan trip.
Impressive! Osaka's Largest "Mikoshi Togyo" (Portable Shrine Procession)
Source:Official website
The main highlight of the Sumiyoshi Festival is undoubtedly the "mikoshi togyo."
The mikoshi togyo is a sacred ritual where numerous participants carry the mikoshi from Sumiyoshi Taisha to the distant Otabisho (a resting place for deities), a traditional ceremony that has continued for hundreds of years.
The sight of the elaborately decorated, massive mikoshi swaying to the participants' loud chants is truly breathtaking.
Even foreign tourists who don't understand the language will undoubtedly become immersed in the excited atmosphere once they step into the venue. Join the locals and experience a Japanese summer festival.
<Information>
- Date: Late July 2025
- Location: Sumiyoshi Taisha and surrounding areas (to Otabisho)
- Access: 3-minute walk from "Sumiyoshi Taisha" Station on Nankai Main Line, 5-minute walk from "Sumiyoshi-Higashi" Station on Nankai Koya Line, or immediately from "Sumiyoshi-Torii-mae" Station on Hankai Tramway
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/special.html#anchor02
"Mikoshi Washing Ritual" Performed Before the Sumiyoshi Festival's Mikoshi Togyo
Source:Official website
Another must-see at the Sumiyoshi Festival is the "Mikoshi washing ritual" performed before the mikoshi togyo. The Mikoshi washing ritual is a sacred ceremony to purify the sacred mikoshi in preparation for the climactic mikoshi togyo.
The reason I recommend the Mikoshi washing ritual is that by observing it, you can closely experience the concept of purification in Japanese Shinto and the reverence for nature.
The cleansing of the mikoshi is performed with sacred seawater from Osaka Bay, which is said to be pure and enhances the power of the deities.
The solemn purification ceremony has a mystical atmosphere, different from the dynamic mikoshi togyo. Foreign tourists wanting to experience authentic Japanese traditions should visit the venue.
<Information>
- Date: July 21, 2025
- Location: Procession from Sumiyoshi Taisha to Sumiyoshi Park
- Access: Sumiyoshi Park is about a 5-minute walk from Sumiyoshi Taisha
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/special.html#anchor02
Elegant and Colorful Purification Ceremony: "Summer Purification Ritual and Annual Festival"
Source:Official website
At the "Summer purification ritual and annual festival" held annually on July 31, you can experience a sensation of traveling back in time to ancient Japan.
The Summer purification ritual and annual festival is a purification ceremony that is treated as an important traditional event to be preserved in Osaka.
The highlight is definitely the participants' costumes. Women and children dressed in colorful traditional attire beautifully adorn the venue. Therefore, you can take Instagram-worthy photos wherever you point your camera.
The main ritual of the event is "Passing through a large ring of interwoven grasses." When passing through the large ring of interwoven grasses, Japanese poems wishing for longevity and health are recited, so please listen carefully.
<Information>
- Date: July 31, 2025
- Location: Sumiyoshi Taisha
- Access: 3-minute walk from "Sumiyoshi Taisha" Station on Nankai Main Line, 5-minute walk from "Sumiyoshi-Higashi" Station on Nankai Koya Line, or immediately from "Sumiyoshi-Torii-mae" Station on Hankai Tramway
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/special.html#anchor02
Annual "Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival" Usually Held in August Postponed to October Due to EXPO2025
The Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival is one of the major events illuminating Osaka's summer night sky. This grand fireworks display, typically held in August, captivates numerous spectators every year with its spectacular view of colorful fireworks filling the night sky over the Yodo River. The synchronized music and light show, along with the beautiful reflections of fireworks on the water's surface, are particularly charming aspects of this performance staged on the Yodo River.
However, due to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival has been announced to be postponed to October for 2025. If your schedule allows, be sure to check it out!
<Information>
- Date: October 18, 2025 (Saturday) for 2025
- Location: Yodogawa Riverbed
- Access: Get off at JR Tozai Line "Mieteijima" (about 20 min walk), Hanshin Electric Railway "Himejima" (about 5 min walk), Hankyu Railway "Minamikata" (about 4 min walk) or "Juso" (about 9 min walk), JR Kobe Line "Tsukamoto" (about 8 min walk), Osaka Metro Midosuji Line "Nishinakajima-Minamikata" (about 10 min walk)
- Admission: Free (Paid viewing seats available)
- Website: https://www.yodohanabi.com/
Joining Local Tours is Recommended to Enjoy Sightseeing While Asking Locals About Highlights of the Tenjin Festival
If you want to fully enjoy Osaka's summer festivals, it's recommended to participate in local tours before the events. Understanding the city's characteristics, history, and people's beliefs will allow you to enjoy the festival venues in unity with the locals.
For example, the 5-Hour Osaka Highlights Bike Tour with Lunch is a popular private tour that takes you around famous spots such as Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, and Tsutenkaku by bicycle. Friendly local guides will show you around, giving you opportunities to directly ask questions about Japanese culture during transit or breaks. You'll gain insider information not found in guidebooks.
Another attractive point of this tour is experiencing Osaka's everyday scenery and traditional aspects while cycling through the city, making it a perfect Osaka Event August 2025 experience for tourists seeking authentic local connections.
<Information>
- Meeting point: Near Temmabashi Station (details provided after booking confirmation)
- Tour area: Major tourist areas in Osaka including Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Tsutenkaku
- Start time: Morning (check available times when booking)
Must-See Traditional Events in Osaka in August 2025
Gangara Fire Festival
Source:Ikeda City
When visiting Osaka in August 2025, extend your trip a bit from the city center to participate in the "Gangara Fire Festival" held in Ikeda City.
The Gangara Fire Festival stands out among Japanese summer festivals for its exceptionally powerful performances. The most impressive highlight is the scene where people carry enormous torches weighing 100kg and measuring 4m in length through the streets while they're burning. Both the torch bearers and spectators along the road are enveloped in tension during this spectacle.
Also worth seeing is how all participants unite with energetic chants. The Gangara Fire Festival, carefully preserved for over 400 years to pray for good health and protection from fires, offers a valuable opportunity to experience Japanese traditions firsthand.
Don't miss this festival of flames, which offers a completely different experience from fireworks displays and represents a unique Osaka Event August 2025 for tourists to witness.
<Information>
- Date: August 24, 2025
- Location: Ikeda City, Osaka (mainly around Satukiyama, Atagoyama to Ikeda Station area)
- Access: Get off at "Ikeda" on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.city.ikeda.osaka.jp/soshiki/siminseikatsu/citypro/event/14221.html
Tenjin Temma Awa Odori
Source:PR TIMES
If you're planning to tour Osaka, why not align your schedule with the "Awa Odori Dance in Tenjin & Temma" held in late August?
The venue for Awa Odori Dance in Tenjin & Temma is the Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street, known as Japan's longest shopping arcade. This usual shopping street transforms into a festive atmosphere once a year, creating an even more characteristically lively Osaka scene.
Originally, Awa Odori Dance is a traditional Japanese dance that originated from the Tokushima area. Groups called "ren" appear one after another, dancing to a unique two-beat rhythm. The dancers, dressed in distinctive costumes, stepping lightly with shouts and calls, create an atmosphere that transcends language barriers and delights foreign tourists as well.
This vibrant celebration is one of the most anticipated Osaka Event August 2025 attractions that showcases Japanese cultural heritage in a dynamic way.
<Information>
- Date: Undecided
- Location: Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street and special performance stages in the surrounding area
- Access: Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line & Sakaisuji Line "Minami-morimachi", JR Tozai Line "Osaka Tenmangu", JR Loop Line "Temma" (immediate access after exiting)
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.tenjintenma-awaodori.com/
Takatsuki Festival
Source:PR TIMES
If you're visiting Osaka, why not experience firsthand how Japanese people spend their summers every year?
To truly understand Japanese summer, it's recommended to participate in a local summer festival. The "Takatsuki Festival," held in early August in Takatsuki City, is a local summer celebration created by the citizens of Takatsuki. As part of the exciting Osaka Event August 2025 calendar, this festival offers an authentic cultural experience.
The main highlight is a performance where locals parade through the streets in time with musical accompaniment. The traditional costumes such as yukatas and happi coats are quintessentially Japanese and will surely appear fresh and interesting to foreign tourists.
Additionally, many food stalls line the venue, so please enjoy the festival atmosphere with Japanese soul food like takoyaki and yakitori in hand.
<Information>
- Date: August 2 (Sat) & 3 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Around JR Takatsuki Station and Hankyu Takatsuki-shi Station
- Access: Get off at JR Kyoto Line "Takatsuki" or Hankyu Kyoto Line "Takatsuki-shi" Station
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.takatsuki-matsuri.org/
Shitennoji Temple Bon Odori Festival
Source:Abeno Keizai Shimbun
If you love Japanese history, the "Shitennoji Temple Bon Odori Festival" held in Osaka in August is also a must-see. This traditional dance event is another highlight of the Osaka Event August 2025 season.
The reason I recommend this event is that the festival takes place in a historical stage surrounded by important cultural properties.
Shitennoji Temple was the first officially established Buddhist temple in Japan over 1,400 years ago. The sight of such historical architecture dimly illuminated by lantern light at night is beautiful and evokes a nostalgic atmosphere.
Furthermore, the scene of people in yukatas dancing around a huge yagura (tower) in the center of the venue to the rhythm of drums and flutes is full of traditional charm.
Please take this opportunity to visit the venue and witness this beloved summer tradition that has been cherished in Japan for a long time.
<Information>
- Date: To be determined
- Location: Shitennoji Temple
- Access: 5-minute walk from "Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka" Station on Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line, or 15-minute walk from JR Loop Line "Tennoji" Station, Osaka Metro "Tennoji" Station, or Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line "Osaka Abenobashi" Station
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.shitennoji.or.jp/旧正大黒天-祈祷会/
When visiting Osaka, enjoy not just events but also delicious Osaka food!
If you're coming to Osaka, make sure to thoroughly enjoy not only the festivals and events but also the exquisite local food. While the Osaka Event August 2025 lineup offers cultural experiences, the city's culinary scene is equally impressive.
To fully appreciate Osaka cuisine, it's recommended to join a food tour with a guide who is knowledgeable about the local food culture.
Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai
If you want to explore the food scene in the Dotonbori area, the "Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai" is recommended.
One of the common concerns when touring individually is "not being able to try all the foods you want to eat."
On this tour, you can sample small portions of dishes from shops carefully selected by the guide, such as takoyaki, kushikatsu, and okonomiyaki, allowing you to enjoy a satisfying food-hopping experience.
Another attractive point of this tour is that you can visit hidden gem restaurants that only locals know about and learn about the culture and history behind the cuisine.
If you have many foods you want to try in the gourmet city of Osaka, please enjoy all the delicious offerings to your heart's content on this tour.
- Meeting point: In front of Nankai Koya Line Imamiya Ebisu Station exit
- Tour area: Dotonbori, Shinsekai
- Start times: 11:30, 16:30, 17:30
Osaka Bar Hopping Night Tour in Namba
If you want to experience Osaka nightlife as locals do, try joining the "Osaka Bar Hopping Night Tour in Namba."
The Osaka Bar Hopping Night Tour in Namba takes you through the Namba area, one of Osaka's major entertainment districts, visiting hidden izakayas (Japanese pubs) in deep back alleys where locals gather.
With a local guide, you can relax without worrying about language barriers or dining etiquette, even at establishments that might be difficult for foreign tourists to enter on their own.
By the end of the tour, you'll surely feel at home in Osaka's streets while enjoying Japanese sake and appetizers.
If you're visiting Osaka, why not have a living experience that doesn't appear in guidebooks?
- Meeting point: Right in front of Namba HIPS
- Tour area: Namba/Dotonbori area
- Start times: 18:00, 19:00
