Osaka is full of winter-exclusive events, gourmet delights, and breathtaking sights!
In this article, we will introduce the best ways to enjoy a winter trip in Osaka, where you can have fun while experiencing the local culture and traditions rooted in the region.

Winter in Osaka is much milder compared to nearby areas like Kyoto and Shiga, with very little snowfall. The average temperatures from December to February are as follows:

December: High 12.3°C, Low 5.3°C, Average 8.7°C
January: High 9.7°C, Low 3.0°C, Average 6.2°C
February: High 10.5°C, Low 3.2°C, Average 6.6°C
*Date is based on 1991 to 2020 by Japan Meteorological Agency.

Even on colder days, Osaka often experiences sunny weather with warm sunshine. It’s recommended to wear layers, such as a sweater with a thick coat or down jacket. If you’re wearing a skirt, consider tights to keep warm.

Now, let’s explore winter-only events and experiences in the Osaka area that are even more enjoyable during the colder season!

For a dazzling winter experience in Osaka, don’t miss the city’s spectacular illuminations!

The “Festival of the lights in Osaka” is a must-see, featuring three stunning events:
・Midosuji Illumination: The iconic gingko trees lining Midosuji Avenue are beautifully lit up.
・OSAKA Hikari Renaissance: A stunning light display along the waterfront of Nakanoshima, Osaka’s symbol as a water city.
・Area Programs: Unique illumination displays in various regions, offering a creative and colorful atmosphere all around the city.

Near JR Osaka Station, the illuminations in the Umeda area are also worth visiting. The Grand Front Osaka showcases a giant Christmas tree with playful, luxurious decorations that attract attention every year. Umekita Plaza and the newly opened Grand Green Osaka are also draped in shimmering champagne-gold lights, creating a magical ambiance.

Enjoy a romantic winter night by exploring these breathtaking light displays across Osaka!

「Festival of the lights 2024」

「Midosuji Illumination 2024」November 3 (Sun)～December 31, 2024 (Tue)
「OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2024」December 14 (Sat)～December 25, 2024 (Wed)
「Area program」The event dates vary depending on the venue or location
Venue: The Midosuji area (Hanshin Intersection～Namba West Exit Intersection), Osaka City Central Public Hall～Nakanoshima Park, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, etc.
Access: 5 mins walk from Hankyu Railway Osaka-umeda Station, or just a short walk from Hanshin Railway Osaka-Umeda Station.
https://www.hikari-kyoen.com/en/

「GRAND WISH CHRISTMAS 2024～Infinity Lights～」

November 7 (Thu)～December 25, 2024 (Wed) *Some contents are not included
Venue: Grand Front North/South Area/Umekita Square, etc.
Access: 4 mins walk from Hankyu Railway Osaka-umeda Station, or 5 mins walk from Hanshin Railway Osaka-Umeda Station.

「Champagne Gold Illumination in UMEKITA」

November 7, 2024 (Thu)～February 28, 2025 (Fri)
venue: Grand Front Umekita Square, Grand Green Osaka Umekita Park, etc.
Access: 4 mins walk from Hankyu Railway Osaka-umeda Station, or 5 mins walk from Hanshin Railway Osaka-Umeda Station.

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If you want to warm up the body, a hot spring is the best choice. Soaking leisurely in the warm waters not only relaxes your body but also naturally eases your mind. You can enjoy hot springs in your own way-whether it’s visiting multiple baths with different healing properties and water qualities, or strolling around the neighborhood in a yukata after your bath.

For those who want to experience traditional hot spring culture, we recommend Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Minoh Onsen Spa Garden, located near one of Osaka’s famous sights, Minoh Waterfall. The large public bath features a mural of Mt. Fuji, and there are private baths with a chic atmosphere. Additionally, the spa offers classic hot spring amusements such as theater performances, musical shows, and table tennis, so you’ll never get bored, even if you spend the entire day there.

Besides, another great option is Solaniwa Onsen OSAKA BAY TOWER, one of the largest multi-purpose hot spring facilities in Kansai, with excellent access from Umeda! You can enjoy six different types of baths, including an open-air bath with free-flowing spring water and a garden-view bath that overlooks a vast Japanese garden. The facility is designed with a modern Japanese aesthetic, inspired by the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when legendary warlords like Toyotomi Hideyoshi thrived-so be sure to take in the unique atmosphere as well!

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If you’re in the mood for a stroll through a charming hot spring town, we recommend taking a day trip from Osaka to Arima Onsen or Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo. On particularly chilly days, you might even be treated to a magical sight of the town covered in a blanket of shimmering white snow!

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Hot pot dishes, where various ingredients are simmered together in one pot, are a staple of Japanese winter cuisine. When visiting Osaka, you can’t miss the local specialty hot pot, tecchiri, made with fugu (blowfish). The tender fugu meat is simmered in a flavorful kelp broth along with vegetables like carrots, green onions, and chrysanthemum greens. It’s typically enjoyed dipped in ponzu sauce. The tradition is to finish the meal by adding rice to the remaining broth to make a delicious zousui (rice porridge).

Oden, a traditional winter dish where ingredients like daikon radish, eggs, and fish cakes are simmered in a broth made from bonito flakes and kelp, is another must-try. In Kansai, known for its dashi culture, the broth is typically seasoned with light soy sauce, giving it a delicate, refined flavor that’s different from the Kanto-style oden. The ingredients soak up the broth, becoming tender and flavorful-enjoy the unique texture of this “shimi-shimi” oden!

Crab is another winter staple that’s hugely popular in Japan! Whether it’s boiled crab meat, crab hot pot packed with rich crab flavor, or creamy crab miso, it all pairs perfectly with sake. In Osaka’s famous tourist spots like Dotonbori and Umeda, you’ll find the well-known crab restaurant Kani Doraku.

Gathering around the table with friends or family to enjoy these dishes together will warm both your body and soul-a true highlight of winter in Japan!

If you want to do some winter sports, Rokko Snow Park which is an artificial ski park located on Mt.Rokko in Kobe near Osaka is highly recommended. It provides rental service for both ski wear and equipment so that you can just go there without bringing heavy luggages.

What’s more, there are English-language ski and snowboarding schools available, so even beginners can feel at ease. The on-site restaurant offers a variety of dishes, including local specialties inspired by Mt. Rokko, such as the “Mt. Rokko Heaping Roast Beef Bowl”.

Additionally, to accommodate Muslim visitors, two separate prayer rooms for men and women are provided. The restaurant also clearly indicates whether dishes contain pork or alcohol on the menu, and offers a selection of halal food.

Since Arima Onsen is nearby, why not relax in the hot springs after a day of physical activity?

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Playing in the snow at Rokko Snow Park! What to do when you take your kids there!

Winter is the season of newly-produced Japanese Sake. In Kansai, which is recognized as the birthplace of sake, there are many sake breweries. It might be a good idea to have a tour at sake breweries to try some fresh sake.

Nadagogo, a famous sake brewery area located between Osaka and Kobe, has 26 different sake breweries. You can either learn about the traditional brewing skills and history at the museum, or go around the breweries and have fun tasting the sake.

You can enjoy tasting different varieties of sake and savoring freshly brewed sake straight from the brewery. There is also a wide selection of gourmet dishes that pair perfectly with sake, as well as sweets made with sake, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the world of Japanese sake.

Since it is close to Osaka, you can put the unique sake culture experience into a day trip plan.

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In Japan, there is a long-standing tradition of eating Toshikoshi soba on December 31, the last day of the year. The soba noodles, which are easier to cut than other types of noodles, symbolize “cutting off misfortune,” and their long, thin shape is believed to represent a wish for longevity. It’s customary to eat soba before the new year begins, as eating it after midnight is considered bad luck.

At the long-established soba restaurant Hyoutei, located within walking distance of Osaka-Umeda Station, the specialty is Yugiri Soba, made with finely grated yuzu peel kneaded into the noodles. The dish takes its name from Yugiri Tayuu, a character in Sonezaki Shinju, a famous kabuki play set near the nearby Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine. Dipping the noodles into the broth enhances the refreshing aroma of yuzu, offering a delightful, citrusy flavor.

Soba is traditionally meant to be slurped, and when eating Toshikoshi soba, be sure to make a hearty slurping sound, as if sweeping away bad luck!

Hatsumode refers to the first visit to a shrine or temple after the New Year, a traditional Japanese custom where people pray for happiness in the coming year. Each shrine or temple offers different blessings, so you can choose your destination based on the specific wish or prayer you have in mind!

For instance, Katsuo-ji Temple located in Minoh City is famous for bringing good fortune in victory.
It is said that you can receive blessings for victory by writing your wish on a bright red daruma (a traditional good luck doll) and offering it at the temple. The temple is filled with countless daruma dolls, creating an auspicious atmosphere.

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What is the highlight of Katsuo-ji in Minoh? A temple of luck to win in Osaka sightseeing

Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, is popular for prayers related to academic success and passing exams. The shrine also features statues of guardian cows, which are believed to heal ailments when you rub the part of the statue corresponding to the part of your body that needs healing. With easy access from Osaka-Umeda Station, it’s a great spot to add to your itinerary while exploring the city.

In addition to these, Osaka is home to many other shrines and temples, each offering different blessings. Think about your wishes for the year, choose your destination accordingly, and make a visit!

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Toka Ebisu is a festival dedicated to Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, where people pray for success in business. Held from January 9 to 11, it is celebrated mainly in the Kansai region. Crowds gather to receive lucky bamboo branches adorned with talismans known as kobakokichō, for good fortune. Toka Ebisu is such a major event that in some areas, it is even more lively than New Year’s celebrations.

At the famous Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, known for Toka Ebisu, you can find over a dozen types of lucky charms, such as rice bales symbolizing wealth, lucky bags for storing fortune, and rakes for gathering good fortune. The shrine attracts around one million visitors from all over Japan. Each year, much attention is drawn to the selection of the Fuku Musume (lucky maidens), who serve the gods as shrine maidens during the three-day Toka Ebisu festival.

For those who find it difficult to take home the lucky bamboo branches, the fortune charm, said to bring financial luck, is a great alternative. It’s the same size as a credit card, so you can easily slip it into your wallet.

Another highlight of Imamiya Ebisu Shrine’s Toka Ebisu festival is the Hoe Kago Parade. Entertainers are carried in palanquins through nearby shopping districts, with lively chants of “Hoe kago, Hoe kago,” bringing excitement to the southern area of Osaka.

Why not participate in this energetic, quintessentially Osaka event and pray for prosperity in business?

In Japan, February 3 marks Setsubun, the day that signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is believed that on this day, oni (demons) are more likely to appear. To drive them away, there is a long-standing custom of throwing beans inside the house while chanting “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (Demons out, fortune in), as a way to ward off evil and bring in good fortune.

Across Japan, grand Setsubun festivals are held with large-scale bean-throwing ceremonies. One of the most famous in Osaka is at Naritasan Fudoson in Neyagawa City. From a 150-meter-long stage set up on the temple grounds, prominent figures from Kansai’s political and business worlds, as well as celebrities, throw beans to the gathered crowd, praying for good fortune, protection from misfortune, and traffic safety.

Another Setsubun tradition is eating Ehomaki, a thick sushi roll, while facing the eho (the lucky direction where the deity is believed to reside), which changes each year. The rule to ensure you don’t lose your luck is to eat the whole roll in silence, without cutting it. You can find a variety of Ehomaki at department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores, so pick your favorite and give it a try!

On Setsubun, oni masks are also sold alongside beans and Ehomaki, so why not take one home as a fun souvenir?

In Japan, the ume (plum blossom) starts to bloom around February, before the sakura, while the cold still lingers. Many people find solace in the ume’s modest and delicate beauty.

One of the most famous spots for plum blossoms in Kansai is the Osaka Castle Park plum grove. Spanning about 1.7 hectares, it features around 1,270 plum trees. The breathtaking scenery of the castle framed by the blossoms is sure to captivate your heart.

At Osaka Tenmangu Shrine mentioned above, about 20 varieties of white and red plum blossoms bloom around Hoshiai Pond, located on the north side of the grounds. The sight of the delicate petals floating on the pond’s surface adds to the serene atmosphere, creating a truly picturesque scene.

At Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Suita City, there are two notable plum blossom spots: the Natural and Cultural Gardens, with about 120 varieties and 600 trees, and the Japanese Garden, with around 40 varieties and 80 trees. As you take in the gentle scent of the blossoms, why not capture a photo of the park’s symbol, the Tower of the Sun, framed by the plum flowers?

With the many varieties and colors of plum blossoms, each famous spot offers its own unique and stunning landscape to discover!

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There are plenty of Osaka specialties that you can only experience during winter, so please stay active and explore more places! You will also have the chance to immerse yourself in unique Japanese traditions, ensuring a memorable and fulfilling time.