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Now! Osaka
6 Best Places to See Winter Illuminations in Osaka 2024☆
2024.11.08
Every year at this time, dazzling winter illuminations begin to appear around the City of Osaka. Osaka’s finest illumination displays fill the city with joy and hope, and take us to the magical world of brilliant lights. Familiar streetscapes transform completely with the colorful lights and the beautifully lit trees make anyone believe in the magic.
Let’s get out there and celebrate the crisp winter season!
※Images are for illustration purposes only.
Midosuji Illumination | Osaka Festival of the Lights 2024
Osaka Festival of the Lights is a staple of Osaka’s winter scenes. The annual winter light festival hosts festivities around the prefecture and illuminates all of Osaka again in 2024.
Each year, Midosuji Illumination, one of the festival’s two core programs, turns Osaka’s main street into a festive decoration of magical colors. Extending 4 km through the city between Osaka Metro’s Umeda and Namba Stations, Midosuji Illumination is grand in scale and perfect for Instagram.
[Dates]November 3 (Sunday/Holiday) – December 31 (Tuesday), 2024
[Light Up]Around 5 pm – 11 pm ※Until 1 am the following day on December 31 (Tuesday)
Click here for event details!
Midosuji Illumination
Osaka Hikari-Renaissance | Osaka Festival of the Lights 2024
Osaka Hikari Renaissance is the other core program of the Osaka Festival of the Lights. It is an illumination art event in Nakanoshima’s waterfront in a city known as an Aquapolis—city of water. A projection will be mapped onto the exterior brick walls of the historic Osaka City Central Public Hall again this year. Here’re a few highlights of the event:
●Nakanoshima Illumination Street
Japanese zelkova trees lining the Miotsukushi Promenade (about 150 meters long) will be illuminated in blue and white, creating a dreamy space perfect for the holidays.
[Dates]November 3 (Sunday/Holiday) – December 31 (Tuesday), 2024
[Hours]5 pm – 11 pm ※Until 1 am the following day on December 31 (Tuesday)
Click here for event details!
Nakanoshima Illumination Street
●Osaka City Central Public Hall Wall Projection Mapping
With its 100+ years of proud history as a center of culture, arts, and science, Osaka City Central Public Hall is the symbol of Osaka’s Nakanoshima area. As part of the festival’s projection mapping art, Central Public Hall’s eastern wall will be lit up with various imageries including Western art, modern graphics, and computer graphics, accompanied by spectacular music. The beautiful art of light colorfully demonstrates the timeless golden prosperity of Osaka.
[Dates]December 14 (Saturday) – December 25 (Wednesday), 2024
[Hours]5 pm – 9 pm
※Free admission ※Rain or shine
Click here for event details!
Osaka Central Public Hall Wall Projection Mapping
●Marche of Light
At the Marche of Light held in Nakanoshima Park, visitors will enjoy Osaka gourmet foods, a Christmas market, and food trucks as they marvel the magnificent winter illuminations. Come enjoy the exciting combination of light and food♪
[Dates]December 14 (Saturday) – December 25 (Wednesday), 2024
[Hours]4 pm – 10 pm (planned)
Click here for event details!
Marche of Light
Nakanoshima West Winter Story 2024 | Nakanoshima West
The iconic traveling Rubber Duck is the main program at Nakanoshima West Winter Story 2024. Together with the brilliant champagne gold Hotarumachi Fantasy Illumination, the giant Rubber Duck brings joy and happiness to all people present♪
[Dates]
(Program at Each Facility) November 3 (Sunday/Holiday) – December 25 (Wednesday), 2024 52 days
(Main Program) December 13 (Friday) – December 25 (Wednesday), 2024 13 days
[Hours]
Rubber Duck Light Up: 5 pm to 10 pm
Hotarumachi Fantasy Illumination: 5 pm and 10 pm
Click here for event details!
Nakanoshima West Winter Story 2024
UMEDA SKY BUILDING Christmas 2024 – Sparkle Fantasy ~The World of The Nutcracker~ | Umeda Sky Building
Christmas at Umeda Sky Building this year features a show of sound and light with one of the largest LED mapping trees in Japan. This year’s program consists of two parts—the Special Program and The Nutcracker. Come check out the extraordinary fantasy created with sophisticated, brilliant LED mapping and combine it with visits to the Floating Garden Observatory to make a perfect, romantic date.
[Dates]
【Program 1】November 22 (Friday) – November 30 (Saturday)
back number × UMEDA SKY BUILDING Christmas 2024
Illuminations will illustrate the worldview depicted in “Christmas Song” by back number.
【Program 2】December 1 (Sunday) – December 25 (Wednesday)
Sparkle Fantasy ~The World of The Nutcracker~
The theme of UMEDA SKY BUILDING Christmas, Sparkle Fantasy ~The World of The Nutcracker~, is produced with lights cheerfully dancing to Tchaikovsky’s music.
Click here for event details!
UMEDA SKY BUILDING Christmas 2024 Sparkle Fantasy ~The World of The Nutcracker~ | Umeda Sky Building
Minami Tokimeki, Illuminations & Gourmet | Osaka Minami Hikari Masse 2024
Namba Hikaritabi tour is the main winter illumination program in Osaka’s Minami area. The Waterfall of Light at Namba Parks expands over the 9th floor down to the 2nd floor of this large shopping mall. The 18 meter long waterfall art sparkles in blue impressively and the view of it from nearby hotels and buildings is one of a kind! A total of 7 illumination spots in the Minami area and the Osaka Festival of the Lights will be highlighted at the Namba Hiroba.
[Dates] November 8 (Friday), 2024 – February 16 (Sunday), 2025 (planned)
Click here for event details!
Minami Tokimeki Illumination & Gourmet | Osaka Minami Hikari Masse 2024
GRAND WISH CHRISTMAS 2024 ~Infinity Lights~ | Grand Front Osaka
The theme for Christmas at Grand Front Osaka this year is “Infinity Lights”.
The wishes of unique individuals that gather in the Umekita area just north of Umeda Station are represented in the Christmas illuminations that shine brilliantly, bringing splendor to visitors.
The “Infinity Wish Tree”, a giant Christmas tree that shines like a sparkling kaleidoscope will stand 10 meter tall in the Knowledge Plaza located on the 1st floor of the North Building. Visitors can enjoy a light show that will create a dreamy atmosphere as the lights change colors—as if they are inside a kaleidoscope♪
In addition, about 250,000 LED lights illuminate the Umekita Square in champaign gold.
●Infinity Wish Tree, the Main Christmas Tree
[Dates] November 7 (Thursday) – December 25 (Thursday), 2024
[Light Shows]
Weekdays 4 pm – midnight, Saturdays/Sundays/Holidays 3 pm – midnight
Click here for event details!
Infinity Wish Tree, the Main Christmas Tree
●『Champagne Gold Illumination in UMEKITA』
[Dates] November 7 (Thursday), 2024 – February 28 (Friday), 2025
[Light Up]5 pm – midnight
Click here for event details!
『Champagne Gold Illumination in UMEKITA』
Spots Introduced
Umeda Sky Building Kuchu Teien Observatory
[Access] About 11 mins walk from Umeda Station Exit No. 5 on the Midosuji Line
About 15 mins walk from Nishi-Umeda Station Exit No. 3 on the Yotsubashi Line
About 15 mins walk from Hitashi-Umeda Station Exit No. 1 on the Tanimachi Line
[Hours] 9:30-22:30 (Last entry 22:00)
[Closed] Open daily
Namba Parks
[Access] About 7 mins walk from Exit 4 at Namba Station.
Grand Front Osaka
[Access] About 4 mins walk from Exit 3A at Umeda Station.
About 7 mins walk from Exit 3 at Nishi-Umeda Station, about 1 mins walk from Exit 10 at Higashi-Umeda Station.
Osaka City Central Public Hall
[Access] About 5 mins walk from Exit 1 at Yodoyabashi Station.
About 6 mins walk from Exit 1A at Kitahama Station.
[Hours] 9:30-21:30
[Closed] The fourth Tuesday of each month (the next weekday for public holidays),
December 28-January 4
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