Make the most of cherry blossom season at the Osaka Castle Spring Festival, happening from February 21 to April 15. Regarded as one of the most popular sakura-themed events in all of Japan, this festival gives you a great opportunity to enjoy the plum and cherry blossoms.
What happens?
Most people spend their time walking around and taking in the beautiful views of the 1245 plum trees and 300 cherry blossoms. You can find food trucks and space for picnics in Nishinomaru Garden, and the Gozabune Boat cruise — which operates year-round — is especially popular in spring. There’s also a variety of exciting events taking place on the grounds of the castle:
- Cherry Blossom Illumination 2024 in Nishinomaru Garden
- Osaka Castle Forest Barbecue
- Special Opening of the Turrets of Osaka Castle
- Hideyoshi Toyotomi the Politician (Jan. 30 to Mar. 20)
- Stories Told by Osaka Castle’s Architecture (Jan. 31 to Mar. 21)
- Kodai-in: The Spouse of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Ruler of Japan (Mar. 23 to May. 6)
The Osaka Castle Museum is also hosting a variety of special temporary exhibitions which include:
Tickets
Entrance to the castle park is free, however, you will need to pay admission for some of these events. One of these is the Cherry Blossom Illumination, which costs ¥350. The other is the barbecue area.
To see the temporary exhibitions, you will need to pay the regular admission price of ¥600.
How to get to Osaka Castle Spring Festival
Take the Osaka Metro Chuo Line or Tanimachi Line to Yonchome Station. From there, it is around an 18-minute walk to Osaka Castle Spring Festival.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.- 0.6 km from Osaka Business Park Station Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N21)
- 0.8 km from Osakajō-kōen Station Osaka Loop Line (O7)
- 0.9 km from Temmabashi Station Keihan Main Line (KH3)Tanimachi Line (T22)
