Tenjin Matsuri — Osaka, July 2026

Held every 24–25 July, **Tenjin Matsuri** is one of Japan's three great festivals and, at more than a thousand years old, one of its oldest. It is the festival of **Osaka Tenmangu Shrine**, founded in 949 and dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deified scholar worshipped as the god of learning. Over two days the celebration moves from the shrine's quiet forecourt out into the streets and finally onto the water, where lantern-lit boats and bursting fireworks give the festival its enduring "fire and water" image.

## What to expect

The first day centres on rituals inside the shrine. The spectacle belongs to the evening of the 25th. A **land procession** of some 3,000 people in Heian-era costume winds through the Tenma district in the late afternoon, carrying the shrine's deity toward the river. From around dusk, a **boat procession** of roughly 100 lantern-hung vessels sets out along the **Okawa River**, drums and firelight reflecting off the black water, while a **dedication fireworks display** of about 5,000 shells rises overhead. Crowds run well into the hundreds of thousands, packing the riverbanks and bridges near Sakuranomiya.

Come early on the 25th and stake out a spot along the Okawa near Sakuranomiya Park for the boats and fireworks; the shrine sits a few minutes' walk from Osakatemmangu Station (JR Tozai Line) and Minami-morimachi Station (Osaka Metro).

Tenjin Matsuri centres on Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and the Okawa River, where the evening boat procession and fireworks take place. Fly into Kansai International (KIX) or the closer Osaka Itami (ITM). From Kansai, the Nankai or JR Airport Express reaches central Osaka in about an hour. The nearest stations to the shrine are Osakatemmangu (JR Tozai line) and Minami-morimachi (Metro Tanimachi and Sakaisuji lines), both a short walk away. On festival evenings the riverbanks near Sakuranomiya and Tenmabashi are packed for the fireworks, so arrive early, expect crowd control, and follow marshals' directions to viewing areas.