Osaka Light Festival 2025: Event Details, Schedule, Venues and Transportation

Post date: 2025-04-09 | Categories: Japan Travel

Osaka Light Festival (known in Japanese as 大阪・光の饗宴) is a major winter tourism event held annually in Osaka since 2013. The festival transforms the city into a dazzling display of light installations, attracting more visitors to Osaka during winter. To celebrate the “2025 Osaka World Expo,” this year’s “Osaka Light Festival 2025” will start earlier on April 9, 2025 and run until December 31, 2025, lasting for 267 days.

Osaka Light Festival 2025

The “Osaka Light Festival” typically takes place from November to December, lasting about two months. However, to coincide with the “2025 Osaka World Expo” (scheduled from April 13 to October 13, 2025), the 2025 edition of the festival will start seven months earlier, running from April 9 to December 31, 2025, lasting 267 days—nearly nine months.

The “Osaka Light Festival” consists of two main programs: 【Midosuji Illumination】 and 【OSAKA Light Renaissance】.

This year’s “Osaka Light Festival 2025 World Expo Special Lighting” is a special edition held earlier to coincide with the Expo. While the “Midosuji Illumination” remains the main attraction as in previous years, the “OSAKA Light Renaissance” will be scaled down, replacing the usual projection mapping with illuminated facades.

Reference:

1. Midosuji Illumination

Midosuji Illumination is one of the core programs of the festival and the main attraction of the 2025 World Expo Special Lighting. As the name suggests, it involves decorating the trees along Midosuji, one of Osaka’s main streets, with colorful lights. The illumination stretches from the Hanshin-mae intersection near JR Osaka Station in Umeda to the Namba Station North Exit intersection, covering a total length of 4 kilometers. The event will run from April 9 to December 31, 2025, with lights turned on daily from sunset until 1:00 AM.

Midosuji Illumination at Osaka Light Festival

In addition to the tree decorations, from April to October 2025, there will also be light projections and installations promoting the 2025 World Expo at locations such as the Umeda Underground Street Ventilation Tower, Keihanshin Midosuji Building, and Midosuji Kaikan.

Osaka Light Festival 2025 World Expo Special Lighting

Below are photos taken during a Christmas trip to Osaka in 2015 at Shinsaibashi Midosuji:

Light Decorations at Shinsaibashi Midosuji

Light Decorations Outside Daimaru Department Store in Shinsaibashi

Here is the location map for 【OSAKA Light Renaissance】 and 【Midosuji Illumination】:

2. Nakanoshima Light Decorations

In previous years, the “Osaka Light Festival” featured the OSAKA Light Renaissance event around Osaka City Hall and Nakanoshima Park in central Osaka. The main attraction was projection mapping performances on the walls of the Osaka City Central Public Hall, along with other activities such as the Nakanoshima Light Street, illuminated facades of Osaka City Hall, and food stalls.

However, this year’s “Osaka Light Festival 2025 World Expo Special Lighting” will only feature a few light installations on Nakanoshima, including the Osaka City Hall Facade Illumination and the Nakanoshima Illumination Street. The event will run from April 9 to December 31, 2025, with lights turned on daily from sunset until 1:00 AM.

To reach Nakanoshima, take the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line or the Keihan Main Line to Yodoyabashi Station, which is the closest station to the Osaka City Central Public Hall. Alternatively, the Keihan Nakanoshima Line’s Naniwabashi Station and Oebashi Station are also nearby.

Below is a map of the Nakanoshima venue, with numbers 2 and 3 marking the locations of the City Hall Facade Illumination and Nakanoshima Illumination Street, respectively.

Below are photos taken during a Christmas trip to Osaka in 2015 at Nakanoshima Park:

Entrance to Nakanoshima Park Light Show Venue

Crowds at Nakanoshima During the Light Festival

Light Show at Nakanoshima Park During the Light Festival

3. Exploring Osaka Light Festival by Open-Top Sightseeing Bus

To offer another way to enjoy the festival’s light displays, Kintetsu Bus introduced the Osaka Sky Vista open-top bus tour during the festival in 2017. The route starts at JR Osaka Station in Umeda, passes by major light show attractions, and returns to JR Osaka Station, taking approximately 45 minutes.

The fare is 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children. However, it is currently unknown whether the same arrangement will be available in 2025.

The Osaka Sky Vista is now a regular city sightseeing service with three daytime departures daily.

Kobe Luminarie & Kyoto Hanatouro

In addition to the “Osaka Light Festival,” nearby cities Kobe and Kyoto also host light festivals during winter. Kobe’s “神戸ルミナリエ” takes place at 旧外国人居留地および東遊園地. This year’s Kobe Luminarie will be held from January 24 to February 2, 2025. Kyoto’s “京都嵐山花燈路” is held in Arashiyama, typically in mid-December. However, it has been suspended since the pandemic, and it is unclear when it will resume.