Featured Events in Osaka Prefecture in June, 2025 (July Updated)

Overview Theme: Designing Future Society for Our Lives Subthemes: Saving Lives Empowering Lives Connecting Lives Concept: People's Living Lab 1. A space where 8 billion people from around the world will not only view exhibits but will co-create our future society. 2.Even before the Expo begins, an online platform for sharing challenges and solutions from around the world will be launched. 3.A place where the world’s knowledge such as cutting-edge technology will be brought together, used to create new ideas, and shared, all to help resolve global issues facing mankind. Purpose World Expo has both cohesive and communication capabilities. We will use these capabilities as a trigger to sustain growth and development of Osaka, Kansai as well as Japan following on from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. What is a World Expo? A World Expo is an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world in an effort to address issues facing humankind on a global scale. The Osaka Expo 1970, Japan’s, and Asia’s, first ever, became a symbol of Japan’s rapid economic growth and one of the country’s most lauded events. Twenty years after the Aichi Expo 2005, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will bring the international community back to Japan. A World Exposition is a place, where new technologies and products are born, triggering greater convenience in our daily lives. Elevator (New York Exhibition, 1853), telephone (Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876) Family restaurants, wireless telephones, electric cars, moving sidewalks (Expo 1970 Osaka) Entry tickets embedded with IC chips, AED, dry mist (Aichi Exposition, 2005) Goals of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai To contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Achievement of Japan’s national strategy Society 5.0EXPO for SDGs In 2025, the world will be a mere five years away from 2030, the year the United Nations has set as the target for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making it a crucial one for ramping up efforts to achieve these goals. Therefore, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will become a key platform for reaching the SDGs by 2030. The key is “Society 5.0” “Society 5.0” is Japan’s national strategy to develop a human-centered society that progresses economically and resolves social issues through a system that combines both cyber and physical spaces in a sophisticated manner. It refers to a new form of society chronologically following hunting, farming, industry, and information societies. A society that is able to resolve a variety of issues on a global scale with technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, big data, and biotechnology is a society that will have achieved the SDGs. What we will realise at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Bringing together the wisdom of the world, including breakthrough technologies, to create and communicate new ideasExpansion of domestic and overseas investmentCreation of innovation through activation of human interactionActivation of regional economies and small and medium enterprisesA chance to communicate the wealth of Japan’s cultureThe multiple merits of a world expo held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan Activation of Japan’s economy and the Osaka, Kansai regional economy, and strengthened management of small and medium enterprises resulting from expanded business opportunities are expected to have an economic ripple effect of about JPY 2 trillion.Further development of Osaka, Kansai’s world-class life sciences and biomedical achievements through new innovation in line with Expo’s theme.Further enrichment of Osaka, Kansai’s proud, long history and culture through interaction with foreign cultures, and elevation of its global recognition.Enabling Japan’s young, next-generation creators in a variety of fields to communicate their talents to the world.Japan possesses one of the safest environments and most advanced transport infrastructure in the world, and Osaka, Kansai can be easily accessed from major cities in the world.

Osaka Kansai Expo has decided to hold the "Japan Fireworks Expo", and the "Japan Fireworks Expo" will show the world the charm of Japan's unique culture, the world's highest level of fireworks technology. Fireworks festivals in various places have their own regional characteristics and are deeply connected to local culture and traditions. There are also many fireworks festivals with a history of 100 years. For example, fireworks festivals started to pray for the comfort of those who died in the great famine and plague and for the elimination of diseases. Fireworks festivals that started as a symbol of reconstruction after war and earthquakes, and include mourning and wishes for peace. Fireworks masters from all over the country gather together to compete in technology and artistry. Fireworks set off near the sacred shrine are solemn and there is a fireworks festival where you can feel a special atmosphere.

Shosoin THE SHOW, an exhibition event supervised by the Imperial Household Agency's Shosoin Office, will be held on the occasion of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, where visitors can experience and enjoy the miracle of Shosoin and its treasures, which are still in good condition after 1,300 years of rare items. These treasures, which still shine and do not fade, have been passed down through the hearts and hands of people throughout the ages. This exhibition will unravel the story of the miracle of Shosoin's 1,300 years from the three perspectives of "love, beauty, and weaving." This exhibition is unique in that it will make full use of the latest digital techniques. The treasures will be scanned from 360 degrees and displayed in high-definition 3D digital data, allowing visitors to experience the details and texture of the treasures in a realistic way. In addition, the "replicas" that the Shosoin Office has been researching and producing will be exhibited in combination with video, music, and lighting, providing a new encounter with Shosoin. In addition, new works created by contemporary artists, including fashion designer Tomoe Shinohara, inspired by Shosoin treasures will be introduced. Photography and posting on social media is permitted throughout the venue, not just at the photo spots. This is an exhibition event that is truly colored with the splendor of a show, with cutting-edge creators directing the words and space.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many artists from all over the world gathered in Paris, the city of art. Young artists lived in studio complexes such as the Bateau Lavoir (laundry boat) in Montmartre and La Ruche (the beehive) in Montparnasse, where they deepened their connections and worked hard on their creations. This group of artists was later called the Ecole de Paris. Many of them were painters and sculptors who came to Paris from outside France and gathered mainly around Montparnasse. Representative painters include Chagall and Soutine from Russia, Modigliani from Italy, Pascin from Bulgaria, Kisling from Poland, Tsuguharu Foujita from Japan, and French painters Utrillo and Laurencin. They did not create their works based on a clear artistic theory or doctrine, like a specific school or art movement. However, inspired by new artistic styles and theories such as Fauvism and Cubism, and sometimes drawing inspiration from primitive art in Africa and elsewhere, each artist sought his own unique expression rooted in the traditions and ethnicity of his home country. Although it reached its peak in the 1920s and came to an effective end with the Second World War, the painters of the École de Paris allowed diverse and rich art to flourish in Paris. This exhibition will feature works by Laurencin, Utrillo, Modigliani, Pascin, Foujita Tsuguharu, Kisling, and others from the Sanno Museum of Art's collection.

In 2025, Osaka will be transformed into a giant art museum! "Learning: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025" will be held from April to October. The exhibition will cover various areas of Osaka and take the World Expo as an opportunity to bring an unprecedented art feast. Among the first wave of 28 international artists announced, heavyweight creators such as surreal sculpture master Ron Mueck and conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan will surely present a visual feast that subverts imagination!

Yumeshima, the site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, is a place that gives a sense of Osaka's unique character, which developed towards the sea. The numerous documents stored in the Osaka Castle Tower retain the image of the "water city" of the past, which can no longer be seen today. Please take the time to reflect on the history of Osaka, which was nurtured by its abundant waters.

During the Sengoku period, various cultural artifacts from Europe and Asia were brought to Japan through trade with the Western countries. This exhibition will focus on the various aspects of exchange with the world that had a major impact on Japanese society, such as the introduction of Christianity and firearms.

There are many artists and works that are still unknown to the world in Japanese art. For example, in the case of Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), an exhibition held at the Kyoto National Museum in 2000 triggered an unprecedented boom in Jakuchu's work, but before 2000, Jakuchu was a "hidden treasure trove" for the general public. Since then, Jakuchu and other eccentric painters have been unearthed, but there are still many hidden treasures from the Jomon period to modern times. This exhibition aims to unearth these treasures once again and establish them as beautiful gems in the history of Japanese art. We would like the audience to use their own eyes to find "future national treasures."

Celadon is a kind of ceramic that has a trace amount of iron in its glaze and turns green after high-temperature firing. Celadon has a long history. It was born in China in the 2nd century AD, and then continued to develop and spread to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and even all over the world. Celadon occupies an important position in the history of East Asian ceramics. Its unique beauty is not only fascinating, but also a symbol of authority and wealth. The most fascinating thing about celadon is its beautiful glaze color, and its color will change subtly due to the different firing environment and the color of the body, making celadon present a rich and diverse appearance. This exhibition selects the treasures of Chinese and Korean celadon in the museum's collection, and also introduces Japanese and modern celadon works, allowing the audience to appreciate the dazzling charm of celadon in the history of East Asian ceramics. In addition to this exhibition, special exhibitions and collection exhibitions will be held to display representative works in the museum's collection. In each exhibition, works from the special project "Treasures of Osaka - Twenty Selections of MOCO" held in commemoration of the Osaka Kansai Expo will also be displayed.

"The Love of the Past" (1903-04, revised in 1920) is the finale of the paintings of the representative Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) during his Paris period. This huge painting, more than two meters long and wide, depicts a scene from the novel: a girl kissing a marble statue in an ancient Roman villa. The figure peeking from behind the statue does not appear in the original novel. Many questions, such as the background of the work and the reason for choosing this scene, remain a mystery. This exhibition will reveal the full picture of "The Love of the Past", which was lost for a long time and was not discovered until 1979. It will also trace Mucha's creative process through his representative prints, illustrations, sketches, oil paintings, jewelry and other works, and fully introduce the charm of Mucha's world-class collection, which the museum is proud of. In addition, a tapestry woven in a near-life-size manner using the hand-woven carpet weaving technique "Sakai Dan-dori" passed down in Sakai City will also be exhibited for the first time. The painting was originally planned to be created in the United States in 1910 as an original for the carpet, which would open a new chapter in the history of the painting.

Quo Vadis (1903-04, revised in 1920) is the oil painting that marked the finale of the Paris period of Alfons Mucha (1860-1939), a leading Czech artist. The large painting, measuring over two meters in length and width, depicts a scene from a novel in which a young girl kisses a marble statue in an ancient Roman villa. The person peering from behind does not appear in the original novel. Many things surrounding this work, such as its identity and the reason for choosing this scene, have remained shrouded in mystery. This exhibition will reveal the full picture of Quo Vadis, which was missing for a long time until it was discovered in 1979. It will also trace Mucha's creative path leading up to this painting through his representative prints, illustrations, drawings, oil paintings, and jewelry, and will fully introduce the charm of the museum's world-leading Mucha collection, which is one of the museum's prides. In addition, a nearly life-size tapestry woven using Sakai Dantsu, a hand-woven carpet technique handed down in Sakai City, will be on public display for the first time. This will be a new page in the history of the painting that was originally intended to be the original for a carpet, created in America in 1910.

Spreading its wings and flying high into the skyThe beautiful chirps that tell us the season...The hearts of people who are fascinated by birdsThis has not changed throughout history, in any place.With eyes of admiration and affectionInspired by artLet's admire the birds.

Osaka Museum of History will hold a special exhibition, "Unveiling New Acquisitions," from Wednesday, June 25, 2025 to Monday, September 1, 2025 in the special exhibition room on the 8th floor. Since its opening, Osaka Museum of History has made it its basic policy to introduce the history and culture of the Osaka region to the general public and deepen their understanding of it. Collecting materials in line with this basic policy is also the foundation of the museum's activities, and every year the museum stores various materials donated by citizens and uses them for research, exhibitions, etc. This exhibition will introduce approximately 25 items, mainly unpublished items, from the many donations that became new additions to the museum's collection in fiscal year 2024.

Born in Osaka and self-taught in architecture, Tadao Ando began his architectural design career in 1969. Since then, he has produced a succession of innovative architectural works that break through preconceived notions. Since the 1990s, he has expanded his scope of activity to the world, while also working hard on social contribution projects such as environmental restoration and earthquake recovery. His vigorous work across many fields, going beyond the framework of an architect, has earned him high praise both at home and abroad. This exhibition, which will be held in Osaka, where Ando remains based, will bring together the history of his grand challenges as well as his vision for the present and future, providing a comprehensive view of the work of Tadao Ando. Please come and experience that energy for yourself. The venue is "VS." at Gran Green Osaka, the forefront of the Osaka urban renewal project, where Ando has also worked hard for many years.

Nearly half a century has passed since the appearance of home game consoles - "video games," which began with pixel art, have now created many new worlds with beautiful images that rival those of movies. Games have become widespread in our lives and a part of popular culture, and it can be said that they have evolved into a comprehensive art that crosses the fields of technology and expression and demonstrates the creativity and individuality of creators. Capcom, headquartered in Osaka, has developed many titles and fascinated people around the world since its founding in 1983 and has grown into a global game software manufacturer. This exhibition will generously introduce the grand process of game creation, including proposals and original drawings made by the developers' hands, graphic work such as posters and packages, experiential content, and the latest technology, as well as the imagination and realization skills of the creators involved, creating an opportunity to reexamine Japan's proud game culture.

Explore accurate Japan v Indonesia sporting information for 10th June, as well as links for Football news, tickets and more with Fixture Calendar. The Japan national football team is a force to be reckoned with in the world of international soccer. They have qualified for six FIFA World Cups and have consistently been one of the strongest teams in the Asian Football Confederation. The team has also competed in numerous other major tournaments such as the Asian Cup and the Olympics, where they have achieved significant success. The players on the team are known for their technical skill and tactical prowess, with some notable players including Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa, and Yuto Nagatomo. The team's home stadium, Saitama Stadium, is known for its lively atmosphere and has a capacity of over 60,000. Additionally, the Japan national team has won multiple awards, including three Asian Cup titles and one FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up. With their impressive track record and talented players, Japan is a team to watch out for in any major football competition. The football team of Indonesia, also known as the Garuda football team, is the national team of Indonesia and is under the guidance of the Football Association of Indonesia. This team competes in various international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, AFC Asian Cup, and Southeast Asian Games. Despite facing challenges such as limited resources and infrastructure, the Indonesian football team has shown commendable performances, winning the Southeast Asian Games four times and reaching the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup in 2007. The team's notable players include Andik Vermansyah, Evan Dimas, and Stefano Lilipaly, who have been instrumental in the team's success. The Garuda football team plays their home matches at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,193 spectators and is the largest stadium in Indonesia. With a strong fan base and talented players, the football team of Indonesia continues to make a mark in the international football scene. Information Source: fixturecalendar.com

One of Japan's premier whisky tasting events, the Osaka Whisky Festival is a must-attend for all lovers of the tipple. The festival brings together over 100 exhibitors from around the world and is open to anyone aged 20 and over. You can sample a wide range of whiskies, many of which are free to sample. Held in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka since 2007, the festival has become a major event, with special events such as the Bourbon Festival and Bottled in Black Festival. Visitors can take part in expert-led workshops, blind tastings and sample cocktails from top bartenders, while browsing whisky-themed merchandise and enjoying delicious snacks.

The Aizen Matsuri is one of Osaka's three major summer festivals, dedicated to the gods of love and charm. Carefully selected young women from a community known as "Aizen Shoujo" will ride on beautifully decorated floats during the parade. Every year, about 300 to 400 women apply to become Aizen Shoujo, but only eight finalists are selected based on their charm, energy, love of traditional festivals, and ability to participate in all activities. Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old and be able to wear a yukata independently, reflecting their deep roots in Japanese culture. In addition to the parade, there are festival food stalls, traditional Japanese performances, and sparrow dances. This event marks the true beginning of summer and provides an unforgettable experience for locals and tourists alike.

Natural history specimens stored in museum storage are fundamental materials for understanding nature. Osaka Museum of Natural History holds approximately 2 million items, of which approximately 400,000 are plant specimens. These specimens are used by various researchers every day, and after extensive examination, the results are published as papers. For many people, the use of these specimens in research is probably something far removed from their imagination. This time, we will be exhibiting plant specimens held by Osaka Museum of Natural History that have actually been used in research, along with the results of that research, in the hope that many people will become aware of the excitement of research using specimens.

Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. It can be said that this is the fruit of the activities carried out by the only country in the world that has suffered from atomic bombings, which has continued to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons and has poured its heart and soul into such efforts. The recognition that peace is the common prayer of all human kind is universal, regardless of whether we live in the East or the West. In light of the recent international situation, the Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum will hold a Special Exhibition, “Koji Kinutani Peace,” a proposal for peace through the power of art and the arts. At the root of Kinutani's world, which uses rich images and colors to explore all things in nature as a motif, is the strong belief that “Art is mightier than nuclear weapons.” His ideals and strong passion are to show the power of art as “wisdom” to help people all over the world who are suffering from the ravages of war, and to celebrate the revival of dreams and hopes in the hearts of people. Please fully experience the true essence of Kinutani’s art.

Collection 2 in 2024 will focus on the work of three artists, Louise Bourgeois and Leonor Antunes, who were acquired by the museum in 2023, and Ruth Asawa, who was acquired in 2024 and will be exhibited in Japan for the first time, and will focus on the artist's technique and the way in which the work unravels and reconstructs existing materials, structures, and history. In addition, many works acquired in recent years will be introduced. The title of this exhibition is inspired by the title of a work by Bourgeois that she exhibited in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern in 2000, "I Do, I Undo, I Redo," and the creative process of artists such as Aiko Tezuka, two of whose works were acquired in 2023.

This exhibition will feature 54 works by 18 ukiyo-e artists carefully selected from the museum's collection of masterpieces, including Kitagawa Utamaro, a leading figure in painting beautiful women who established the style of "large neck painting" that focuses on the face rather than the whole body, and Katsushika Hokusai, a genius artist who influenced not only Japan but the world. Please also take a look at 12 works being shown at the museum for the first time, including Kitagawa Utamaro's "Blue Chamber of Victory - Tamayauchi Komurasaki and Hanamurasaki" and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's "One Hundred Views of the Moon - Nankaitsuki," known as the last ukiyo-e artist and active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era.

There are many "borders" in our daily lives. These boundaries range from physical to psychological, social and cultural, and shape our actions, thoughts and values. However, artists attempt to dismantle these existing frameworks and present new perspectives on identity, culture, physical space, time and genre. This exhibition introduces works that question the very nature of what we call "borders." Artists scheduled to be exhibited: Ming Wong, Alin Runjiang, Evelyn Tao-Chen Wang, Mika Tajima, Chikako Yamashiro, Christian Boltanski, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Danh Vo, Wolfgang Tillmans, and more.

The Mingei movement in Osaka was first started by the founding of the Japan Crafts Museum by Miyake Chuichi (1900-1980), a member of the Mingei movement. Having read Yanagi Muneyoshi's The Way of Crafts, Miyake joined the Mingei movement and in 1950 established the Japan Crafts Museum in Osaka (now closed) to widely introduce the beauty of excellent crafts from all over Japan to the Kansai region. At the same time, he also turned his attention to the situation of various production areas, mainly in Kyushu, and made an effort to produce and support crafts. However, Miyake had doubts about the way the movement was conducted at the time, so in 1959 he left the Japan Folk Crafts Association, where Yanagi was the chairman, and founded the Japan Folk Crafts Association. From then on, he developed his own Mingei movement based on the Japan Crafts Museum and the Japan Folk Crafts Association.

Folk tools are objects that have been created and used in Japan as necessities for daily life. These folk tools have been collected by researchers who have traveled and encountered the lifestyles and cultures of various regions. This special exhibition will expand the scope of folk tools from Japan to overseas, and introduce them as forms of beauty in everyday life.

This retrospective exhibition is held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Uemura Shoen's birth, and will introduce her achievements in painting through many works. Shoen's art pursues unique ideals, which is different from those of Kabuki Kiyokata and Kitano Tsunetomi who depicted female images in the same era. At the same time, as a pioneer of outstanding female painters, she also served as a guiding light for later generations, giving birth to many female Japanese painters, including Ikeda Kyoen and Shima Narien. In the Kyoto painting world with a strong Shijo school tradition, Shoen Uemura, who created her own lineage of beautiful paintings, was destined to be a pioneer in many senses, and she eventually succeeded in fulfilling the mission given by fate. This exhibition will display more than 100 outstanding works from Shoen's early to late years, including masterpieces such as "Mother and Child" (Important Cultural Property, Collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) and "Jō no Mai" (Important Cultural Property, Collection of Tokyo University of the Arts), showing visitors their charm. In addition, this will be a valuable opportunity to review the true value of Shoen's art. She was the first woman to be awarded the Order of Culture and left an indelible mark on the history of modern art.

Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2005) is a unique artist born in Belgium. Poetic and humorous, his works are expressed with soft colors and a light touch, and they take the viewer on a journey of the imagination while also containing rich messages that bring awareness to the various things happening in the world. This exhibition commemorates the 20th anniversary of Folon's death and the 25th anniversary of the Folon Foundation, which he founded during his lifetime, and introduces the warm and profound appeal of his work through approximately 230 diverse works, including paintings, sculptures, and posters.

Attention Spells Return fans! The first large-scale manuscript exhibition is here! Since its serialization in "Weekly Shonen Jump", this dark fantasy work liberated in the modern era has been attracting attention and has caused great repercussions in TV anime series and theatrical animated movies. This time, we welcome a grand exhibition of original paintings, and let’s experience the world of martial arts described by the author Akumi Shigeta. Through the ingenious story structure, it swings back and forth between despair and hope, firmly grasping the hearts of readers.

Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889) was an artist active from the Edo period to the first half of the Meiji period. With solid painting skills and classical studies, he painted a variety of subjects such as gods, Buddhas, beautiful women, customs, birds and animals in a style that was humorous, satirical and seductive, regardless of the format, such as hand-painted paintings, woodblock prints and printed books, and his versatility earned him praise for being able to "paint anything." In recent years, it has been reaffirmed that at the root of such artistic achievement lies the training and pride of the Kano school. Kyosai learned painting from ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) at the age of seven, entered the Kano school at the age of ten, and completed his training at the early age of 19. His involvement in both ukiyo-e and the Kano school makes his artistic career even more colorful. This exhibition, the first Kawanabe Kyosai exhibition in Osaka, will focus on works from the collection of the Kawanabe Kyosai Memorial Museum of Art, a public interest incorporated foundation founded and directed by Kyosai's great-grandson Kawanabe Kusumi, and will also touch upon the "Caricature Scroll" formerly owned by Kyosai, as well as Kano school and Chinese paintings from the Kosetsu Museum of Art's collection, creating an opportunity to celebrate him as a traditional painter. The more thoroughly one attempts to view his artistic career in a mainstream manner, the more things will slip through the cracks. It may be that this is where the essence of Kyosai's paintings can be found.