Osaka Castle hosts autumn festival on 7 and 8 November

Osaka Castle will host the Osaka Castle Autumn Festival on 7 and 8 November 2026, with the main programme at the Honmaru Square in front of the tower. The event takes place in Osaka, Japan, and marks the 95th anniversary of the current main tower.

Osaka Castle Autumn Festival brings two days of programmes

The Osaka Castle Management Co., Ltd. has scheduled the festival for Saturday 7 November and Sunday 8 November 2026. The operator lists the Honmaru Square and other areas of Osaka Castle Park as venues for the public programme.

The 7 November programme includes a commemorative performance for the tower’s reconstruction anniversary, appearances by the Nagoya Omotenashi Busho-tai and a talk show. On 8 November, visitors can see a matchlock performance by the Osaka Castle teppotai, a ceremony marking the twentieth anniversary of the Osaka Castle and Ueda Castle friendship partnership, and performances by the Shinshu Ueda Sanada Jindaiko group. The programme also includes an exhibition about places connected with the Toyotomi family. Festival programme and venue

Osaka Castle’s 1931 tower anchors the anniversary

The current tower is the third main tower on the castle site and was rebuilt in 1931 through a civic project supported by public donations. The Japan Tourism Agency describes the structure as a modern steel and concrete building that occupies the same general position and stone base as the seventeenth-century tower.

The building rises 58 metres and appears to have five storeys from outside, although it contains eight floors including the basement. Its anniversary therefore connects a contemporary reconstruction with the longer sequence of Toyotomi and Tokugawa towers at the centre of the fortress complex. The tower underwent major repairs between 1995 and 1997, including exterior work and structural reinforcement. Tower history and dimensions

Toyotomi stonework adds a second historical layer

The festival’s focus on the Toyotomi brothers has a direct connection with the site beneath the present castle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi began building the first castle on the site in the late sixteenth century, while the current tower presents a later reconstruction influenced by historical designs.

Osaka City says that Toyotomi Ishigaki Hall opened in 2025 and allows visitors to see stone walls from the Toyotomi-period castle that had remained underground. The venue gives the November programme a physical link to the political and architectural history represented by the festival’s exhibitions and performances.

Visiting Osaka Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Osaka Castle Autumn Festival takes place on 7 and 8 November 2026 at Honmaru Square in front of the main tower and elsewhere in Osaka Castle Park.
• The public programme includes a commemorative performance on 7 November and matchlock demonstrations, a friendship ceremony and drum performances on 8 November.
• The main tower is the castle museum’s central building, while Toyotomi Ishigaki Hall presents underground stonework from the earlier castle.
• Osaka Castle is in Chuo Ward, Osaka City. The Japan Tourism Agency lists the address as 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo-ku, Osaka.
• Japanese is the official language and the national currency is the Japanese yen.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Osaka Castle

When does the Osaka Castle Autumn Festival take place?

The festival takes place at Osaka Castle Park on 7 and 8 November 2026.

What is Osaka Castle?

It is a castle complex and museum whose current main tower was rebuilt in 1931 as the third tower on the site.

Where is Osaka Castle and how do you get there?

It is in Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Japan. The Japan Tourism Agency lists the address as 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo-ku, Osaka.