Flight Osaka

Rice forms the basis of Japanese agriculture: it's a subsistence crop for most farmers. Each year the Otaue Rice Planting Festival takes place in June, with age old rituals performed, songs, dances and blessings, and rice seedlings are planted in the watery paddy fields.
It's a beautiful sight as the Shinto monks walk through the rice fields of the Sumiyoshi sanctuary. Locals and tourists gather to watch the planting and the other events, including processions of samurai and geisha, and traditional song and dance performances.

This festival sees a small temple which lies unoccupied all year long suddenly teeming with life. During the Daigaku Festival, the Ikune shrine is the focal point for a grand celebration whose origins date back many years. The daigaku is an impressive structure, with 79 lanterns hanging from it, originally constructed to celebrate a successful prayer for rain. Each shine would originally have had its own daigaku, but the Ikune Shrine is the only one in Osaka which still has one. The festival is therefore of great historical importance, and it attracts such a large crowd each year. There's a lively atmosphere, parades and plenty of street food to enjoy over these two days of celebrations in Osaka.

The Osaka calendar is full of celebrations, and yet there aren't many as important as the Tenjin Matsuri, a festival which echoes throughout the country. Among all the summer matsuris (festivals) Osaka's is the biggest and best known, the most impressive and unparalleled.
For two whole days, the festival takes over the entire city, with festive parades, traditional costumes, music and drummers and fabulous floats. The highlight of the festival is the river parade on the second day, with decorated boats, which is followed by a fireworks display over the river.

In Japan, ancient temples and shrines still occupy an important place within daily life. There are numerous days on the calendar on which the temples are honoured with festivals featuring elaborate costumes, floats and religious parades. Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka is no exception: this shrine becomes a focal point for a three day festival in the middle of summer. This unusual event features a parade of miniature altars and also a tug-of-war between participants in period costume from the Muromachi era. There's always a large crowd of people who come to watch and to follow the parade to Sakai City.

Dates to be confirmed.

This fireworks display in <B>Osaka</B> has been an eagerly awaited annual event for over thirty years. In early August the summer night sky is illuminated over the crowds of spectators gathered below. This is in fact one of the largest fireworks displays in the country and is well known for its high quality artisanal fireworks. Taking place on the banks of the <B>Yodo</B> river, the fireworks festival is a truly spectacular event. <br/>

Music lovers take note: Osaka hosts a huge music festival in summer. Summer Sonic is the biggest festival in the region. The festival spans two days and four stages, the line up featuring around 50 musicians and bands, to the delight of the several thousand festival goers. The line up is eclectic, with something for everyone. You can see major international stars and discover some up and coming local musicians, too.
A great opportunity to have fun in the summer sunshine, and listen to some excellent music, too.

Dates to be confirmed.

Enjoy three days of gourmet Mexican delicacies at the <B>Umeda Sky building</B> in <B>Osaka</B>. No fusion cuisine here - it's pure, undiluted Mexican food at the Fiesta Mexicana Osaka. You'll be transported across the planet by mariachi bands, and marimba in traditional costumes. All while tucking into delicious tacos, enchiladas, tamales and burritos. Ay, caramba!<br/>

The <B>Kishiwada Festival</B> is a 300-year-old tradition in which appeals are made to the Shinto gods for abundant crops. The 34 <B>danjiri matsuri</B> shrines decorated with lanterns, carvings and sculptures, one for each neighbourhood, are paraded throughout the town. These are lively processions with young men riding perilously on the swaying floats. </BR>This is a festive occasion even before it begins, with the preparation of the costumes (the happi), the dances for the daïkugata who accompany the danjiris, and also the feasts which are organized the day before. The annual danjiri matsuri of this suburb of <B>Osaka</B> is one of the most famous in the whole of Japan.<br/>

Dates to be confirmed.

Prepare for a sensory overload: the streets of <B>Osaka</B> will be bustling with life during <B>Osaka Kitchenware Street Festival</B>! Japanese street food will take centre stage in the shopping street <B>Toshiya Suji</B>. Osaka is well known for its street food: come and taste all the best local food and you can also see a giant <I>taiyaki</i>. A fish shaped cake made with azuki beans, it's officially in the <B>Guinness Book of Records</B> as the biggest one in the world. Enjoy a wonderful glimpse of Japanese cultural life and a taste of the local culinary tradition including plenty of unexpected flavours.<br/>