Event List in Osaka This Weekend (December 17 & 18, 2022)
The best events, activities, and exhibitions held this weekend in Osaka

Are you searching for things to do this weekend in Osaka? Well, this is the article for you.
Osaka, one of Japan’s largest cities, has many events going on all the time. So many things are happening simultaneously, that you might overlook an event you would be interested in. Art exhibitions, musical concerts, sporting events, seasonal food events, cultural events, etc… What we hope this article does is to avoid that you from overlooking an event that may interest you.
In this article, I will share 10 of the most talked about events happening this weekend in Osaka. If you live in Osaka and have some free time, or if you happen to be visiting Osaka during this week, then I hope at least one of these events will interest you to check it out.
The culture surrounding winter in Japan
Before we go to the list of events this weekend, let me share with you a little trivia regarding winter in Japan.
In Japan, it is very important to finish up the year and welcoming the new year in a correct manner. This involves many different events such as cleaning up and decorating your house in a proper way before the new year as well as eating traditional new year-dishes before and after the new year.
One thing that you will see a lot in restaurants and Izakaya across Japan during this season are campaigns for Bonenkai (忘年会) and Shinnenkai (新年会). Bonenkai refers to “End of year celebration” while Shinnenkai refers to “Beginning of year celebration”. These are usually held by companies to show their appreciation towards their employees as well as to finish the year and start the new year with a positive attitude. These celebrations can also be held with a small group of job colleagues or friends.
Ok, now that you know a little bit about winter-related Japanese culture, here is the event list in Osaka this weekend (December 17 and 18, 2022).
1. Premium Gift card sale

Event Period: December 17 to 18, 2022
Location: Qs Mall Morinomiya near Information
Official Website: https://qs-mall.jp/morinomiya/
Information
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1 Minute walk from Morinomiya Station. |
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2. “Photoshoot with Santa”
Event Period: December 18, 2022
Location: Hanshin Umeda Main Store 8th Floor Exhibition Hall
Official Website: https://web.hh-online.jp/hanshin/contents/hsst/hsst05/detail/2022/11/2022.html
Information
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5 Minutes walk from Osaka Umeda station. |
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3. Osaka Castle Illuminage

Event Period: November 22, 2022, to February 26, 2023
Location: Osaka Castle (Nishinomaru Garden)
Official Website: https://illuminagegroup.com/osaka2022/
Information
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12 minute walk from Temmabashi Station (Keihan Main Line, Nakanoshima Line, and Tanimachi Line) |
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4. Osaka Underground RETURNS

Event Period: December 17, 2022, to February 26, 2023
Location: Osaka City Museum of Natural History Nature Hall
(Nagai Park Flower, Green and Nature Information Center 2F)
Official Website: www-mus–nh-city-osaka-jp.
Information
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7 Minutes walk from Nagai Station of Osaka Metro line. |
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5. Starbucks Japan Christmas Tumbler and Mug 2022

Event Period: starting on November 4, 2022
Location: Starbucks shops nationwide (Japan) and Starbucks online store.
Official Website: https://product.starbucks.co.jp/tumblermug/?nid=wh_00_pc
For more information about this event, check out the following article!
6. The 8th Ramen EXPO 2022 in Expo Park

Event Period: Act 3. December 16 to December 18, 2022
Location: Festival Square
Official Website: https://ramen-expo.com/
Information
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11 Minutes by walk from Lalaport EXPOCITY. |
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7. Into the Unknown World – GUTAI: Differentiation and Integration

Event Period: October 22, 2022, to January 9, 2023
Location: National Museum of Art in Osaka
Official Website: https://www.nmao.go.jp/events/event/gutai_2022_nakanoshima/?lang=en
Information
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5 minute walk from Watanabebashi Station (Nakanoshima Line) |
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8. SPY×FAMILY & UNIQLO Collaboration 2022

Event Period: starting on November 11, 2022
Location: UNIQLO stores nationwide (Japan) and UNIQLO online store.
Official Website: https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/ja/special-feature/spy-family
For more information about this event, check out the following article!
9. Wonder Experience Illuminight Expo ~2022 WINTER~

Event Period: December 2022
2nd (Fri), 3rd (Sat), 4th (Sun)
9th (Fri), 10th (Sat), 11th (Sun)
16th (Fri), 17th (Sat), 18th (Sun)
23rd (Fri), 24th (Sat), 25th (Sun)
29th (Thursday) and 30th (Friday)
(Canceled in case of rain/canceled in stormy weather)
Location: Around the Tower of the Sun
Official Website: https://www.expo70-park.jp/
Information
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11 Minutes by walk from Lalaport EXPOCITY. |
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10. Osaka City Science Museum × Osaka City Central Public Hall 100 years of Einstein

Event Period: December 18, 2022
Location: Osaka City Central Public Hall 3rd Floor Middle Meeting Room
Official Website: https://osaka-chuokokaido.jp/news/2022/11/11/99.html
Information
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2 Minutes walk from Yodayabashi Station. |
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I hope you enjoyed this article about events in Osaka this weekend. As I previously mentioned, it can be difficult to keep track of every festival, exhibition, and other event happening in Osaka, so hopefully, this article serves as a reference for you to find things to do in Osaka.
There’s also an article about events in Osaka during the week. Check out the link below!
▶Event List in Osaka This Week (December 12 to 18, 2022)
And if you want more information about things to do in Osaka and nearby areas, be sure to check out our other related articles from the links below!
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