February is an interesting time of year for Japan, with winter weather slightly lingering, but traces of spring just around the corner. Certain areas of Japan during February, though rarely, still see snow, but some days the weather will make you think spring has already come, as the country’s weather can be unpredictable during its separation from winter.
Despite the weather being inconsistent, Osaka has a lot of activities and fun sights to explore during your February trip. A good thing about February is that this month holds the Setsubun holiday to mark the start of spring, and as a result, this time is also when Japan’s plum blossoms begin to bloom, painting the city in pink. To give you a good idea of what the city has available, this blog will introduce several locations and events so that you can get the most out of your Osaka trip.
Shrine Workers Throwing Beans at Sumiyoshi Taisha – Photo Credit: yokanavi
Setsubun at Sumiyoshi Taisha
It wouldn’t be a February in Japan without witnessing at least one Setsubun festival. With the time-honored traditions of welcoming spring and saying goodbye to winter, yakuyoku (banishing bad luck), and wishing for good fortune, a stop at Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine is one you won’t want to miss. While typical festivals may just consist of designated shrine workers tossing small packs of beans at festival-goers to catch for good luck, this festival takes it a step further, turning the celebration into a performance. If you get the chance to participate in this festival, you’ll get to witness horseback archers firing arrows at targets that represent misfortune, which are made to look like oni (demons).
Date: February 3rd
Time: Open from 6 AM – 5 PM
Address: 2 Chome-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, 558-0045, Japan
Website: https://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/events/annualevents/02.html
Price: Free
Osaka Castle Park’s Plum Blossoms – Photo Credit: enjoy-osaka-kyoto-kobe
Plum Blossoms at Osaka Castle Park
Due to the plum blossoms planted around Osaka Castle being in full bloom in February, many visitors come to Osaka Castle Park to admire the beautiful pink trees with the castle in the backdrop. While most of them are pink, if you take the time to look at the other plum blossoms, you’ll see how there have been more than 100 different types of plum blossom trees, varying in colors such as yellow, white, and different shades of pink. As there are roped-off walkways within the park, it makes a peaceful stroll while beautiful trees full of flowers line your path. Even if you use this visit as a break from your activities, just sitting on one of the park’s many benches or enjoying a hot drink to beat the cold from one of the surrounding cafes available at the park will still make a great way to spend time at this park and welcome spring in your own way.
Date: January to March
Time: Park is open 24 hours
Address: 2 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002, Japan
Website: https://www.osakacastlepark.jp/flower/plum_grove.html
Price: Free
Strawberry and Chocolate Parfaits at Hanshin Umeda Main Store – Photo Credit: cake-news
Hankyu and Hanshin Umeda Main Store Valentine’s Day Events
The month of February may make most think of Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated as White Day in Japan. As chocolate is a vital component during this holiday, you’ll see several boxes or displays of chocolate in grocery stores or department stores. If you’re in Osaka, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Hankyu or Hanshin Umeda Main Building, two huge department stores with a chocolate exposition (Hankyu) or strawberry and chocolate-centered events (Hanshin) consisting of over 300 brands and 3000 different types of chocolate from all over the world, and various activities with strawberries. For Hankyu, most events take place on the 9th floor, where there are multiple chances to buy one-of-a-kind chocolate. There are also several seminars at this store from chocolatiers who will talk about how they make chocolate, where it comes from, and much more. Some cost a fee to participate but others are free, so if you’re lucky you might be able to listen in on one!
If you visit Hanshin, a four-minute walk away from Hankyu, you’ll get to take part in a strawberry picking event, enjoy different types of strawberries with rich chocolate, and much more. You will also be able to have the chance to enjoy beautiful and highly decorated strawberry desserts such as parfaits, cakes, and more at the cafes and restaurants at this Valentine’s Day event.
Date: January 20th-February 14th (Hankyu) January 15th – February 14th (Hanshin)
Time: 10 AM – 8 PM
Address: 8-7 Kakudacho, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-8350, Japan (Hankyu)
1 Chome-13-13 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-8224, Japan (Hanshin)
Website: https://website.hankyu-dept.co.jp/honten/h/valentine/index.html (Hankyu)
https://www.hanshin-dept.jp/hshonten/ (Hanshin)
Price: Free (seminar prices can be checked on the website, item prices vary)
Osaka Marathon’s Starting Point – Photo Credit: Osaka.com
Osaka Marathon
For the athletic readers or those who wish to witness such a huge event, Osaka holds a marathon event on the 24th of February every year, a chance for those who wish to participate in an event that brings people from all over together to race. The marathon course stretches from Osaka’s Prefecture Government, all the way to Osaka Castle Park where the finish line is. Whether you participate in the run or follow them on the sidelines, you’ll get to see very popular sites of the city in a very energetic style, such as castles, temples, and more.
Date: February 24th
Time: 9:15 AM – 4:15 PM
Address: 2 Chome Otemae, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-8570, Japan
Website: https://osaka-marathon.com/
Price: 16,000 yen for domestic, 18,000 yen for overseas runners
Osaka’s Sky Kotatsu with Oden and Sake – Photo Credit: Japancheapo
Sky Kotatsu Ferris Wheel
Want a way to break away from the cold? Located in Osaka is a Ferris wheel that has Kotatsu tables installed in each cart so people can stay warm while enjoying the views of the city from so high. If you are unfamiliar with what a kotatsu is, they are tables with heaters attached to the bottom of the surface, usually with thick, warm blankets attached, a common table found in Japanese houses during the winter season. Even better, you can enjoy hot canned oden (fish cake stew) during the ride, another common winter item in Japan. There is also warm sake available, along with non-alcoholic options. Since the ticket price includes the oden, it makes a great and affordable activity to keep warm.
Date: December 2nd – February 28th
Time: 10 AM – 8 PM
Address: 2-1 Senribanpakukōen, Suita, Osaka 565-0826, Japan
Website: https://ticket.osaka-wheel.com/#138
Price: 1600 yen
The Selected Festival Girls Taking Part in the One-Night Festival – PhotoCredit: Osaka.com
Ichiya Kannyo Festival
Held at Osaka’s Nozato Sumiyoshi Shrine, the Ichiya Kannyo festival, or the one-night festival, is a great event to add to your plans to experience Japanese culture. While the origin isn’t clear, there’s evidence to state that this festival for praying for safety has been going on for at least 300 years, since around 1702. Back in these times, this festival would participate in sacrificing a young girl to the deity of the shrine every January 20th, in a way to prevent flooding in the Nozato area. Now the festival is celebrated in February, and due to a Samurai in this period offering himself to the shrine along with an abundant amount of food and plants, if you attend this festival you may get a glimpse at the meal cooked for the gods inspired by the Samurai’s offerings. You will also get to see a selection of young girls participate in the ceremony, wearing beautiful traditional costumes. While this festival is based on a sad, gloomy practice, you will notice it has a more solemn atmosphere than most Japanese festivals. Even so, you will get to learn and experience what festivals were like hundreds of years ago, and specifically the stories from this area in Osaka and what hardships people endured back then.
Date: February 20th
Time: Starts at 2:00 PM
Address: 1 Chome-15-12 Nozato, Nishiyodogawa Ward, Osaka, 555-0024, Japan
Website: https://www.osaka-jinjacho.jp/funai_jinja/dai5shibu/nishiyodogawa-ku/05021sumiyoshijinja.html
Price: Free
While the weather in February may turn people away from travel, Japan holds many opportunities in February that will make you forget the cold. Whether you go for the rich cultural experiences and attractions, the endless energy in the city and people, or some peaceful nature views, Osaka has a little bit of everything for everyone during this time of year while the country transitions to spring.
Featured Photo Credit: Stockbym
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