Osaka Castle is about to be taken over by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his brother Hidenaga for two days. The Osaka Castle Autumn Festival 2026 takes place at Osaka Castle Park on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026. This year’s theme is “Toyotomi-ha!” (Team Toyotomi). With interest in the Toyotomi clan growing thanks to this year’s NHK historical drama, castles and cities with ties to the family will gather in front of the main keep.
November 7 is the keep’s 95th birthday, with anniversary music and a limited-edition “Tokaku certificate”
Day one falls on the very day, in 1931 (Showa 6), that the Osaka Castle keep was rebuilt, so it marks the 95th anniversary of the reconstruction. On stage, MITCH'S LIL BRATS BRASS BAND will perform in brass-band style based on records from the time, playing pieces such as “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Kojo no Tsuki” (10:30–10:50 and 15:00–15:20). Other events include a performance by the Nagoya Omotenashi Busho-tai (11:00–11:20 and 13:30–13:50) and a “Toyotomi-ha!” talk show (13:00–13:30) with comedian 山本 博 of Robert and keep director 跡部 信, hosted by Yomiuri TV announcer 諸國 沙代子.
Visitors who enter the keep that day will receive a commemorative “Tokaku certificate” while supplies last, limited in number. The Osaka Castle gozabune boat and the Nishinomaru Garden will also hand out free commemorative boarding passes and garden cards. All are available only until the planned quantities run out, so it pays to go early.
November 8: matchlock gun demonstration and 20 years of friendship with Ueda Castle
Day two connects Osaka with Ueda, the home of Sanada Yukimura. The Osaka Castle Matchlock Corps of the Inatomi-ryu gunnery school will give a matchlock gun demonstration (10:30–11:00 and 13:00–13:30), with deep booms you can feel in your chest and smoke rising into the sky.
Osaka Castle and Ueda Castle are marking 20 years since their friendship castle partnership, and a commemorative ceremony will be held at 14:00. The Shinshu Ueda Sanada Jin-daiko preservation society will also perform (11:30–12:00 and 14:30–15:00), expressing the Sanada clan’s exploits in the Battle of Ueda and the Sieges of Osaka through the sound of drums.
“Places with Ties” exhibition, with castles from across Kansai
On both days from 10:30 to 16:00, the “Places with Ties” exhibition runs in front of the keep. Taking part are Osaka Castle’s sister castles, Nagahama Castle (Nagahama, Shiga) and Wakayama Castle (Wakayama), Koriyama Castle (Yamatokoriyama, Nara), where Hidenaga served as lord, Nagoya, the brothers’ birthplace, and Ueda (Nagano). Booths from Wakayama Prefecture, NHK Osaka and Osaka Castle will also be there, offering goshuin-style castle stamps, hands-on activities such as badge-making and helmet-making, and merchandise. It could be a good starting point for a castle tour of Kansai.
Special exhibition, the Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum and a stroll through the autumn park
The special exhibition “Sengoku no Kyodai” (Siblings of the Warring States) runs on the 3rd and 4th floors of the keep through Monday, November 23 (a national holiday). The Osaka Castle Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum, where you can see a real stone wall that lay underground for about 400 years, is included with a keep admission ticket at no extra charge. In the park you can enjoy fragrant osmanthus and the red leaves of cherry trees, and hunting for the crests that feudal lords carved into the stone walls is another pleasure.
Other events held in the park at the same time include special openings of the turrets (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through November 29), the Yakiimo Fest (through November 8) and the Forest Barbecue (through November 8).
Event information
- Event: Osaka Castle Autumn Festival 2026
- Dates: Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026, 10:30–16:00
- Venue: Honmaru Plaza in front of the Osaka Castle keep, and various other places in the park
- Admission: Entry to Osaka Castle Park is free (separate fees apply for the keep, the special turret openings, etc.)
- Held at the same time: “Places with Ties” exhibition (both days)
- Organizer: Osaka Castle Park Management Co., Ltd.
