Other Cities General Information Places to See Local Dishes Local Souvenirs Directions Excursions Map Weather Tenjin Matsuri Festival The Tenjin Matsuri is one of Japan's three major festivals with the other duo being the Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo and the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto. It is a huge summer event in Osaka and is held annually from July 24th to July 25th. Its origins can be traced back to a festival in the Osaka Tenman-gu Shrine in which local people first flew a halberd as part of a purification ceremony from Shato no Hama. It dates back to the time, two years following the purification ceremony, of the shrine's foundation. With the passage of time however, the festival has now become an event synonymous with Osaka, a Japanese city of water. Kishiwada Danjiri Festivall The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is held each year in the southern Osaka region of Kishiwada between September 14th and the 15th. The highlight of the festival is the dynamic "Yarimawashi," or the performance to make a danjiri float turn at right angles.