Appearing during Golden Week! An extraordinary waterside space and market festival!

The NAKANOSHIMA RIVER FESTA, Osaka’s waterfront festival, is held with the support of many visitors and volunteer companies and organizations.

Headlined by the “Waterside Animal Encounter,” the festival creates an extraordinary, waterside environment made up of a one-of-a-kind program lineup, and is held at the tail end of Golden Week to meet the expectations of energetic Osaka residents who still want more fun.

Every year an EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai PR booth appears, contributing to fostering momentum for the EXPO (enhancing related programming and strengthening outreach to the media).

Project Inauguration

The NAKANOSHIMA RIVER FESTA began as Osaka’s waterfront festival with the aims of “promoting the appeal of Water City Osaka and creating a place in the city center waterside where people can enjoy an extraordinary experience,” and “allowing many children to fully enjoy the waterside, entrusting the development of Water City Osaka to the next generation, and passing it on.” Taking advantage of the Nakanoshima Banks location, volunteers have gathered to hold the event each year with the goal of fostering local exchange and revitalizing Osaka.

Project Activities

Started in 2018, this year marks the seventh edition. The festival has been alongside the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai from the beginning; back when the current Expo association was still the bid committee, we joined together in Nakanoshima under the slogan “Bring the Expo back to Osaka.” Last year we welcomed 4,500 visitors, and attendance has increased year by year. Awareness of the event has grown, and we increasingly hear attendees expressing a desire for the festival to continue. We feel that the festival is indeed contributing to the local community.

Future Prospects for the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai

The NAKANOSHIMA RIVER FESTA has continually promoted the appeal and potential of Osaka’s waterside culture. Following the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, we will further evolve the River Festa as an emblematic event of “Water City Osaka,” continuing to create a place where many visitors can experience the pleasures and diversity of Osaka’s waterfronts. Working in collaboration with local children, artists, and businesses, we will jointly envision a sustainable waterside future and contribute to the success of the Expo.