Obon (mid-August)
Obon is Japan's late-summer ancestral remembrance period, and in mid-August large numbers of city residents return to family homes, leaving central Osaka noticeably quieter than its busiest summer weeks — a genuinely good time to visit for those who find the summer peak daunting. Many traditional events, including Bon Odori folk dancing held in parks and neighbourhoods throughout the city, run during this period.
Winter illuminations (December)
Osaka's winter illumination season, concentrated around the Umeda area and running from late November through December, is lower-key than some of Japan's famous illumination events but worth factoring into an evening's walk around the department-store district. Osaka Castle's Nishinomaru Garden also runs a winter illumination programme.
Hatsumode (New Year)
The first shrine visit of the new year, hatsumode, draws enormous crowds to Osaka's major shrines and temples in the first days of January — particularly Sumiyoshi Taisha, Osaka Tenmangu and Shitennoji. It's one of the liveliest street-level events in the city's calendar, even if the queues at the most popular spots can run long.