Tenjin Matsuri

Tenjin Matsuri belongs to Osaka Tenmangu, the shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, and is traced to 951, when a spear was floated on the river to choose the site of a purification. It is counted with Kyoto's Gion and Tokyo's Kanda as one of the three great festivals of Japan and it runs on 24 and 25 July. The land procession on the second afternoon moves several thousand people through the streets in Heian costume with drum troupes and portable shrines. The part that distinguishes it is the funatogyo: at dusk the procession boards boats, and around a hundred vessels move up and down the Okawa carrying the shrine, drummers, bunraku puppeteers and guests, exchanging greetings between boats as they pass, lit by lanterns, with a fireworks display over the water above them. Watching from a bank is free; a place on a boat is arranged well in advance.

What you actually see

• The river procession - about a hundred lit boats carrying the shrine and performers.
• A 951 origin - traced to a spear floated on the river to choose a purification site.
• Land procession first - several thousand people in Heian costume through the streets.
• Fireworks over the water - fired above the boats through the evening.

When to go

24 and 25 July, evening on the second day. Two evenings.

Honest expectations

July heat and humidity in Osaka are severe and the crowds are dense. Riverbank viewing spots are claimed hours ahead. Boat places must be arranged well in advance and are expensive. Rain can curtail the fireworks.

Nearby

Osaka Tenmangu is the festival's shrine; Nakanoshima is downstream.