Spring in Osaka: Sakura, Nightlife & Food Tours

More laidback than Tokyo and more youthful than Kyoto, Osaka is a worthwhile destination any time of year, but especially so during the pleasant spring season, when the must-visit sites and attractions are painted pastel pink with cherry blossoms. 

Stay tuned to hear what weather you can expect on your trip, what to pack, where to go, along with plenty of ideas of what to get up to during the day and night in this soulful city. 

Welcome to spring in Osaka!

With temperate weather and cherry blossoms galore, spring is a wonderful time to visit Osaka, even with the crowds and price increases that the sakura blooms inevitably bring. 

According to our 2025 Cherry Blossom Forecast, the sakura are set to start flowering on March 29 and be in full bloom by April 5. If you’re looking for cherry blossoms in Osaka, we’ve compiled a list of the best places for Osaka sakura sightings. 

Consider booking a cherry blossom-themed tour in Karahori, an off-the-beaten-path hanami spot. 

You’ll explore secret communal gardens, winding streets and local shops, where you’ll pick up some takeout and snacks to enjoy on an authentic hanami picnic. Stroll under the cherry blossoms as you take in the sights of spring! 

After the cold winter, spring provides a nice transition into summer’s humidity and heat. Below are the average temperatures in Osaka across the spring months.

If you’re planning on coming to Osaka during the spring, you’ll need to know what to wear and what to pack. We recommend bringing light, breezy layers, including a sweater or cardigan for the chillier evenings. 

As far as what to pack in your bag, toting some sunscreen and a UV umbrella is essential. You can pick up these necessities at your nearest drugstore. 

Whether you prefer a quiet meal in an upscale restaurant, bar hopping or shopping, anyone can enjoy Osaka’s lively nightlife during the spring months. 

Go bar crawling just like the locals on this Osaka bar-hopping tour. Starting off with the Glico man in Dotonbori, you’ll walk through Osaka’s top attractions as you feast on a total of seven dishes and five drinks in three restaurants. 

Visit both popular locales like Hozen-ji Temple and Namba, as well as the hidden backstreets. 

If you want to see the famous yokocho, or alleyways, for yourself, check out any of these lively areas in Osaka for your next bar-hopping excursion: 

Two blocks south of Hozenji lies Hozenji Yokocho, an alley that reminds one of the Edo Period. Home to a moss-covered temple, friendly cats and 60+ shops and restaurants, this is a great place to savor the soul food of Osaka. 

Featured in the 1989 film Black Rain, Juso Shonben Yokocho is full of character, which you might be able to tell by its nickname of “Piss Alley.” Don’t worry, though, that’s just the dry humor of Osakans, as this area is known for budget-friendly gyoza, okonomiyaki and jumbo beer bottles.

You’ll definitely feel like you’ve stepped back into the 50s as you enter Janjan Yokocho. Home to standing bars, arcades, restaurants, old-school candy shops and even a chess lounge, there’s no shortage of things to do here.

A food theme park? Need we say more? Enter the world of Tempozan Marketplace in Naniwa Kuishinbo, hosting no fewer than 20 restaurants designed to serve you and your family day and night.

Perhaps one of the most underrated areas in Osaka, Taisho is where you go to get the feeling of being in Osaka and Okinawa at the same time. Knock back drinks right under the train tracks at the Okinawa-style bars before heading to Tugboat Taisho for live music and international cuisine.

Slightly more unconventional than the rest of the yokocho, the Parco Basement houses some 25 bars and restaurants, ranging from elegant cocktail bars to magic shows to live music with local DJs. The international cuisine is second to none, too, allowing your tastebuds to take a journey across the world!

Find out more: Best Yokocho in Osaka

Below is a list of the best places to go and what you can get up to there: 

1. Dotonbori: For eating and drinking to the point of ruin (an Osaka-born concept known as kuidaore).

2. Shinsaibashi: For shopping and a drink or two.

3. Shinsekai: For a queer-friendly night out with retro vibes all around.

4. Umeda: For high-end shopping and panoramic views.

5. Tenjin: For the social butterflies who want to interact with the locals (or serenade them with some karaoke!).

Get more ideas on what to do in Osaka at night in our blog about Osaka’s nightlife.

With pleasant weather and seasonal treats, the street food in Osaka during the spring can’t be beat. Here’s what to try and a street food tour you can join: 

There’s no bad time to have omakase sushi, but the seasonal menus during the spring are worth visiting one of these top omakase sushi restaurants in Osaka. Translating to “chef’s choice,” omakase sushi leaves the decisions up to the chef, meaning you’ll get the freshest in-season seafood served up in a number of delicious ways.

Find out more: Why is Omakase Sushi So Expensive?

A special shoutout goes to Sushi Mahoroba for serving omakase sushi until as late as 3 am. If you’re craving omakase sushi after a night out on the town, stop by for enticing dishes like buttery grilled scallops or firefly squid in soy sauce. 

The Paris and Coney Island-inspired retro district of Shinsekai is a haven for any serious foodie. Embark on this Shinsekai street food tour and you’ll taste all of Osaka’s famous street foods, including kushikatsu and takoyaki. 

Beloved by Japanese people and culinary enthusiasts across the globe, takoyaki is one of the most popular street foods in Osaka for good reason. 

Made with a batter of wheat flour covering a ball of octopus, pickled ginger and chives, these irresistibly crispy and gooey bites are then drizzled in takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, dried seaweed and bonito flakes. 

Eat them while they’re hot for the best taste, ideally while going for a nice spring walk!

Find out more: Japanese Street Food Guide: Takoyaki

Originating in the Shinsekai district of Osaka, these fried skewers started out as a simple dish for blue-collar workers and quickly became a local favorite. 

Featuring various meats, seafood and vegetables covered in a batter of egg, flour and panko breadcrumbs, what’s not to love? And since kushikatsu typically consists of one item per skewer, that just leaves more room to try out all the varieties you can…

Find out more: What is Kushikatsu?

Don’t want to break the bank during your travels to Osaka? Here are a few budgeting tips so you can enjoy Osaka stress-free:

Since spring is a peak season, we’d recommend getting everything booked early to avoid price hikes closer to cherry blossom season. 

If you’ve seen cherry blossoms before and are happy to avoid the crowds and reduce your travel costs, avoid the sakura season! 

Taking place during the final week of April and into early May, Golden Week is another time to avoid due to increased costs and crowds of families with the week off.

Find out more: What is Golden Week?

As the weather warms up, people flock to one of Osaka’s most famous entertainment districts, Dotonbori, to take advantage. 

Grab a selfie with the Glico man, sample the mouthwatering street food (visit our Dotonbori street food guide for suggestions on what to eat!), or shop till you drop at the Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai shopping arcade. 

Find out more: Best things to do in Dotonbori

Want to take the guesswork out of your visit? Join this daytime food tour of Dotonbori with an English-speaking guide local to the area. Learn why Osaka is dubbed “Japan’s Kitchen” as you taste Osaka’s specialties: kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), Michelin-rated takoyaki (octopus fritters) and an izakaya lunch. 

Kuromon Market reigns supreme for all fresh seafood, meat, produce and street food. This nostalgic foodie hub is located in the Nipponbashi area, and nearly 150 stores lined the 600-meter street in pre-pandemic times. 

With a wide variety of vendors, you can get everything from traditional wagashi sweets to affordable clothing to souvenirs, although the high-quality seafood is one of the main draws.

If you’re coming during the springtime, you’ll have an abundance of seasonal seafood to choose from, including sea bream (tai), whitebait (shirasu), skipjack tuna (katsuo), sakura shrimp and more. 

Don’t forget to try a spring seafood rice bowl at any restaurant that offers it — you won’t regret it! 

For the most passionate of food lovers, this Kuromon Ichiba foodie tour is a great option for getting the most out of your visit. Our expert guide will help you decipher the handwritten Japanese menus and try out 10-13 local favorites over two hours. 

A symbol of the unification of Japan, Osaka Castle is as historically significant as it is beautiful to look at. Spring is arguably the best time to pay a visit as the pink cherry blossoms form a carpet underneath the white and turquoise castle. 

But even if you come outside of the cherry blossom season, the vibrant green grounds still make for a great stroll.

Those wanting to see all of Osaka in a day can opt for this five-hour walking tour of Osaka, hitting up iconic landmarks like Osaka Castle, Amerika-mura, Shinsaibashi-suji, Dotonbori, Hozen-ji Temple, and, finally, Kuromon Market. 

Our bilingual guide will lead the way, showing you all the foods and sights of the city that you cannot miss before departing. Come with an empty stomach and grab a spot for yourself!

Interested in more content on spring in Japan? Check out the best things to do during spring in Japan and our 3-day Osaka itinerary for first-time visitors.