Events
Update：2025/3/28
- Samurai Armour Display for Children’s Day
- Sakai Knife Festival
- The Third India Day in Sakai
- Naniwa Honzome (Chusen) WEEK
- International Women’s Sumo Invitational Championship, Sakai
- Otohime’s Holiday Festival
- Make Tea in a Tea Ceremony Room
- Rose Garden in Hamadera Park
Check the Flower Calendar page for upcoming blooming flower information!
There will be peonies, azaleas and wisteria blooming around Sakai.
Samurai Armour Display for Children’s Day
(1) The Old Yamaguchi Family Residence, (2) Old Seigakuin Mountain Priest Dojo and (3) Old Gunsmith Workshop and Residence will display samurai armour. You can see samurai armour decorations passed down from the Meiji period from the old prestigious family in the old moat area at (1), samurai armour decorations passed down for generations at (2), and samurai doll display at (3).
For more details visit Traditional Townhouse Museums.
Sakai Knife Festival
This popular event will take place this year again!
Date/time: April 12th (Sat) ~ 13th (Sun), 10:00-16:00
Admission: Free
Venue: Sakai Industrial Promotion Center (in front of Nakamozu station)
● Exhibition and on the spot sale of Sakai knives
● Knife sharpening (fee-charging, until 14:00 on the 12th, 12:00 on the 13th)
● Traditional metal tempering performance* (handcrafting process of red-hot heated iron being hammered and shaped)
*Two performances on both days from 10:30 and 13:30.
There will also be food stalls selling Japanese style lunchbox (obento), small dishes, bread, sweets, drinks and more!
The Third India Day in Sakai
It is a two-day event where you can enjoy Indian culture in Sakai. From food and drink, sale of goods, to dance, music and yoga stage performances there will be lots to enjoy. No need for reservation and entrance fee.
Date/time: April 26th (Sat), 27th (Sun), both days 11:00-18:00
Venue: Mina Sakai (in front of City Hall)
Naniwa Honzome (Chusen) WEEK
May 26th (Mon) ~ 31st (Sat)
Venue: Naka Ward Office Entrance Hall
Exhibition of chusen products (26th ~ 31st)
● There will be an exhibition of yukata summer kimono and tenugui towels as well as panels showing the dyeing process.
Selling of products (30th ~ 31st 9:30-16:00)
● Tenugui, gauze handkerchiefs, and other chusen products are available for purchase.
Snowflake pattern tie-dyeing workshop (31st 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 5 times in total, 8 people each time, 1,500 yen)
● It is a dyeing experience that children or first timers can easily do. The workshop is around 30-60 minutes long. You can take it home and use the tenugui that you make.
To apply: Through the Sakai City e-application system or by phone (072-270-8181), FAX (072-270-8101) addressed to the Naka Ward Office Planning and General Affairs Division. If there are free spaces, you may be able to join on the day.
International Women’s Sumo Invitational Championship, Sakai
Day of competition: April 13th (Sun) 10:00-16:00
Venue: Sumo Stadium, Ohama Park
Athletes from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand are set to participate. Come and see the intense matches for yourself!
Otohime’s Holiday Festival
The event will take place on the embankment of Old Sakai Port where you can spend the evening feeling the fresh sea breeze. You can enjoy all kinds of gourmet foods, workshops that children can join and music by artists.
Date/time: May 9th (Fri), 10th (Sat), 15:00-21:00
Venue: Old Sakai Port (Area around 3, Ohamakita-machi, Sakai-ku)
Closest station: Nankai line, Sakai station west or south exit
Fee: Free ※Food stalls and workshops are fee-charged
Canceled in case of stormy weather.
For more information visit the website (Japanese only).
Make Tea in a Tea Ceremony Room
In an authentic tea house, anyone can join a tea ceremony experience. You are welcome to join even if it’s your first time or alone. Under the guidance of the three tea ceremony schools, you will not only be able to learn the manners of chanoyu such as crawling on hands and knees through a low tearoom entrance (nijiri), to sit cross-legged (seiza), how to appreciate the alcove (tokonoma) and how to enjoy Japanese sweets and tea but also you can actually make your own tea.
Date: April 20th (Sun), May 18th (Sun)
Both days: ①10:00~ ②11:30~ ③13:00~ ④ 14:30~ ⑤16:00~ (each time 20 people)
Venue: Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko
Fee: Adults 1,000 yen, high school students 900 yen, junior high school students and below 800 yen
Application: Through the reservation site (Japanese only).
Rose Garden in Hamadera Park
In May the spring roses in Hamadera Park bloom proud and beautifully.
From wild roses that are native to Japan to the modern rose, you can enjoy 6,000 rose trees of 500 different varieties! On May 18th (Sun) children and adults alike can enjoy the 45th Hamadera Rose Carnival. ※In case of rain, it will be postponed to May 25th (Sun).
