The evening festival is the most famous part of the Osaka Tenjin Matsuri. The crowds are enormous, the biggest I have been in at a festival. But it is worth it to have a look and to soak in the atmosphere.


The day parade was busy, but it was a weekday. By the evening the streets were very very crowded.


Dojima River from the Tenmabashi Bridge


The boats were loaded. If you look closely you can see people passing around bento boxes.


The sun came down over the city


The boats headed off


The lights came on


The floats moved down the river


As it got darker the lights became more impressive.


The smaller boats darted around as the bigger boats moved slowly past. (Some of there photos have been taken above my head to shoot over the 2/3 rows of people in front of us on the bridge.)


Boats on the river


Watching the river


Ningyo-bune



A bit closer


Another barge passes us


and another


A portable shrine.


The barge passing.


THe big barges where having a good time


Looking a bit closer


Party time


Another beautiful shot of the boats.


Portable shrine


Portable shrine


Yes, it got a bit same-ish, but all festivals are a bit like that. It was still very pretty


A final shot


We did not stay for the fireworks. It had been a long hot day so we wandered around the stalls and took a train home to beat the worst of the crowd.

A huge festival. Most of the other ones we go to are smaller and more local. This was a different affair and we really enjoyed it.