Osaka Pride happens every year, and is one of Kansai’s largest LGBTQ+ events. However, it’s not actually called Osaka Pride, it’s really called Kansai Rainbow Festa, so this is how I’ll mostly refer to it from now on. Kansai Rainbow Festa consists of a parade and various queer-related events, usually held over the course of one weekend in October.
In this article, I’ll go into a little more detail about Kansai Rainbow Festa, and touch on its events such as its pride parade, concerts, parties, booths and more. So, get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Kansai Rainbow Festa!
What Happened at Osaka Pride 2024
Kansai Rainbow Parade
The Kansai Rainbow Parade usually happens on the second day of Kansai Rainbow Festa, as a big celebration at the end of the weekend for everyone to enjoy. Participation in the parade, as well as in the entire pride weekend, is completely free, and is regularly attended by Japanese people and foreigners alike.
In 2024, the parade started on the afternoon of Sunday, October 27th, at 1 pm. However, lineup for the parade began at 12 pm, and registration for it began on the same day at 10 am, and stayed open until 1 pm.
The parade route began at Ogimachi Park in Osaka, very close to Ogimachi Subway Station, and ended back at the park, after making a large triangle shape across three streets in Osaka. (I wonder if the triangle shape of the parade route is intentional.)
Even though the details of the parade may change for 2025, it’s a good idea to get the gist of how it will go, so you can be prepared for next year!
No Gender Party Breeze
No Gender Party Breeze was held at 4:30 pm on Sunday, October 27th, 2024, right after the Kansai Rainbow Parade. It was hosted by Budoya, a club about a ten-minute walk from Ogimachi Park in Osaka, where the parade ended.
The cool thing about this afterparty is that it was actually a family-friendly event, where both adults and children could attend. However, it was still a dance party, so bringing your really little kids to next year’s party might not be the best idea.
The party hosted many DJs such as NISSY, YAMA, and GIA, and various queer performers such as samantha, SATOCO, FUUKA, and more.
Performers and Booths
During the span of the Kansai Rainbow Festa weekend, various LGBTQ+ performers took to the stage to entertain the large number of event goers, which, in 2023 reached 28,000 people! Some of the performers for the 2024 festival included idol group TEN6, veteran dance team H-Pag!, R&B singing drag queen Chiaki Whitmi!
In addition, various LGBTQ+ related businesses and organizations set up booths at the event, advertising their services to the queer community of Osaka and beyond.
The dates of Kansai Rainbow Festa, aka Osaka Pride 2024, were Saturday October 26th, from 11 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday October 27th, from 10 am to 4:30 pm. This means that there were many opportunities to catch your favorite performer, discover a new artist, or get helpful information from a queer-friendly organization’s booth.
Who Else Was Involved?
In addition to the queer performers at Kansai Rainbow Festa, a variety of artists also helped create the promotional material for the event, each bringing their own unique style of illustration to Kansai Rainbow Festa’s official flier.
Some of these artists include Cheese, whose cute cartoon style also involves elaborate pops of color (check out their Instagram here), and Rasty, who draws memorable characters, often birds or the Japanese cryptid called a “kappa” (check out their Instagram here).
History of Osaka Pride
Osaka Pride has been represented in various forms for many years, with the first Kansai Rainbow Parade kicking off in 2006, while the first Kansai Rainbow Festa happened in 2013.
However, a long-time predecessor to these events that’s been a cornerstone of the Osaka gay scene is Doyamacho, Osaka’s LGBTQ+ district. Although it’s not exclusively a queer district like Tokyo’s Shinjuku Nichome, it is the place in Osaka to go if you’re looking for gay bars, lesbian bars, or mix bars. Do keep in mind, however, that many of the gay or lesbian bars only allow their target gender to enter, and that mix bars are harder to find in Doyamacho than they are in Nichome.
Doyamacho began to be known for its gay nightlife around 20 to 30 years ago, and is also located close to Ogimachi Park, where Kansai Rainbow Festa takes place, so it’s convenient to hit the bars on the night after the parade.
The Next Osaka Pride
Although Kansai Rainbow Festa 2025 is a ways away at this point, it will probably look a lot like Kansai Rainbow Festa 2024. Most likely, it will take place some time in October in Ogimachi Park. There will of course be a parade, queer performers, booths, an afterparty and more.
Although the specific details of the event are still unknown, definitely keep up to date with JGG’s website to learn more info about Kansai Rainbow Festa 2025 as it comes out!
Other Pride Parades in Japan
In addition to the Osaka Pride Parade, various other cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka annually host or have hosted a pride parade before. If you want to learn more about the different pride parades that take place in Japan every year, check this article out!
My Personal Thoughts
Japan celebrates LGBTQ+ pride in a variety of ways every year, and Osaka is no exception! With its annual pride parade, concerts, and parties, Osaka is a great destination to go to for its pride festival alone!
Hopefully this article has given you a little more information about Osaka Pride, so you can get ready to plan your trip for 2025!