A new Christmas market, "Christmas Commons," will be held at Nakanoshima Park in Osaka from Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, 2026. It is held in collaboration with MEET YOUR ART, which has worked across fields including crafts, fashion, food, and music, starting from art. While keeping the fun that is special to Christmas, the market brings together a variety of cultures to offer experiences that go beyond those of a conventional Christmas market.
The venue is a Christmas-style space lined with illuminations and huts, where about 30 shops from across Japan, mainly from Osaka and the Kansai region, gather. Alongside classic Christmas food and drinks, the market features shops that lead Osaka's fashion culture, crafts by artists and artisans, and carefully selected food.
The program also includes a large artwork on the theme of a Christmas tree by contemporary artist Tatzu Nishi (西野達), public art by emerging artists, live performances by musicians, and talks and workshops.
For more information, visit the official event website.
Event Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Christmas Commons |
| Dates | Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, 2026 |
| Hours | 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM |
| Venue | Around the lawn plaza (芝生広場) in Nakanoshima Park (1-1 Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka) |
| Admission | Free |
| Organizer | 大阪にぎわい創出発信事業実行委員会 (an executive committee made up of Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau), as part of its 大阪来てな！ project |
| Main Content | Christmas market, public art exhibition, illuminations, live music, talk sessions, workshops, and more |
A Large Artwork by Tatzu Nishi
As the artwork that symbolizes Christmas Commons, contemporary artist Tatzu Nishi (西野達) will create a new work on the theme of a Christmas tree.
Nishi is internationally known for works that boldly transform the scenery and everyday appearance of cities, using public spaces as his stage. He has a deep connection with Nakanoshima, Osaka. His past works include Nakanoshima Hotel (中之島ホテル, 2012), which turned a public restroom in Nakanoshima Park into a hotel where people could stay, and 永遠に続くわけがない (2023), in which a scrapped passenger car and a van were stacked vertically in front of the Central Public Hall, the two vehicles treated as flowerpots, and a shii tree was planted in them.
For this project, he reconstructs the Christmas tree, the symbol of a Christmas market, from his own perspective, creating a new experience and sense of surprise in the Nakanoshima landscape.
Image of the hybrid-model Christmas tree
About Tatzu Nishi
Tatzu Nishi (photo by Kazuhiro Tsushima)
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1960, Tatzu Nishi (西野達) is a contemporary artist internationally known for bold installation works set in public spaces.
He has carried out large-scale projects around the world, including The Merlion Hotel (2011), which turned Singapore's Merlion into a hotel, and Discovering Columbus (2012), which surrounded the statue of Columbus in New York with a living room. In 2023, he was also featured on the MBS/TBS program Jonetsu Tairiku (情熱大陸).
Public Art Selected Through an Open Call
In addition to Nishi's large-scale work, the market will exhibit the winning works of "Christmas Commons PUBLIC ART AWARD 2026," an open-call art project that aims to create new opportunities for artists to express themselves.
The award invited public art works that would create a new landscape in Nakanoshima in winter. After judging, みょうじなまえ was selected for the Grand Prize, and 加藤智大 was selected for the Excellence Award, which was newly established.
Left: "Love" by みょうじなまえ / Right: "anonymous-human#69 “visage”" by 加藤智大
All images are for illustration purposes only.
About 30 Shops From Across Japan, Mainly Osaka and Kansai
Shops from a wide range of genres, including art, crafts, and fashion, will set up at the market. Visitors can find artworks, tableware by artists in Japan, art books, and fashion items from select shops representing Osaka and young designers.
In the food and drink area, the market offers hot wine and craft beer, as well as carefully made food from distinctive producers, mainly in Osaka and the Kansai region, with flavors suited to winter in Nakanoshima.
The market proposes a new kind of shopping experience that goes beyond a Christmas market: visitors can learn about each maker's character and story while looking for gifts for loved ones or something special for themselves.
Participating Shops (Selection)
IMA:ZINE
IMA:ZINE is an editorial store based in Nakatsu, Osaka. It selects and edits "the now that needs to be told" from its own perspective and creates new values. For Christmas and the New Year, it will present a range of items.
QUE sera sera
QUE sera sera introduces items by designers and producers it has met around the world, presenting goods born from the gifts of nature and the handwork of their makers together with their stories. At this market, the focus will be on the German brand KOST KAMM.
shiromimiryu
shiromimiryu is known for choosing flowers with attention to the interest of color, texture, and form, mainly distinctive flowers and branches. It expresses flowers selected with its own sensibility through nuanced color combinations and free arrangements.
ぬいぐるみドリーム!
ぬいぐるみドリーム! is a project for plush toy lovers that started in 2021. Under the motto "Stuffed toys are friends" (「ぬいぐるみはお友達」), it introduces vintage and used plush toys as well as works by artists. Through exchanges between plush toys and people, it continues its activities to spread kind feelings.
Reiko Egawa ceramic works
Reiko Egawa is a ceramic artist who has been active in Tokyo since 2023. While using traditional techniques such as nerikomi (marbled-clay patterning) and kannyu (crackle glaze), the artist explores new expressions in pottery and aims to make works that fit into daily life. At this market, the artist will sell Christmas ornaments as well as a popular Santa figurine, which sits quietly and looks endearing.
COCOROSTORE
COCOROSTORE is a shop in Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture. It values the lives of people who live alongside the nature of the San'in region, the skills passed down in the area, and the connections between makers, and selects a wide range of items including ceramics, folk toys, dyed and woven textiles, woodwork, and washi paper. At this market, it will present items for the winter season such as Christmas and the New Year, including seasonal gifts and handcrafted goods for daily life that convey the culture and climate of the land.
That's Pizza (ザッツピザ)
That's Pizza opened in Fuse in 2015 with the motto "a cool pizza shop rooted in the community." It bakes pizza every day and values its ties with local people, and has since opened its Minami-Horie store in 2019, Umeda Toyosaki store in 2021, and Tamatsukuri store in 2022. Besides holding pizza-making classes for children, it grows the vegetables used as pizza toppings itself, sharing the appeal of pizza together with the community.
curry&spice warung
curry&spice warung serves spice curry made with seasonal ingredients. The deep aroma of the spices layers with the individuality of each ingredient, so every visit brings a new kind of deliciousness. Its menu changes on a whim, which is also part of its appeal. The shop offers a gentle, deep plate that you would want to eat every day.
wabi-sabi 発酵と珈琲と。
From wabi-sabi 発酵と珈琲と。 in Sakai, Osaka, the market will offer multinational dishes made with homemade fermented seasonings and spices, such as Taiwanese gua bao and spicy tacos. They are dishes meant to warm the heart and body on a winter night, adding a little exotic breeze to an ordinary Christmas.
WALL_alternative
WALL_alternative, in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo, curates Japanese wines from all over the country and brings a lineup of distinctive wines from makers across Japan. Visitors can enjoy the different aromas and flavors that vary by region and grape variety and find a favorite glass. Hot wine, which suits the cold season, will also be available, so visitors can enjoy the art and the market with a warm drink in hand.
Participating shops and products are subject to change. Details will be announced as they are confirmed.
Live Music, Talks, and Workshops
During the event, a variety of programs will be held, including live performances by musicians and DJs, talk sessions, and workshops.
On Friday, December 11, a special jazz band centered on シンサカイノ will perform a one-night live show of Christmas classics in jazz arrangements. On Saturday, December 12, a DJ set by DJ Chika a.k.a. Inherit will be followed by Tribe Sampler Collective, a band project that reconstructs the music Nujabes left behind and the songs he loved through collaborations with musicians active around the world. The group will perform a special Nujabes tribute set.
Talk sessions with guests including artists, craftspeople, chefs, and cultural figures, as well as art and craft experiences that both children and adults can enjoy, are also planned. Through programs that let visitors listen to music, touch handmade works, and talk with makers, the market aims to create a place where people and cultures meet.
Special Live Schedule
| Date | Time | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, December 11 | From 7:30 PM | Special Christmas Jazz Live |
| Saturday, December 12 | From 6:00 PM | DJ Chika a.k.a. Inherit |
| Saturday, December 12 | From 7:00 PM | Tribe Sampler Collective – Nujabes Tribute Set – |
Performers and program details will be announced as they are confirmed.
The Venue: Nakanoshima, Osaka's Hub of Culture and Waterfront
Nakanoshima is home to a variety of cultural facilities, including Osaka City Central Public Hall, Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, the National Museum of Art, Osaka, and Festival Hall. Although it is in the city center, it has plenty of greenery and waterfront.
Christmas Commons takes advantage of this location and aims to become a new winter tradition of Osaka, where art and the city's scenery blend together.
The market is held at the same time as OSAKA光のルネサンス 2026, one of Osaka's largest light events, which draws many visitors every year. The organizers aim to encourage visitors to walk around the Nakanoshima area and, through the combined effect of the two events, to share Osaka's cultural appeal in Japan and overseas along with the Christmas festivities.
For details on OSAKA光のルネサンス 2026, see the official website.
