Hanshin Umeda Main Store is holding "Hanshin Christmas 2026" throughout the store from Thursday, November 5 to Friday, December 25, 2026. This year's main character is Pingu™, the penguin boy loved around the world, in the store's first collaboration with the character.
The event's theme is "Christmas to Share Your Love." Across the whole store, it aims to give visitors a chance to tell family, friends, or partners the thanks and feelings that are usually too embarrassing to say. During the event, the store is decorated with Pingu, and original "Hanshin Christmas 2026" paper bags and gift tools are available. Pingu will also visit the store to greet visitors.
Event Overview
- Event: Hanshin Christmas 2026
- Venue: Hanshin Umeda Main Store (the entire store)
- Period: November 5 (Thursday) to December 25 (Friday), 2026
- Official website: https://www.hanshin-dept.jp/hshonten/index.html
Special Events With Pingu
Pingu Greets Visitors at Opening
Image is for illustration purposes only.
Pingu will welcome visitors when the store opens.
- Dates and locations: Saturday, November 7 near Entrance No. 18 on the 2nd floor; Wednesday, December 2 near Entrance No. 6 on the first basement floor
- Greeting time: From 10:00 AM, about 5 minutes on each day
The duration and location may change depending on how crowded the store is.
Original Pingu Photo Booth (Christmas Only)
Photos are printed on 2L-size stickers and can also be downloaded.
An original Pingu photo booth made for Hanshin Umeda Main Store is available. Visitors choose a favorite frame from four designs and start shooting, leaving a memory with someone special together with Pingu.
- Period and location:
- November 5 (Thursday) to December 1 (Tuesday): 9th floor, Hanshin Daishokudo (阪神大食堂), next to the central escalator
- December 2 (Wednesday) to December 25 (Friday): 8th floor event space "Christmas Market," terrace side
- Price: ¥500 per use
Pingu Decorations Throughout the Store
Image is for illustration purposes only (in front of the 6th floor west escalator).
Pingu decorations appear in various places around the store, so visitors can enjoy walking through and finding their favorite Pingu.
- Period and location: November 5 (Thursday) to December 25 (Friday), throughout the store
Gift Tools
Image is for illustration purposes only.
A special "Message Card Charm" has a Christmas Pingu pattern on the front and space on the back to write a message. It is attached to the paper bag for customers who buy gifts in the store. Pingu "Ribbon Stickers" can also be chosen at gift-wrapping time to make presents look even more festive.
- Distribution period: November 5 (Thursday) to December 25 (Friday)
Preview: Hanshin Umeda Main Store Exclusive Christmas Shopper
A limited-time shopper bag will appear from December.
- Distribution period: December 2 (Wednesday) to December 25 (Friday)
- Distribution location: Eligible sales areas on the 2nd to 8th floors
Details, including the eligible sales areas, will be announced on December 2 (Wednesday) on the Hanshin Umeda Main Store Christmas special web page. The shoppers are available while supplies last.
Free Smartphone Wallpaper
An original "Hanshin Christmas 2026" smartphone wallpaper is offered as a free gift. Anyone can download it from the URL below during the period.
- Period and eligibility: November 5 (Thursday) to December 25 (Friday), open to everyone
- Download URL: https://www.hanshin-dept.jp/hshonten/shopnews/detail/12715790_3429.html
Umeichi Illumination Avenue: A Street of Light to Stroll With Pingu
Pingu and his friends also appear outside the store, in the underground passages near Hanshin Umeda Main Store. Following this year's theme of "sharing love," Pingu characters decorated with hearts and illumination reminiscent of an aurora light up the whole passage.
- Period: November 5 (Thursday) to December 25 (Friday)
- Location: Central passage and west passage of the Osaka Ekimae Underground Passage
About Pingu
Pingu is a stop-motion animation created by Swiss filmmaker Otmar Gutmann. The test film that became the prototype for Pingu was produced in 1980, and 2025 marks its 45th anniversary. Since 1990, the TV series has been broadcast in more than 155 countries and regions around the world, and the warm, humorous stories of the penguin boy Pingu and his friends are loved by people everywhere.
- Official website: https://www.pingu.jp/
- Official Instagram (@pingu_jp): https://www.instagram.com/pingu_jp/
- Official X (@pingu_jpn): https://x.com/pingu_jpn
- Official YouTube (@Pingu): https://www.youtube.com/@Pingu
Parent-Child Workshops and Christmas Pop-Up Shops
Workshops for parents and children, as well as pop-up shops offering Christmas items, are also held on various floors.
Workshops
Parent-Child Mini Pottery: Make Santas and Trees
- Location: 6th floor Community Space
- Date and time: Saturday, November 7, at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 2:30 PM (about 40 minutes per session)
- Fee: ¥2,200
- Ages: 5 years old to elementary school students
This pottery experience is easy to do, with a feel like playing in the mud. In addition to Christmas-themed Santas and trees, children can freely make whatever they like.
Handprint Christmas Ornament
- Location: 6th floor Community Space
- Dates and time: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM and between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM (about every 30 minutes)
- Fee: From ¥2,200 (varies by hand size)
- Ages: About 0 to 3 years old (hand size up to 11 cm)
- Minimum number of participants: 5 groups per day
A child's handprint is decorated with glitter to make a Christmas ornament, a keepsake that records the child's growth.
Pop-Up Shops
MAKI NUMOTO POP-UP SHOP
Snowflake brooch, ¥50,600 (can also be used as a pendant top).
- Location: 2nd floor Event Space 2
- Period: November 11 (Wednesday) to November 17 (Tuesday), ending at 6:00 PM on the final day
Maki Numoto (マキヌモト) is a costume jewelry brand that sets colorful crystal glass on original bases. The pop-up offers many Christmas-limited items and new arrivals.
Aquascutum 175th Anniversary POP-UP SHOP
- Location: 5th floor Event Terrace
- Period: November 18 (Wednesday) to November 24 (Tuesday), ending at 6:00 PM on the final day
The brand's signature trench coats are available in a wide range, including styles not normally carried. Special trench coat orders and customization such as patches are also offered during this pop-up.
Engaging Toy (エンゲージングトイ) POP-UP SHOP
- Location: 6th floor "Little Anniversary (リトルアニバーサリー)"
- Period: November 18 (Wednesday) to December 27 (Sunday), ending at 6:00 PM on the final day
The featured item is a block toy that can be freely combined so that a car runs along various course layouts, and its theme cards also help build concentration. A toy experience event is also held on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22. Many other products are also on offer.
