Conventions, food culture and Kansai energy
Kansai's big, convivial food city, with an international airport on the bay and Kyoto 15 minutes away by Shinkansen.
Kansai International Airport (KIX): about 35–40 minutes to Namba on the Nankai rapi:t, about 50 minutes to Shin-Osaka on the Haruka express, and 60–75 minutes to Umeda by private coach depending on traffic.
Osaka Itami Airport (ITM): domestic flights, including from Tokyo Haneda (about 1h10 flight time). Allow 25–35 minutes by coach to Umeda: the fastest option for a group flying in from Tokyo.
Kobe Airport (UKB): an alternative for some domestic flights, about 45 minutes from Umeda.
From Tokyo: the Nozomi Shinkansen links Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in about 2h30. Shin-Osaka is 5 minutes from Umeda by train; we meet groups there and arrange separate luggage transfer.
Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Convention Center) in Nakanoshima is the benchmark venue: a Main Hall of about 2,750 seats, a 2,600 m² Event Hall for exhibits and dinners, a special conference hall on the 12th floor and numerous meeting rooms. INTEX Osaka, in Nanko on the bay, is western Japan's largest exhibition center with six halls; note that Hall 3 is scheduled to close temporarily from April 2027 to March 2028.
Osaka conference hotels — Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka (Nakanoshima), Imperial Hotel Osaka, Hilton Osaka, InterContinental Osaka, Conrad Osaka, Swissôtel Nankai Osaka, Hyatt Regency Osaka — offer ballrooms for several hundred guests and large room inventories. For a 300–500 person convention, Osaka usually allows plenary, gala dinner and accommodation in one hotel or two neighboring hotels. Exact capacities are confirmed case by case.
The business center around Osaka Station, 5 minutes from Shin-Osaka: major hotels, office towers and the new Grand Green Osaka district. An ideal convention base.
The island between two rivers that houses Grand Cube Osaka, museums and conference hotels. A calm, elegant setting with river cruises available.
Minami's lively heart, with the Dotonbori canal and its neon signs. Direct Nankai trains to Kansai Airport. Perfect for a street-food crawl.
The main shopping artery between Umeda and Namba, with new hotels and luxury boutiques. Convenient for groups who want the south's energy without staying in the thick of it.
The castle park, its gardens and event spaces. A spectacular setting for a reception or an outdoor cultural activity.
The waterfront with INTEX Osaka, Universal Studios Japan and Yumeshima island, site of Expo 2025. Suited to trade shows, large-scale events and incentive evenings.
Osaka
グランキューブ大阪（大阪府立国際会議場）
Grand Cube Osaka is Osaka's flagship international convention center on Nakanoshima island, designed by Kisho Kurokawa and opened in 2000. It combines a 2,754-seat main hall, a 328-seat small hall, a 2,600 m² pillar-free Event Hall and more than 25 meeting rooms (27 to 540 people depending on setup). Location is its main asset: in the heart of the business district, 10 minutes from Umeda, and connected to Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka, which simplifies accommodation, banquets and transfers for congresses of 500 to 3,000 participants. It is especially well suited to medical and scientific congresses, general assemblies and corporate conventions that need a plenary plus parallel sessions.
Max. capacity 2,754 pax · 9 hotels
Ambience · OsakaOsaka
インテックス大阪
INTEX Osaka is the largest exhibition center in western Japan: 70,000 m² of exhibition space across six halls (Hall 6 divides into four zones of about 10,000 m² each) and 72 meeting rooms. Opened in 1985, it hosted the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit. Located on Osaka Bay (Nanko / Cosmosquare), it hosts more than 200 events a year: trade shows, consumer exhibitions, congresses with exhibitions and incentive parties. The largest conference room seats about 400; for a larger plenary, a hall is fitted out. Grand Prince Hotel Osaka Bay and Hotel Fukuracia Osaka Bay are a 3-minute walk away, so exhibitors and delegates can stay on site.
Osaka Bay · 2 hotels
Ambience · OsakaOsaka
ナレッジキャピタル コングレコンベンションセンター
The Congrès Convention Center is the conference facility of Grand Front Osaka, right above Osaka Station. Its main hall of about 1,700 m² (7.4 m ceiling) seats more than 1,400 theater-style and divides into two or three spaces. Nine conference rooms (40 to 600 people depending on setup), simultaneous interpretation booths for up to six languages and direct loading access make it an efficient tool for seminars, product launches, symposiums and conventions of 200 to 1,500 people. Its main strength is connectivity: JR, subway, Hankyu and Hanshin lines within minutes, and several international hotels on foot (InterContinental, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton).
Umeda · 5 hotels
Osaka
ザ・ガーデンオリエンタル・大阪
The Garden Oriental Osaka occupies the former Osaka City Guest House (Osaka-shi Kokan), a 1959 modernist building by Kenzo Takekoshi on the Okawa River next to Sakuranomiya Park. It hosted heads of state and delegations (APEC 1995, the 2019 Osaka G20 spouses' programme) before reopening in 2014 as a restaurant and event venue, on grounds of about 4,000 tsubo with a garden. Eight rooms spread between the main building and a new wing, plus a rooftop and the garden, host seminars, conferences, award ceremonies and gala dinners. The largest, the Oriental Park Room (244 m²), seats 160 and takes up to 240 theatre-style; the venue cites events of up to 480 guests by combining spaces.
Max. capacity 240 pax
Osaka Castle
A 525-room hotel facing Osaka Castle, home to western Japan's largest banquet hall: Hoh, 2,380 m², up to 3,100 theater-style. The quintessential MICE hotel for very large conventions and gala dinners.
Osaka Bay
The former Hyatt Regency Osaka, operated since July 2023 as Grand Prince Hotel Osaka Bay. Right next to INTEX Osaka, it offers 480 rooms and the largest hall on the bay: 1,790 m², up to nearly 2,500 theater-style.
Nakanoshima
Osaka's largest conference hotel: about 1,000 rooms, 56 banquet spaces and a 1,360 m² main hall (up to 1,800 theater-style). Renovated and rebranded as a Vignette Collection (IHG) hotel in 2025, it connects directly to Grand Cube Osaka.
Umeda
A 291-room luxury hotel in Nishi-Umeda with English-manor decor. With a 1,174 m² main hall (up to 1,500 theater-style) and around ten spaces, it combines rare convention capacity with top-tier service.
Ambience · OsakaNamba
A 546-room hotel directly above Nankai Namba Station, 35–40 minutes from KIX with no change. A 1,120 m² main hall (up to 1,400 theater-style) and 17 other spaces: the most practical convention hotel in southern Osaka.
Sakuranomiya
A 378-room hotel on the Okawa riverside and a benchmark of Japanese hospitality. Its 1,665 m² main hall (up to 1,200 theater-style) and some twenty other spaces make it a top choice for galas and prestige conventions.
Tanimachi
A business hotel of about 180 rooms, 1 minute from Tanimachi 4-chome subway station, between the Honmachi business district and Osaka Castle. A 127 m² multipurpose room (up to 80 theater-style) hosts a meeting or group dinner.
Shinsaibashi
A Candeo hotel in Higashi-Shinsaibashi, known for its rooftop open-air bath (Sky Spa) and quality bedding. A comfortable, economical option for housing a group in the heart of Minami.
Shinsaibashi
A 229-room design hotel between Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, with a lively restaurant-lounge. A stylish urban base for an incentive or team wanting to experience Osaka from the inside.
Kitahama
A 260-room business hotel directly connected to Kitahama subway station, in Osaka's historic financial district by the river. An efficient base for delegates at a Nakanoshima event or a seminar in the business center.
Umeda
A hotel with classic European-inspired decor, 5 minutes from JR Osaka Station on the edge of the Kitashinchi dining district. It has banquet and meeting rooms: an elegant, affordable option in Umeda.
Nakanoshima
A 141-room business hotel in the Nakanoshima Center Building, a 3-minute walk from Grand Cube Osaka. Listed by the convention center itself, it is the most economical way to house speakers, staff and delegates right next to the venue.
13 restaurants
Kobe – Motomachi / Nankinmachi (Hyōgo) · 神戸元町 別館牡丹園
A large Cantonese restaurant in Motomachi, on the edge of the Nankinmachi Chinatown, two minutes from Motomachi and Kyu-Kyoryuchi-Daimarumae stations. Traditional Cantonese cooking: minced pork in lettuce leaves, shark fin, dim sum, with oyster sauce and condiments made in-house. 160 covers over three floors.
Groups up to 160 pax
Nakanoshima · ドローイング・ハウス・オブ・ナカノシマ
A French-style yoshoku bistro opened on 20 February 2026 in the basement of the Osaka City Central Public Hall, the 1918 brick landmark designated an Important Cultural Property, in the middle of Nakanoshima island. 157 seats (121 inside, 36 on the terrace), works by Osaka-born artist Iori Nagashima, and menus created with Osaka chefs, including Tomokazu Oya of Sui Oya.
Groups up to 121 paxLunch: set plates from ¥1,450 to ¥1,900
Kobe – Kitano (Hyōgo) · レストラン北野クラブ
A French restaurant founded in 1957 on the Kitano hillside, originally a jazz and dance club where guests dined overlooking the city; renamed KITANO CLUB for its 50th anniversary. Cooking by grand chef Masanori Tani, a panoramic view over Kobe and the port, and several function rooms on two levels, including a club hall with a stage.
Groups up to 80 paxGroup plans: buffet ¥8,000–10,000, seated dinner ¥13,000–18,000, all-floor banquet ¥20,000–30,000 per person
Kobe – Sannomiya (Hyōgo) · モーリヤ本店
A historic Kobe beef house, serving it at the same address since 1885 (Meiji 18), a five-minute walk from JR Sannomiya Station. Old-style teppanyaki seasoned with little more than salt and pepper, a stone-and-wood dining room over three floors and a list of more than a hundred wines.
Groups up to 50 paxDinner: Kobe beef Course B from ¥9,090 to ¥35,550 per person
Dotonbori · かに道楽 道頓堀本店
Dotonbori's crab institution, recognizable by the famous giant moving crab above its entrance. Snow crab set menus served as hot pot, grilled, as sashimi or tempura, across several floors with tables, tatami, sunken tables and private rooms.
Groups up to 20 paxDinner: crab courses from ¥6,600 to ¥28,600 per person
Temma
One Michelin Star 2026 (new)
A ten-seat French counter in Temma, opened in May 2025 by chef Yuji Tsuji and starred in its first appearance in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026. Deliberately simple preparations let the ingredients speak, and the chef explains the idea behind each dish himself.
Groups up to 10 pax
Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Fukuoka
A master calligrapher introduces the group to shodo: holding the brush, stroke order, then writing a kanji chosen to express a team value.
60 to 90 minutes · 6–150 pax
Osaka
With a woodworking craftsman, each participant shapes their own pair of chopsticks with a hand plane, chooses a finish (natural oil or lacquer) and leaves with a gift box engraved with their name.
About 2 hours · 6–50 pax
From ¥49,500 per person
Osaka
A private cooking class built around dashi and Osaka's home-style dishes, led by a Japanese cook and followed by a shared lunch or dinner of what the group has prepared.
About 2 hours, meal included · 6–40 pax
From ¥34,500 per person
Osaka
A visit to a knife workshop in Sakai, a whetstone sharpening demonstration and personalised engraving of a Japanese kitchen knife that each participant takes home.
About 2 hours (excluding transfer) · 4–30 pax
From ¥75,000 per person
Osaka
A walking exploration of Osaka's specialties from Dotonbori to Shinsekai in small guided groups, with pre-booked tastings and an optional team challenge format.
2.5 to 3 hours · 10–150 pax
Osaka
With a sushi chef, the group learns the hand movements of nigiri, then Osaka's own speciality, sushi pressed in a wooden mould (oshizushi), before tasting what it has made.
About 2 hours 15 minutes, tasting included · 6–40 pax
From ¥39,000 per person
5 days · Tokyo · Osaka · Fukuoka
This 5-day Japan roadshow runs three stops in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka to present a product or meet clients or investors, with 50 to 300 guests per city. The Shinkansen links Tokyo to Osaka in about 2.5 hours and Osaka to Hakata in about 2.5 hours, making one event per day achievable. SHINOGI DMC coordinates venues, equipment moving between cities, bilingual invitations, guest reception and interpretation.
From €3,400 per team member, excluding flights
5 days · Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
This 5-day incentive follows the thread of Japanese video games from Tokyo to Osaka, by way of Kyoto, Nintendo's home town. It combines a talk with a Japanese industry professional, the gaming floor of Shibuya Parco, game centres, a retro stop in Akihabara, an inter-team esports tournament, a game-soundtrack karaoke night and a day at Super Nintendo World before a gala evening in Osaka. Built for 20 to 100 people from a publisher, a studio, a tech company or an esports team.
From €3,900 per person, excluding flights
5 days · Osaka · Kyoto
This 5-day journey follows Kansai cooking from city to city: Osaka and its starred Kitashinchi counters, a pressed-sushi class and the Sakai knife makers; Kobe, 25 minutes away by train, for a Kobe beef lunch at THE ORIENT in the former foreign settlement; and Kyoto, with a Fushimi sake brewery and a kaiseki dinner at three-Michelin-star Kikunoi Honten. Designed for 10 to 30 guests, with 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto.
From €7,400 per person, excluding flights
6 days · Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
This 6-day luxury incentive program travels through Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka for 10 to 40 guests: 5-star hotels, Green Car Shinkansen, private access and exceptional tables booked in small groups. It suits a high-end incentive, a top-client club or an executive trip with partners. Arrival at Haneda or Narita, departure from Kansai International Airport.
From €7,900 per person, excluding flights
3 days · Osaka
This 3-day Osaka convention hosts around 300 attendees at Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Convention Center) in Nakanoshima, or in the ballroom of a major hotel nearby. Accommodation is concentrated in one or two nearby hotels to minimize transfers, with a gala evening and a food discovery of Dotonbori in small groups. Kansai International Airport is about 60 to 75 minutes away by coach.
From €2,200 per person, excluding flights
Tokyo offers more choice and wider international access; Osaka often provides better hotel rates for the same category, a more convivial atmosphere and proximity to Kyoto. For a 300–500 person convention with a cultural component, Osaka is an excellent base.
Umeda for logistics (Shin-Osaka 5 minutes away, major hotels) and Nakanoshima for congresses at Grand Cube Osaka. Namba and Shinsaibashi suit incentives focused on food and nightlife, with direct access to Kansai Airport.
Yes, it is one of Japan's most efficient combinations: 15 minutes by Shinkansen, or about 30 minutes on a JR special rapid from Osaka Station. Many groups stay in Osaka and spend one or two days in Kyoto, which simplifies accommodation in peak season.
About 35–40 minutes to Namba on the Nankai rapi:t, and 60–75 minutes to Umeda by private coach. For groups we recommend a coach with arrival assistance, avoiding train changes with luggage.
Yes. Osaka has large multi-floor restaurants, notably in Dotonbori and Umeda, that host sizeable groups in private rooms, as well as hotel restaurants available for private hire. We confirm capacity and buyout conditions case by case.
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