Osaka and Kyoto Budget-Friendly Sightseeing! A Summary of Free Admission Days at Museums and Art Galleries, Plus an Introduction to Free Facilities with the Osaka Amazing Pass.

Good news for those who want to enjoy their trip to Kansai even more affordably. Did you know that there are days when admission to popular museums and art galleries in Osaka and Kyoto is free? In this article, we introduce a monthly calendar of free admission days for museums and art galleries in Osaka and Kyoto. Be sure to use this information when planning your trip.

*The information in this article is current as of October 27, 2025.

*If you purchase or reserve products introduced in this article, a portion of the sales may be returned to FUN! JAPAN.

🚅 Reserve your Shinkansen tickets with NAVITIME Travel! 👉Click here

😄 Make your trip to Japan even more comfortable with NAVITIME eSIM! 👉Click here

Check Free Admission Days! Must-Know Money-Saving Tips for Sightseeing in Kansai

Many public museums, art galleries, and zoos in Kansai offer “Free Admission Days” on specific dates throughout the year.

Main Types of Free Admission Days:

Free Admission on National Holidays

On national holidays, many national and prefectural facilities may offer free admission. Every November, “Kansai Culture Day” is held, during which about 900 facilities in the two prefectures and eight counties of Kansai offer free admission to their permanent exhibitions. In 2025, the main days are November 15–16, and participating museums, art galleries, and archives will offer free admission on those specific days. In addition, the national holiday “Culture Day” (November 3) is often a free admission day for museums and castles nationwide.

Anniversaries

Facilities are often open for free on their anniversary of opening.

Regular Free Admission Days

Some facilities have regular free admission days. There are also facilities that offer free admission to those aged 65 and over during Silver Week.

About Free Admission Eligibility

Eligibility for free admission varies by facility. Sometimes only the permanent exhibitions are free and special exhibitions require a fee, or high school students and younger are always free, or there are discounts for those aged 65 and over or for people with disability certificates. Be sure to check the conditions carefully.

Monthly Calendar｜Summary of Free Admission Days for Museums, Art Galleries, Zoos, etc. in the Kansai Area in 2026

Month	Date	Facility Name	Free Admission Details/Notes	Area	Access
January	January 10, 2026	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
	The second Sunday of every month January 17 (Hyogo Safety Day)	Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Hyogo Prefecture	8 minutes from Iwaya Station
February	February 3 (Setsubun)	Nara National Museum	Free admission to Masterpiece Exhibition, Special Display, and Feature Exhibition	Nara Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station
	February 7, 2026	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
April	April 29 (130th Anniversary of the Opening of Nara National Museum)	Nara National Museum	Free admission to Masterpiece Exhibition, Special Display, and Feature Exhibition	Nara Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station
May	May 4 (Greenery Day)	Osaka Metropolitan University Botanical Gardens	Free admission	Osaka Prefecture	6 minutes on foot from Kisaichi Station
	May 18 (International Museum Day)	Nara National Museum	Free admission to Masterpiece Exhibition, Special Display, and Feature Exhibition	Nara Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station
November	November 1, 2025	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
	November 3, 2025 (Culture Day)	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
	Same as above	The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Kyoto Prefecture	Right by Okazaki Park Museum/Heian Jingu-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Gardens	Free admission	Kyoto Prefecture	Right by Kitayama Station
	Same as above	Itami City Museum	Shuntaro Tanikawa Picture Book Department Store Exhibition, Kakimori Bunko Collection "Onomatopoeia in Haikai and Haiku" Exhibition Free Admission	Hyogo Prefecture	6 minutes on foot from Itami Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 6	Daisen Park Japanese Garden	Free admission	Osaka Prefecture	12 minutes on foot from Mozu
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 15–16	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
	Same as above	National Museum of Ethnology	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition and Special Exhibition "Formosa ∞ Art: The Present of Indigenous Art in Taiwan"	Osaka Prefecture	About 15 minutes on foot from Banpaku-Kinen-Koen Station or Koen-Higashiguchi Station
	Same as above	Tenmon Museum of Art	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Osaka Prefecture	8 minutes on foot from Hendenjo-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Osaka City Nagai Botanical Garden	Free admission	Osaka Prefecture	10 minutes on foot from Nagai Station
	Same as above	The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto	Free admission to the Collection Exhibition	Kyoto Prefecture	Right by Okazaki Park Museum/Heian Jingu-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts	Free admission to Special Exhibition	Kyoto Prefecture	Right by Ritsumeikan University-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	The Museum of Kyoto	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Kyoto Prefecture	3 minutes on foot from Karasuma Oike
	Same as above	Weathercock House	Free admission	Hyogo Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Sannomiya Station
	Same as above	Amagasaki Shinkin Bank World Piggy Bank Museum	All exhibitions, always free	Hyogo Prefecture	8 minutes on foot from Amagasaki Station
	Same as above	Agape Otsuru Museum / Agape Chagall Museum	Free admission to all exhibitions	Hyogo Prefecture	Right by Kabutoyama Cemetery-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Hyogo Prefecture	Right by Himeyama Park North/Museum-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Hyogo Prefecture	8 minutes from Iwaya Station
	Same as above	Katsuragi City Museum of History	Free admission to all exhibitions	Nara Prefecture	3 minutes on foot from Oshimi Station
	Same as above	Former Daijo-in Garden (Scenic Spot)	Free admission	Nara Prefecture	20 minutes on foot from Nara Station
	Same as above	Nara National Museum	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Nara Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station
	Same as above	The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition	Shiga Prefecture	5 minutes on foot from Prefectural Library/Museum-mae Bus Stop
	Same as above	Lake Biwa Museum	Free admission to Permanent Exhibition Room	Shiga Prefecture	About 35 minutes by car from Meishin Expressway Ritto (IC)
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 17	Osaka Museum of History	Permanent exhibition free admission	Osaka Prefecture	10 minutes on foot from Tanimachi 4-chome Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 18	Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum	All exhibitions free admission	Osaka Prefecture	3 minutes on foot from Sakai-shi Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 20	Awaji Farm Park England Hill	Free admission	Hyogo Prefecture	About 1 minute on foot from England Hill bus stop, take Awaji Kotsu bus bound for Fukura from Sumoto Bus Center
	〃	Katsuragi City Sumo Museum "Kehaya-za"	All exhibitions free admission	Nara Prefecture	5 minutes on foot from Taima-dera Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 23	Himeji City Zoo	Free admission	Hyogo Prefecture	20 minutes on foot from Himeji Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 22–November 24	Sakai Risho-no-mori	Permanent and special exhibitions free admission	Osaka Prefecture	1 minute on foot from Shukuin Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 25	Kyoto International Manga Museum	Free admission	Kyoto Prefecture	2 minutes on foot from Karasuma Oike Station
	Kansai Culture Day In 2025: November 26	Kanji Museum	Free admission	Kyoto Prefecture	5 minutes on foot from Gion Shijo Station
December	December 3 (International Day of Persons with Disabilities)	Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art	Collection exhibition free admission	Hyogo Prefecture	8 minutes from Iwaya Station
	December 6, 2025	The National Museum of Art, Osaka	Collection exhibition free admission	Osaka Prefecture	About 5 minutes on foot from Watanabebashi Station
	〃	The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto	Collection exhibition free admission	Kyoto Prefecture	Right by Okazaki Park, Museum/Heian Jingu-mae bus stop
	December 13, 2025	The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto	Collection exhibition free admission		Right by Okazaki Park, Museum/Heian Jingu-mae bus stop
	December 17 (Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri Owatari-shiki Day)	Nara National Museum	Masterpieces Exhibition, Special Display, and Thematic Exhibition free admission	Nara Prefecture	15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station

Notes:

Special and planned exhibitions may require a fee
Some facilities may require advance reservations even on free admission days
Facilities may be closed for maintenance or renovation
Please check the official website of each facility for the latest information

There are plenty of places in Kansai where you can enjoy sightseeing and experiences for free. Tips for making the most of free admission days

4 Tips to Avoid Crowds

1. Enter as soon as the facility opens

Free admission days attract many visitors. If you arrive 10 to 15 minutes before opening time, you can enter smoothly.

2. Aim for free days on weekdays

Free admission days set on weekdays tend to be less crowded than those on holidays. If your travel schedule is flexible, it is recommended to prioritize free days that fall on weekdays.

3. Visit in the morning or one hour before closing

The early morning hours or the hour before closing in the evening are generally less crowded.

4. Check online reservations in advance

Some facilities require reservations even on free admission days, so be sure to check the official website. Reservations usually open one to two weeks before your visit.

Planning Tips for Efficient Sightseeing

1. Group spots by area

Check the free admission days for multiple facilities in the same area and visit them efficiently in one day. For example:

Tennoji area, Osaka: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts + Tennoji Zoo
Higashiyama area, Kyoto: Kyoto National Museum + The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Kobe area, Hyogo: Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art + Kobe City Museum

2. Check transportation in advance

Most major facilities in Kansai are within walking distance from train stations, but some are more convenient to access by bus. Check your route in advance using Google Maps or similar, and prepare a transportation IC card (such as ICOCA or Suica) for smooth travel. You can also save on transportation costs and enjoy sightseeing more efficiently by using city bus, subway, or private railway passes.

Money-saving Tips Besides Free Admission Days

1. Make use of combination tickets and sightseeing passes

Osaka Amazing Pass: Free admission to over 40 attractions + unlimited rides on public transportation

👉Click here for a list of facilities included with the Osaka Amazing Pass

Osaka Rakuyu Pass: Free admission to over 25 attractions
Kyoto Sightseeing One-Day Pass: Unlimited rides on city buses and subways
Kansai Museum Grutto Pass: Usable at about 50 facilities in the Kansai area
Hyogo Access 2-Day Pass: Unlimited train rides, free admission to selected facilities, and other special offers

Related Articles

2. Check for age-based discounts and bring your student ID

Many facilities offer discounts or free admission for those under 18 or over 65. University students can also get discounts by presenting their student ID at many places.

3. Recommended free sightseeing spots

In addition to free admission days, there are many sightseeing spots in Kansai that you can enjoy for free all year round.

Osaka Castle Park: While there is a fee to enter the main keep, you can stroll through the vast park grounds for free
Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi: Osaka’s most famous entertainment districts. Walking around is free, and you can also enjoy street food and shopping
Temples and shrines in Kyoto: Some famous temples require an admission fee, but there are many free spots such as Fushimi Inari Taisha and Heian Shrine
Kobe Harborland: Enjoy the beautiful waterfront scenery for free
Nara Park: A vast park where you can interact with deer, with free admission

Related Articles

🚅Book your Shinkansen tickets with NAVITIME Travel! 👉Click here

😄Make your trip to Japan even more comfortable with NAVITIME eSIM! 👉Click here

Osaka and Kyoto Budget-Friendly Sightseeing! A Summary of Free Admission Days at Museums and Art Galleries, Plus an Introduction to Free Facilities with the Osaka Amazing Pass.