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What's up in Kyoto

What is happening in Kyoto today? Festivals, dance, music, performance, exhibitions... it's all here!

There are so many great events in Kyoto only the locals know of (and sometimes not even they) - let’s change that for good! We are a group of English speakers from Kyoto, ready to tear down the Japanese language barrier for you. Traditional ceremonies in the thousands of shrines and temples, interesting exhibitions in the best museums in town, exciting concerts and performances... noh and anime, B

uddhist prayers and butoh, gagaku and J-pop, we know them all! We pick one event/day to post on facebook, and two different events per week are up on twitter. For a real deep-dive into the Kyoto event scene, you should visit the main calendar on our homepage: whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

We also have pages about hotels, restaurants, souvenirs, experiences... There’s a lot to do and see in Kyoto - have fun! And for a sneak peek into the next month, sign up for our monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gN9vYj

PS: If you know of a Kyoto event that we missed, you can enter it into the calendar yourself through this page: whatsupinkyoto.com/yourevent/

10/06/2025

Ryoma Sakamoto, who negotiated the alliance between the rival Chōshū and Satsuma domains, is one of the most famous samurai of the late Edo period. Even so, there are still new facets of his life to be discovered!

In January 2017, a new letter handwritten by Ryoma Sakamoto was discovered. It is dated "November 10, 1867", that means it was written by Ryoma himself five days before he was assassinated.

The Kyoto HBS Museum 京都佛立ミュージアム/Kyoto HBS Museum exhibits the newly discovered letter and tries to find "The True Story of Sakamoto Ryoma" from other primary sources from the Sakamoto family archives.

Discover a new side of one of Japan's best-known samurai until June 22.
For more exhibitions that dive deep into Japan's fascinating history, see our main event calendar at https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

09/06/2025

Today is one of the most important festivals of Fushimi Inari Shrine , which enshrines the god of rice (and wealth, which in the old days was the same, really.)

The Taue Rice Planting Festival is a special ceremony to make sure the harvest will be plentiful. Rice seedlings are planted into the shrine's sacred field by people in traditional farmer's clothing. Start is at 13:00.

If you want to plan ahead, more rice-related festivals at Fushimi Inari are on October 25 (harvesting of the sacred rice) and November 23 (offering the new rice to the gods).

And if you want to learn about Fushimi Inari as a whole, have a look at our highlight post here: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/highlight/archives/

08/06/2025

The Kyoto Archive of Art by People with Disabilities, an initiative of art space co-jin, digitally archives the works and expressions of people with disabilities in Kyoto Prefecture and makes them available online.

The exhibition "After Expression" at the KYOCERA Gallery brings together works by 23 artists who have been digitally archived by the Kyoto Organization for the Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Works for Persons with Disabilities, and also displays previously unreleased video footage related to the production of their works.

Until July 26.
Kyocera Gallery (at the Headquarters of Kyocera Kyoto): https://www.kyocera.co.jp/company/csr/facility/gallery/
Kyoto Archive of Art by People with Disabilities: https://kyoto-aapd.jp/

07/06/2025

Looks like it'll be great weather today, just right for spending time outside. These markets are open if you're looking for a gift for Father's Day on June 16.

- Kitayama Craft Garden
- Handicraft Forest at Shimogamo Shrine
- Handicraft Market at Byodo-ji Temple
- Market at Toyokuni Shrine

For more info, see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/
Happy shopping!

06/06/2025

Reigen-in is one of the subtemples of Kennin-ji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

Reigen-in - 臨済宗建仁寺塔頭霊源院 - is not usually open to the public, but each year in early summer, when the hydrangeas are in full bloom, the temple holds a special opening of their Kanro-tei gardens. You can also see the new ceiling painting of a dragon, the traditional guardian of Zen temples.

Don't forget to get a special goshuin or have some green tea and sweets in the weekends.

More info: http://www.reigenin.jp/

05/06/2025

Shoko Kanazawa is one of Japan's leading calligraphers. Her works have been exhibited worldwide; she created the official art poster for the Tokyo Olympics and donated her work "Prayer" to the Pope. Born with Down syndrome, she began studying calligraphy at age five under her mother, who is also a calligrapher.

This year, Shoko Kanazawa celebrates her 40th birthday with this special exhibition at Myoshin-ji Zen Temple - 正法山妙心寺. Besides admiring her works, some of which were created especially for this occasion, you can meet Shoko herself at special events held during the exhibition.

Until June 15, for more details see the special exhibition website: https://www.syoko40.jp/

04/06/2025

Freebie of the week: the need for speed...
.. is apparent in the work of Hiroyuki Mimatsu. After all, he's a motorbike rider.
However, these photographs stem from his train rides, when one day he decided to take photos of the passing scenery.

Enjoy "Lifespeed in Flux" at the Kyoto Museum of Photography until June 15.

For more freebies this month, see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

03/06/2025

Kodai-ji - 鷲峰山高台寺 - is a lovely little temple established in 1606 by Nene, the wife of Hideyoshi. Its gardens are a designated spot of scenic beauty.

Every year in early June, there is a special, private morning tea ceremony in the tiny Iho-an teahouse: only a single sitting each day, for at most 3 people.

Daily until June 7 at 8:30 in the morning.

Reservations required until one day before, see the temple's website for details: http://www.kodaiji.com/

02/06/2025

Freebie of the week!

Did you know that Heian Shrine has a garden? Hidden behind the beautiful vermillion buildings lie the Shin-en shrine gardens. The famous iris flowers along the ponds bloom in June and make for an especially beautiful visit.

And today, entrance is free for everybody, from 08:30 - 16:30.
We recommend to visit early. ;-)

For more about the gardens (and Heian Shrine), check out our highlight here: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/highlight/archives/

01/06/2025

Noh was born in Japan's shrines as performance for the gods. Takigi Noh hearkens back to those days: they are open air performances, where the stage is lit only by the light of torches and lanterns. For two days each year, a stage is set up in Heian Jingu for the Takigi Noh.

Every year in June, Heian shrine stages two days of Takigi Noh. Today is the second day, and excerpts from the following plays will be performed with short kyogen-style introductions in between:
Arashiyama, Yugao, Tachiubai, Raiden

Start is at 18:00.

See this page for more info: http://www.kyoto-nohgaku.or.jp/the-74th-annual-kyoto-takigi-noh/

31/05/2025

Happy June - Happy Rainy Season!

No worries, it's not all clouds and rain, there will be plenty of sunshine in between as well. Whatever the weather, here are a few things to do:

#1: June traditions:
- takekiri bamboo cutting (20)
- five kagai geiko/maiko joint performance (28/29)
- nagoshi no harae purification (30)

#2: for otaku and other nerds:
- private morning tea ceremony (1-7)
- Comicon 2025 (15)
- True Story of Ryoma Sakamoto exh. (-> 6/22)

#3: overlooked treasures:
- Raku Ichigen exh. (-> 7/28)
- Folk Performing Arts Salon (21)
- After Expression exh. (6/7 ->7/26)

#4: exhibitions:
- Okoku Konoshima (until 7/6)
- Byobu and Emaki (until 8/3)
- Modern Expo Posters (6/13 -> 8/20)

#5: concerts:
- A new Departure of String Quartet (12)
- Yes Future with young artists(17)
- The Captains and BATI-HOLIC (28 )

#6 our brand-new Kyoto historic tours
- for beginners and advanced Kyoto visitors: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/tours/

Enjoy!

For more details - and many, many more events - see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/
And don't forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get a preview for the next month straight into your inbox: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/newsletter/

30/05/2025

It's Kyoto PechaKucha Night Volume 49 at the

This time, speakers will share their views on borders.
There will be no language border, as the event is held in Japanese and English.

Start is at 20:00.
So, widen your own borders and see you at the UrBANGUILD Kyoto!

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Kyoto - exciting city - great events!

Traditional ceremonies in the thousands of shrines and temples, interesting exhibitions in the best museums in town, exciting concerts and performances... noh and anime, Buddhist prayers and butoh, gagaku and J-pop, we know them all!

We pick one event/day to post on facebook, and two different events per week are up on twitter. For a real deep-dive into the Kyoto event scene, you should visit the main calendar on our homepage: whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

We also have pages about hotels, restaurants, souvenirs, experiences... There’s a lot to do and see in Kyoto - have fun! And for a sneak peek into the next month, sign up for our monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gN9vYj