Kyoto is one of the top destinations in Japan for a reason. With its cultural heritage seemingly seeping out in every street corner, from well-preserved buildings to centuries-old traditions, it’s the perfect choice for those who wish to experience old Japan in this modern age. But with over-tourism saturating the serene, traditional scenery with bustling city crowds, timing is just as important as making sure you don’t miss the city’s best spots and events.
The cherry blossoms might be past blooming in May, but scattered petals call for sparser crowds – yet still with that pleasant warmth of spring that makes for comfortable travel. Watch as the scenery of iconic pink flowers makes way for some of Kyoto’s biggest events of the year, where religion, sports, and performing arts intertwine into an equally gorgeous weave:
Nembutsu kyōgen, complete with practical stage effects, performed at Mibu-dera Temple – Photo Credit: Mibu-dera Temple official website
Mibu Kyōgen
One of Kyoto’s three major nembutsu kyōgen, this event is a silent play performed by masked actors at Mibu-dera Temple. Whilst kyōgen is best known as short, comical skits interspersed between Noh plays, the nembutsu kyōgen were specifically created to help preach Buddhist teachings to the masses. The silent aspect came about when Engaku Shonin, who’d preach to a crowd of hundreds and thousands, came up with the idea so that people wouldn’t have to strain to hear him or the actors.
Originating almost 1,000 years ago, the nembutsu kyōgen were collectively designated an important intangible cultural asset in 1976 – the first such designation for Kyoto. Today, the repertoire at Mibu-dera has ballooned to thirty different performances, featuring a mix of Noh plays, Buddhist morality plays, and Japanese folk tales. Keep your ears open for the symphony of bells, drums, and flutes as you feast your eyes on this millennia-old spectacle, which combines pantomime with elaborate stage effects.
Date: April 29th – May 5th
Time: 1:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. (additionally, there’ll be a special night segment on the last day from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.)
Location: Mibu-dera Temple, 31 Mibu Naginomiya-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8821
Website: https://www.mibudera.com/kyogen.html
Price: 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school and middle school students
Yabusame Shinji ritual – Photo Credit: The Kyoto Shimbun
Yabusame Shinji
A traditional Shinto ceremony held to pray for the safety of the upcoming Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto’s three biggest festivals, you’ll find that this ritual is a lively spectacle in itself. Held in Shimogamo Shrine, one of 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto, witness the carefully honed skills of expert archers from the Ogasawara School as they do what they do best – all on horseback! Watch it all up close as archers in samurai attire gallop down the serene Tadasu-no-Mori forest, shooting arrows and sending good luck into the heart of the Aoi Matsuri.
Date: May 3rd
Time: 1:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Location: Shimogamo Shrine (Kamo Mioya Shrine), 59 Shimogamo Izumigawacho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City 606-0807
Website: https://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/en/saiji
Price: Free (paid seats are available for 2000 yen)
Kamo Kurabeuma ritual – Photo Credit: Kamigamo Shrine official website
Kamo Kurabeuma
Another horseback ritual held ahead of the Aoi Matsuri, this event substitutes archery for the equally thrilling horse racing – complete with traditional costumes and against the backdrop of yet another historic Kyoto shrine. Dating back to 1093, this event sees two teams compete across five rounds, with a default win granted to the Sakata team in honor of their victory in the very first Kurabeuma. It’s also said the harvest that year would be especially bountiful if the Sakata team wins, so you’ll always know who to cheer for – just look for the bright vermilion robes!
Arrive early for the various purification rites, invoking a moment of peace and tranquility… before the inevitable boisterousness of howling riders and galloping hooves. Tradition and heart-pumping sports coalesce in this ritual meant to pray for world peace and an abundant harvest.
Date: May 5th
Time: 1:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. (races commence at around 2:00 P.M.)
Location: Kamigamo Shrine, 339 Kamigamo-motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto City 603-8047
Website: https://www.kamigamojinja.jp/en/rituals/kamo-kurabeuma-horse-racing-ritual/
Price: Free
The procession of Aoi Matsuri with the main figure of the parade, the “Saio,” carried on a palanquin – Photo Credit: Mainichi Shimbun
Aoi Matsuri
One of Kyoto’s three major festivals, it sees a procession of 500 people dressed in traditional court costumes as they pass through some of Kyoto’s historic landmarks. The scope is so big – the parade is said to be one kilometer long from head to tail – that the word “festival” (matsuri) is used to specifically refer to the Aoi Matsuri! As for the “Aoi” portion, this refers to the hollyhock leaves (Aoi) decorating the carts, costumes, shrine buildings, and even the oxen and horses involved in the parade. Originating in the 6th century, when Kyoto was faced with consecutive disasters, an Imperial Envoy was eventually sent to appease the gods of the Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines. The rituals involved were officially inducted as the Imperial Envoy Festival in 807, during the Heian period, and the Aoi Matsuri has remained unchanged ever since!
Don’t miss the Imperial Envoy with his golden sword – or the jockeys from the Kamo Kurabeuma, who’re back again to represent their respective teams. But the highlight of the festival is surely the “Saio,” chosen amongst the unmarried women of Kyoto to wear a 12-layer kimono weighing a total of 30 kilograms! The intricate, elegant costumes will leave you in awe, making you feel as if you’ve truly gone back to Heian period times.
Date: May 15th
Time: 10:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Location: From the Imperial Palace to Shimogamo Shrine, and finally Kamigamo Shrine
Website: https://kyoto.travel/en/season_festivals/aoi_matsuri.html
Price: Free, but paid seating is available at the three venues. Tickets for the Imperial Palace and Shimogamo Shrine can be purchased through the Kyoto City Official Travel Guide website and either cost 3,500 or 5,000 yen. Seating at Kamigamo Shrine costs either 1,000 or 5,000 yen and can only be purchased through the shrine on the day of the festival.
Mifune Matsuri – Photo Credit: Discover Kyoto website
Mifune Matsuri
Speaking of reviving the Heian-period Imperial Court, the Mifune Matsuri recreates the favorite Heian noble pastime of enjoying the arts whilst drifting on boats along the river. Dressed once more in gorgeous aristocratic costumes, one woman plays the role of Sei Shōnagon, a real-life court lady and author of the classic Heian period work, “The Pillow Book.” The procession crosses the bridge over the scenic Oi River, where various purification rituals are held before the nobles board the elaborately decorated boats. The sight of traditional dance performances and poetry readings over the water is one-of-a-kind, even amongst Kyoto’s rich tapestry of timeless scenery.
Date: May 18th
Time: 2:00 P.M. – 3:15 P.M.
Location: Togetsukyō Bridge, Oi River, 1-5 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto 616-8384
Website: https://www.kurumazakijinja.or.jp/mifunemathuri2.html
Price: Free
Tōji Temple Flea Market with the five-storied pagoda in the background – Photo Credit: Kogei Art Kyoto
Tōji Temple Flea Market & Special Spring Opening
Held at one of Kyoto’s symbolic landmarks, the flea market at Tōji Temple is also one of Kyoto’s biggest, with anywhere between 800 and 1200 stalls filling up the vast temple grounds! If you’re still looking for a unique souvenir to take home, then why not browse some of the handicrafts on sale – and ponder your choices over a delicious snack or two? With vendors coming from all over Japan, check out the website beforehand to learn of the new products on sale that month. Or, better yet, just get lost in the maze of handmade goods, antique furniture, and nostalgic Japanese street food.
Though held on the same day every month, visiting in May means you’ll also get to enter two normally out-of-bounds locations: the temple pagoda and the treasure exhibition hall. Marvel at the intricate Buddhist images contained in Kyoto’s iconic five-storied pagoda alongside a mere fraction of the 50,000 sutras and 20,000 National Treasures held by Tōji Temple in the treasure hall, which is only open to the public twice a year. There’s enough to see here that you’ll end up staying the whole day – and what better way to take a break from your strict sightseeing schedule than in the tranquil embrace of a temple?
Date: May 21st (market), April 26th – May 25th (pagoda & treasure hall)
Time: 8:30 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. (market), 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. (treasure hall)
Location: Tōji Temple, 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto 601-8473
Website: https://toji.or.jp/en/index.html (temple website homepage), http://www.touji-ennichi.com/index.htm (market website page, Japanese-only)
Price: Free (market), 500 yen for adults (treasure hall), 800 yen (general admission, including special public viewing of the inside of the pagoda), 1,300 yen for adults (joint ticket for both treasure hall and general admission)
Goryō Matsuri – Photo Credit: Shimogoryō Shrine official website
Goryō Matsuri
Said to be the longest-running festival in Kyoto, the Goryō Matsuri was first enacted in 863 at a time when consecutive disasters and epidemics ravaged the city. People believed that these misfortunes were brought about by the angry spirits of deceased nobles, known as “goryō,” and sought to appease them with rituals, which continued to be performed to this day.
Amongst the many goryō festivals around the country, the ones held at the two Goryō Shrines in Kyoto are historically the oldest. Whilst the festival technically runs from the beginning of May, the highlight is undoubtedly the final day, where three portable mikoshi shrines are paraded through the streets near the Imperial Palace. And how fortunate that this last day is set to coincide with both shrine festivals in 2025! Head first to Shimogoryō Shrine, literally the “lower goryō shrine,” whose procession starts earlier before moving north of the Imperial Palace for Kamigoryō Shrine’s (“upper goryō shrine”) parade.
The ornate details on each mikoshi shrine will captivate you – as will the sheer strength of the bearers carrying these heavy shrines on their shoulders! Another highlight is the kenboko, long spears standing at around 7 meters high and weighing 60kg. If you’ve somehow missed them with your eyes, your ears will definitely catch the bells attached to them, which are rung purposefully with every step in order to appease evil spirits.
Date: May 18th (though usually held on the 3rd Sunday of May, there’s a chance it might be held on the 4th Sunday for Shimogoryō Shrine)
Time: 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. (Shimogoryō), 12:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. (Kamigoryō)
Location: Shimogoryō Shrine & Kamigoryō Shrine
Website: https://shimogoryo.main.jp/festivals/ (Shimogoryō Shrine), http://www.kyoto-jinjacho.or.jp/shrine/02/004/ (Kamigoryō Shrine)
Price: Free
Poster for the 186th Kamogawa Odori – Photo Credit: Pontochō Kamogawa Odori official website
Kamogawa Odori
Featuring geisha from Pontochō, one of the five geisha districts in Kyoto, this event is the last of the large-scale spring dance performances held by the districts for the public. This is a rare chance to not only see geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) but to actually see them perform with your very eyes! Boasting 150 years of history, the event was first organized in order to attract tourists after the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Clearly, its charms have withstood the test of time as, even today, people from all over the world clamor for a chance to see one of Pontochō’s 180 performances – the greatest number amongst the geisha districts. Each performance consists of two parts: a lighthearted dance drama and a more formal “pure dance” usually reserved for ceremonies. Expect an air of elegance throughout, whether from the geisha’s gorgeous attire or the subtle yet sophisticated movements of these modern masters of the traditional arts.
Date: May 1st – 24th
Time: 12:30 P.M., 2:20 P.M., 4:10 P.M.
Location: Potonchō Kaburenjō Theater, Nakagyo-ku, Potonchō, Sanjo Sagaru, Kyoto 604-8003
Website: https://en.kamogawa-odori.com
Price: 4,000 yen (regular seats), 6,000 yen (special seats), 7,000 yen (with tea ceremony experience included)
The month of May is definitely when Kyoto’s status as the historical hub of Japan truly shines. With some of its most iconic festivals gathered within a single month and across many of the city’s oldest sites, you’ll be sure to get a taste of old Japan no matter where and when you decide to go in May 2025. Here, the secrets of Kyoto’s history are unlocked for a limited time, letting you venture into normally hidden corners where geishas, precious sutras, and National Treasures abound. Unchanging rites are infused with the liveliness of Japanese festivals, making for unforgettable performances that’ll be enjoyed for many more years to come.
Featured Photo Credit: Mainichi Shimbun
Whether you’ll be in Kyoto for the festivities or in Japan in general, join one of our Summer Food Tours for an authentic Japan experience!
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