GOEN Kyoto 御縁京都

GOEN Kyoto 御縁京都 Your personal concierge for everything Kyoto.

aisho (Great Heat) marks Kyoto’s hottest and most humid days of the year. Thick green leaves create much-needed shade th...
24/07/2026

aisho (Great Heat) marks Kyoto’s hottest and most humid days of the year. Thick green leaves create much-needed shade throughout temple grounds and paulownia flowers bloom across the city to mark the height of summer. Sudden afternoon downpours provide temporary relief from the smeltering heat ☀️

This solar term includes Dōyo no Ushi no Hi, the Midsummer Day of Ox, when locals eat grilled eel to build stamina and battle seasonal fatigue. Summer fireworks light up evening skies across the outskirts of Kyoto as locals go out in yukatas to enjoy the festival atmosphere 👘

When city heat becomes overwhelming, many locals seek coolness nearby. A short day trip to Lake Biwa offers refreshing lake breezes and milder temperatures. Others opt for meals on kawayuka, a platform placed on top of a river for natural cooling, while being surrounded by nature and mountains 🍱

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Shōsho marks the start of summer heat as Kyoto’s rainy season lifts and early summer settles over the city. Lotus flower...
24/07/2026

Shōsho marks the start of summer heat as Kyoto’s rainy season lifts and early summer settles over the city. Lotus flowers bloom elegantly across temple ponds as the sound of cicadas fills the air 🪷

This solar term overlaps with Kyoto’s iconic Gion Matsuri, Japan’s most revered summer festival dating back to 869 AD. Rooted in ancient Heian-era rituals, the month-long festival was originally held to rid the city of plagues. Massive Yamaboko floats, up to 27 meters tall and 12 tons heavy, are paraded through the streets, turning Kyoto into a living celebration of protection and renewal 🪭

Seasonal foods during Shōsho include cold sōmen noodles and grilled unagi eel, eaten to strengthen the body through the long hot months ahead ☀️
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Geshi, the summer solstice, brings Kyoto’s longest days amid rainy season haze, marked by three meaningful seasonal bloo...
06/07/2026

Geshi, the summer solstice, brings Kyoto’s longest days amid rainy season haze, marked by three meaningful seasonal blooms. Utsubogusa fades to signal spring’s end, ayamehana blooms to clear muggy dampness, and hange emerges as a reminder to finish rice planting for a full harvest ☀️

June 30 holds Nagoshi no Oharae, Kyoto’s mid-year purification rite. Visitors pass through chinowa grass rings to wash away half-year misfortune and float paper hitogata dolls to carry off impurities ⛩️

Local customary foods for the ceremony carry quiet seasonal wishes: triangular minazuki wagashi wards off sickness, plain tofu symbolizes purity, and octopus dishes are eaten to pray for well-rooted rice crops 🌾

The solstice flowers and summer cleansing rituals together form Kyoto’s gentle prelude to humid peak summer 🌿

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Bōshu settles gently over Kyoto as June unfolds. The air softens into early summer and days grow longer. Fields hum with...
10/06/2026

Bōshu settles gently over Kyoto as June unfolds. The air softens into early summer and days grow longer. Fields hum with quiet activity: barley and wheat stand tall, their golden heads ripening, while rice paddies are readied for planting. It is a season of both harvest and sowing 🌾

Naturally, this is the time for sacred agricultural rituals all over Japan. At Fushimi Inari Taisha, rice seedlings are transplanted into the shrine paddies and dances are performed as part of a ritual for a bountiful harvest ⛩️

Hydrangeas (ajisai) bloom in soft purples and blues, dotting temple gardens and parks as the first misty rains of tsuyu (the rainy season) arrive. Fireflies begin to flicker at dusk along the Kamo River, their faint glow illuminating the cool riverbanks ✨

Plums are now fully ripe as well, ready to be made into umeshu (plum wine) and umeboshi (salt-pickled plums) so that tart sweetness of early summer can be enjoyed throughout the year 🍸

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Shoman, also known as Lesser Ripening, is a time of growth and productivity. This is perfectly reflected in silkworms, w...
24/05/2026

Shoman, also known as Lesser Ripening, is a time of growth and productivity. This is perfectly reflected in silkworms, who enter their most active period where they steadily feed on mulberry leaves to grow strong and produce silk. Ladybugs also appear around this time to populate parks and gardens 🐞

Grains like wheat and barley paint the fields gold as they become ready for harvest. Fruits that are seasonal around this time of year include melons and cherries. Traditionally, this was also an important time for those in the fabric industry as the base for crimson dye — safflowers — bloom around this time 🌾

Two larger festivals that take place in Kyoto during Shoman (both on June 1) are the Kifune Matsuri at Kifune Shrine and the Kaminari Yoke Taisai (Thunder Warding Festival) at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine ⚡️

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20/05/2026

Rikka, the beginning of Summer, is a very exciting time to be in Kyoto. The solar term kicks off with Children’s Day. Carp-shaped windsocks called Koinobori are flown throughout the country with carps of different colors and sizes representing different members of a family. It is typical to eat Kashiwa mochi (mochi wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) on Children’s Day to call forth good health and fortune 🎏

One of Kyoto’s three most important festivals, Aoi Matsuri, also falls within the Rikka solar term. Dating back to the 7th century, a procession of over 500 people dressed in Heian-period attire march north from the Imperial Palace to the two Kamo Shrines on May 15. The most significant individual within the procession is the Saiō-Dai, who represents a female member of the imperial family from the Heian period, selected to serve at Ise Shrine. Similar to many other traditional festivals, Aoi Matsuri also has its origins in pleasing the deities and praying for a bountiful harvest 🌿

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Rikka (beginning of Summer) is a very exciting time to be in Kyoto. The solar term kicks off with Children’s Day, tradit...
08/05/2026

Rikka (beginning of Summer) is a very exciting time to be in Kyoto. The solar term kicks off with Children’s Day, traditionally celebrated as Boy’s Day on the fifth of May, known as Tango no Sekku. What started off as a day for women to purify the house and rest their bodies, Tango no Sekku has become the final national holiday of Golden Week (a series of national holidays between April 29 and May 5), dedicated to the celebration of children. Koinobori (carp-shaped windsocks) are flown throughout the country with carps of different colors and sizes representing various members of a family. It is typical to eat Kashiwa mochi (mochi filled with red bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) on Children’s Day to call forth good health and fortune 🎏

One of Kyoto’s three most important festivals, Aoi Matsuri, also falls within the Rikka solar term. Dating back to the 7th century, a procession of over 500 people dressed in Heian-period attire march north from the Imperial Palace to the two Kamo Shrines on May 15. The most significant individual within the procession is the *Saiō-Dai*, a woman selected to represent a *Saiō* (a female member of the imperial family selected to serve at Ise Shrine) from the Heian period. Similar to many other traditional festivals, Aoi Matsuri was also started to please the deities and pray for a bountiful harvest 🌿

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#御縁京都

As cherry blossom season comes to an end, the pink landscape is replaced with a fresh, rejuvenating green. The solar ter...
08/05/2026

As cherry blossom season comes to an end, the pink landscape is replaced with a fresh, rejuvenating green. The solar term Kokū is characterized by new sprouts of leaves appearing on trees, in rivers, and across fields. Accompanying the new growth are colorful flowers of all shapes and sizes. Peonies, wisteria, and Japanese kerria decorate the typical temple scenes with splashes of pink, purple and yellow 🌼🌿

The 88th night counted from the start of Risshun also falls during Kokū. This night is called Hachiju-Hachiya and is the best time to pick the first flush of green tea. Tea farms often hold events on this day and tea harvested on Hachiju-Hachiya will come with a special label. Perhaps due to the new tea containing the highest number of nutrients when compared to later flushes, it is said that having a cup of green tea picked on Hachiju-Hachiya will promote health and longevity 🍵🌙

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Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the start of Seimei, as migrational birds make their transition between homes. Barn...
08/05/2026

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the start of Seimei, as migrational birds make their transition between homes. Barn sparrows return to Japan after spending the Winter in warmer lands, whereas wild geese leave the island for Siberia. Parks are populated with birds of all sizes as their songs fill the fresh Spring air 🦆🐦‍⬛🪿

Just as cheerful as the fluttering birds in the treetops are the large groups of people holding Hanami picnics underneath magnificent cherry-blossoms. Families, friends and co-workers make the best of the short cherry-blossom season by holding viewing parties in parks and along the Kamo river. This is also the perfect time to enjoy various cherry-blossom inspired sweets and drinks, including rice-balls or tea made with salt-pickled cherry blossoms 🌸🍵🍙

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08/05/2026

Shunbun (Spring Equinox) is one of only two solar terms that are also official holidays in Japan. Shunbun is also the middle of a seven-day period called Ohigan, a Buddhist holiday exclusive to Japan. The word itself means ‘the other shore’ and comes from a Buddhist term for nirvana. This is a time to visit graves and pay respect to one’s ancestors.

As part of Ohigan celebrations, it is typical to eat Botamochi, a type of wagashi made from glutinous rice and red bean paste. Named after the peony, Botamochi is nearly identical to Ohagi, its autumn counterpart enjoyed during the Autumnal Equinox. The two are often interchangeable now, but traditionally, they differed in the type of red bean paste used: koshian (or smooth bean paste) for Botamochi and tsubuan (or coarse bean paste) for Ohagi.

Shunbun also coincides with the cherry blossom season in Japan as the country is covered in pink. Cherry-blossom-themed food, drinks, and merchandise can be found everywhere as people celebrate the arrival of spring.

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住所

Raikodocho 721-3
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
600-8355

営業時間

月曜日 10:00 - 19:00
火曜日 10:00 - 19:00
水曜日 10:00 - 19:00
木曜日 10:00 - 19:00
金曜日 10:00 - 19:00

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