What's up in Kyoto

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日本
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
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 them) - 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: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/newsletter/

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/

08/06/2026

Have you ever thought about lacquer as a medium rather than a craft material?

Artist Satoshi Someya focuses on the diverse decorative properties of lacquer—its function as a paint, its unique cultural background, and the variety of textures represented by its luster and decorative techniques.

The ZENBI-鍵善良房-KAGIZEN ART MUSEUM shows an exhibition focused on Someya's perspective on lacquer and decoration. it consists of works based on research into Kagizen's confectionery, Tatsuo Kuroda's works, and historical artifacts.

Until July 26.

For more traditional crafts reinterpreted - and shown in exhibitions - see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

07/06/2026

Maruyama Ōkyo (1733 – 1795), was a Japanese artist known for his realistic depictions of animals.

After moving to Kyoto as a teenager, he studied painting using artworks from Chinese, Japanese and Western sources. Eventually, he opened his own school of painting and attracted many students who are now famous in their own right.

The Saga Arashiyama Museum for Arts & Culture features works by Maruyama Ōkyo and his direct disciples such as Nagasawa Rosetsu, along with an unprecedented 40 newly discovered works by Ōkyo's grand-disciple, Yano Yachō, until September 27.

For more interesting exhibitions, see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

06/06/2026

Only two more days for a very special kabuki experience!

You probably know Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the famous comic/anime by Hayao Miyazaki. It has been adapted into a kabuki play - and you watch the first three acts turned into a movie at the MOVIX Kyoto.

Today and tomorrow, see this page for details: https://www.smt-cinema.com/site/kyoto/

05/06/2026

Music fans, listen up!

With roots in gospel, organ and keyboardist Billy Preston was active in the rock, soul and blues scene, working with Ray Charles and King Curtis, the Rolling Stones and many more

Tonight, a number of Japanese musicians, led by organist Emi Hanada, pay tribute to the "Fifth Beatle" at the Live Spot RAG / ライブスポットラグ.

Start is 18:00.

Find out more about this live venue devoted to jazz in our highlight here: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/highlight/archives/

04/06/2026

Get a freebie at Heian Shrine - but only today!

Hidden behind the beautiful vermillion buildings of Heian Shrine are the Shin-en shrine gardens. The famous iris flowers along the ponds are in bloom right now, and the fact that you can see them for free is a nice bonus!

admission from 08:30 to 16:30

Check out the history of Heian Shrine - one of Kyoto's youngest shrines, actually - in our highlight here: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/highlight/archives/

03/06/2026

This one's a special treat for everybody who loves old temples and modern painters!

Hoshun-in is a subtemple of Daitoku-ji Temple, the headquarters of the Daitoku-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen sect. It was founded in 1608 and, besides a lovely Zen garden, has a number of beautiful screen paintings by Takeuchi Koichi, born in 1944.

See the screens with animals and nature scenes in this rare special opening until June 7.

Our event calendar is the place for more special occasions: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

02/06/2026

1There's a typhoon looming over the city, so it's going to pour all day. Best to stay indoors, so, how about going to a museum?

京都国立近代美術館 The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto celebrates the140th anniversary of Takehisa Yumeji’s birth and the 90th anniversary of his death with a special retrospective.
Yumeji was better known as an illustrator and designer than a master artist in the Taisho- and Showa-eras. This is evident from the diverse products, including picture postcards, envelopes, decorative paper, and furoshiki, that bore Yumeji’s works during his lifetime.

See his works together with that of other artists of the time until June 14.

For more exhibitions for rainy days, see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

01/06/2026

Today is the second day for this year's Takigi Noh!

Takigi Noh is held outside at Heian Shrine, the stage is lit only by torches and lanterns. Today you will see short excerpts of the Noh plays Okina, Hagoromo, Miyo no Akebono, and before the last play the kyogen Niwatori-muko.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to an approaching typhoon, today's performance will take place at the ロームシアター京都 ROHM Theatre instead of Heian Shrine. Start is unchanged at 18:00.

For more things to do while it's raining, see our main event calendar: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/calendar/

31/05/2026

Happy June - Happy Fireflies!

June is the month of light and darkness with sunny days and fireflies flitting around in the night. The little critters are quite elusive, but our events below are open to everybody. This month, there is...

#1 - traditional Kyoto Events
- Takigi Noh Shrine (1,2)
- Taue Rice Planting Ceremony Inari Shrine (10)
- Five Kagai Joint Performance (27, 28)

#2 - don't miss in June
- Cinema Kabuki (5-8 )
- Hydrangea Festival Shrine (6 - July 5)
- Nagoshi no Harae Purification Ritual (30)

#3 - last chance exhibitions
- Cultural Heritage in Models University Museum (-> 14)
- Hokusai & Hiroshige (-> 14)
- Modern Urban Life and Takehisa Yumeji (-> 21)

#4 - concerts
- Billy Preston Memorial (6)
- Holiday Performance Vol. 21 (13)
- Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Hall (23)

#5 - not in Kyoto? Get your fix for Japanese history and culture in our new magazine "Yamato": https://yamatomagazine.substack.com/
Enjoy!

For more details on the above - 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

30/05/2026

Today is full moon, and a special ceremony is taking place at Kuramadera Temple.

Tonight, it is said, that strong energy pours down from heaven to awaken all things. At the May Full Moon Ceremony (also called Vesak festival), pure water is offered to the full moon on Mount Kurama to praise the virtues of Shakyamuni Buddha, and prayers are offered for the awakening and peace of all.

Start is at 19:00; notice the special timetable for the cable car leading up the mountain.

Find out more about this interesting temple hidden deep in the mountains north of Kyoto in our highlight post here: https://whatsupinkyoto.com/highlight/archives/

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左京区岡崎円勝寺町124
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
606-8344

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https://whatsupinkyoto.com/

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