It’s the end of the year, and a lot of people are moving left and right around Kyoto. Everyone is in anticipation of finishing 2025 and having fun entering 2026. We just posted a new blog entry suggesting a few things to do for the end of the year and the beginning of the new one. We hope you’ll enjoy it.
We’ll try to post photos and news regularly to show you how Kyoto is looking, changing according to the seasons. Enjoy!
Akiko & Patrick
Magical evening at the Byodoin Temple
The Byodoin Temple in Uji is only illuminated and open to the public a few evenings a year. We were quite lucky to find out about it and see the amazing Phoenix Hall under such conditions.
Byodoin Temple is a striking example of Buddhist Pure Land (Jodo) architecture.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Tea Ceremony (the way of tea, or Chado or sado, as the ceremony is known) is one of Japan’s traditional cultural art. During the ritualized preparation and drinking of a cup of green tea (matcha), you will share spirituality, culture, history, and get a better appreciation of the Japanese mind and Zen culture.
Kôyô – The Fall Foliage in Kyoto
Kôyô, the Japanese term for the fall foliage season, is a beautiful and magical time in and around Kyoto. Starting from the surrounding mountains and hills, every temple, every garden burst with a combination of yellow, orange and red colors. This photo book, full of suggestions and inspiration,
For photographers
The Photographer’s Guide to KYOTO — A 94-page e-book giving you the best and broadest coverage of Kyoto’s most photogenic locations. The book includes a Bucket List locations and includes over 100 photographs, maps, suggested itineraries and planning essentials . . .
Hanami Party in Maruyama Koen
Hanami (“flower viewing”) is the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers. This often involves a picnic party to enjoy the cherry blossoms as well as food and drinks. People have a Hanami party with friends, family or colleagues . . .
Arashiyama Hanatouro 2016
“Light and Blossoms Pathway” is the way this year’s illumination of the whole area of Arashiyama is called. Hundreds of lanterns placed along the way, inside temples and gardens, and mainly along the famous Bamboo Grove, make it easy to move around.
Photo Partner West Photo Contest
The Maiko photo sessions, organized by “Photo Partner West”, an organization regrouping several Photographer Associations of Western Japan, took place on March 21st in a garden of the Heian Jingu Shrine. Almost 600 photographers attended the three sessions.
An evening at the Eiga Mura
Toei Kyoto Studio Park , also known as “Eiga Mura”, is the only theme park in Japan where you can observe the filming of period dramas (jidaigeki films). Samurai, Ninja, Geisha, Oiran, traders, gamblers, and more, they were all present, and fun.
Kanki Jinja, Gion Higashi
On May 14th is the annual festival of a little shrine located in the middle of Gion Higashi — Kankame Jinja (with its nickname being “Kanki”). So the day before, there is a big public party around the shrine, a street beer garden party, with Maiko and Geiko, and a lot of other people.
Junsei: Tofu Restaurant
This time, I’d like to mention a different kind of restaurant, a different kind of food. It is about a well known “Yudofu” restaurant located near Nanzenji temple. Junsei serves “yudofu”, or boiled tofu in English, a popular dish around Nanzen-Ji
The Aoi Matsuri Festival
The Aoi Matsuri (葵祭) is one of Kyoto’s three most famous festivals and takes place every May 15th. The festival’s main attraction is a large parade in Kyoto, in which over 500 people dressed in the style of the Heian Period (794-1185)
Shuba-Shinji Archery Ceremony
In preparation of the Shimogamo shrine’s main festival, the Aoi Matsuri that takes place on May 15th, the Busha-Shinji ceremony is held and members of the Ogasawara-ryu School of Archery shoot arrows to a target representing evil and bad spirits, to drive them away.
Seeing Maiko and Geiko
It rains a lot in Japan. I actually don’t mind the rain so much as it often is a great opportunity to get interesting photos. The light is different, the colors are more saturated, often we can get some beautiful reflection of lights on the paved streets. But most of all, ….
Last flower viewing of 2016
As this year’s Hanami season comes to an end, the last place to visit around Kyoto is often the Ninna-Ji Temple (仁和寺). Located in the North West part of town, this temple is quite famous for its Omuro cherry trees, ancient, dwarf, late-flowering trees.
Cherry flowers and People
One of Kyoto most popular hanami spots in April is without doubt The Path of Philosophy (“Tetsugaku-no-michi” in Japanese). It is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, that follows a canal lined up by hundreds of cherry trees.