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
Hoko and Yama Construction
The festival's 23 floats are assembled in the communities they belong to. This is a great opportunity for getting a close up look at the floats and the way they are made. The way these are put together is pretty amazing - no nails are used. [gallery type="slideshow"...
Mikoshi Arai – Purification
During the festival, the deities of Yasaka Shrine reside in a temporary shrine called the Otabisho (on the south side of Shijo, just east of Teramachi). Before moving the deities on the mikoshi portable shrines, the mikoshi are purified with water from the Kamo River....
Omukae Chochin – Welcoming Lanterns
This year's Gion Matsuri is starting. Little and large events are taking place around the city. We can already feel the presence of a larger than usual number of people, mainly around Shijo / Kawaramachi streets. The construction of the Hoko and Yama has began...
Nagoshi no Harae Summer Purification
Every year, at the end of June, many shrines hold an ancient Japanese purification rite called “Nagoshi no Harae”. In this ceremony people atone for their sins . . .
Equestrian Festival at the Fujinomori Shrine
The Fujinomori’s festival is famous for the Kakeuma Shinji Shinto ritual that shows skills of handstand and “Fujikudari” (pretending to have been hit by an enemy’s arrow) while riding . . .
Yabusame Shinji at Shimogamo Shrine
Yabusame is the traditional Japanese art of mounted archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special “turnip-headed”arrows successively at three wooden targets.
Maiko in Miyagawa-Cho, Again
Another tour around Miyagawa-Cho Geisha District.
Maneki-Neko, the beckoning cat
They're present in each one of our machiya, the Maneki-Neko, "beckoning cat", welcoming you. If you've been in Japan for a few days, you already saw them all around, usually at the entrance of shops and restaurants. Yes, these Maneki-Neko are a very common Japanese...
Photo Contest Winner!
I've been going to Miyagawa-Cho in late afternoon a number of times now, to try to take pictures of the Maiko and the Geiko walking down the streets, rushing from their Okiya to the Ochaya where they work. I'm very proud as my photo above has just won the first...
And then there were none
This year, the transient beauty of flowers that is so popular in Japan was intense and brief. It started suddenly, earlier than usual, and went all over Kyoto before we could realize we had to hurry to enjoy our favorite spots. And then we had rain and wind. And then...
Osaka Castle, Osaka
Located at a distance of about 50 km, Osaka is a nice day trip from Kyoto. It is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the...
Haradani-En Garden
Haradani-En Garden is located above Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) in the north west of Kyoto. It's a privately owned garden featuring a large variety of cherry trees to enjoy, especially the late-flowering weeping cherry blossom. This garden offers lovely cherry...
Hanami by night at Hirano Jinja
No doubt, Hirano Jinja is my favorite places for enjoying the cherry blossoms. And no doubt also, while it is great by day, it is better by night.
Hirano Jinja, a Favorite Hanami Spot
Hirano Jinja (Shrine) is a very old Shinto shrine — established in the year 794. It is among the most popular spots in Kyoto among Japanese people for its gardens and numerous cherry trees, for viewing the flowers, singing and drinking.
The Philosopher’s Path
The Philosopher’s Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees.
