Traditional End-of-Year & New Year’s Events and Activities
During the end of the year in Kyoto, you can experience traditional festivities like Joya-no-kane bell ringing, witness winter illuminations (Kyoto Station), participate in Hatsumode (first shrine visit), enjoy warming winter foods (hot pot, yudofu), visit serene temples (Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera), and explore lively markets like Nishiki for seasonal treats. Don’t miss the unique New Year’s Eve rituals at Yasaka Shrine and the special atmosphere in Gion.
Joya-no-kane (Dec 31st): Ring giant temple bells 108 times at temples like Chion-in or Ginkaku-ji to cleanse sins for the new year. Because of the number of people lining up for this at the famous temples, I’d suggest going to smaller, less popular ones, where the action is more accessible. Near our machiya houses, check out Hōkō-ji Temple (https://maps.app.goo.gl/kWNGnGnysbCY7vEA7) or Chushakuin Temple (https://maps.app.goo.gl/eGKb6GhFUjnnAjsR8).
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Joya-no-kane (除夜の鐘) is the Japanese Buddhist tradition of ringing temple bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve (Ōmisoka) to purify people of 108 earthly desires or sins, symbolizing a fresh start for the new year. The ritual starts before midnight and continues into the new year, with each strike cleansing a different worldly passion, such as greed or envy, to welcome the new year with a pure spirit.
Okera Mairi (おけら詣り) (Dec 31st): Attend the ritual at Yasaka Shrine, where visitors take sacred fire home to light family altars.
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Okera Mairi (おけら詣り) is a unique Kyoto New Year’s Eve tradition at Yasaka Shrine where worshippers obtain sacred fire from a special herb (okera) to bring home, lighting their kitchen fires or zoni soup, praying for health, good fortune, and warding off evil for the new year by keeping the flame alive by swinging it.
Hatsumode (Jan 1st+): Visit local shrines (Yasaka, Heian Jingu, Fushimi Inari) for the first prayer of the year.
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Hatsumode (初詣) is Japan’s traditional first visit to a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple at the beginning of the New Year, typically between January 1st and 3rd, for prayers, gratitude, and good fortune. People seek blessings for health, safety, and success, often buying amulets (omamori) and drawing fortunes (omikuji) while releasing old charms. It’s a major cultural event, marking a fresh start with large crowds gathering at famous sites like the ones mentioned above.
Omikuji (おみくじ) are Japanese fortune-telling paper strips that can be found at shrines and temples throughout the country. The fortune that one is granted can range from having a great blessing (大吉) to a great curse (大凶). New year at Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto.
In Kyoto, Kadomatsu are traditional New Year’s gate decorations, usually placed in pairs at entrances, featuring pine (longevity), bamboo (prosperity/steadfastness), and plum (hope), serving as temporary homes for the Toshigami (New Year deity) to bring blessings for health and a good harvest, with Kyoto adding unique touches like “pulled-out roots” pine and specific bamboo types for its traditional aesthetic.
