Featured Events in Kyoto in August 2025 (July Updated)

This exhibition introduces the world of prints by world-renowned avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama (1929-). Yayoi Kusama made her international debut at the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993 as a representative Japanese artist, but her active involvement in printmaking from an earlier stage of her career was a major driving force behind her current acclaim. In 1979, Yayoi Kusama exhibited her first prints. In contrast to her other works based on themes such as death and suffering after returning from the U.S., her prints are rich in color with vivid motifs. In addition to abstract expressions of her earlier works, motifs such as pumpkins, dresses, grapes, flowers, and butterflies covered in distinct colors and composed of mesh and polka dots are distinctive in her printworks. It is no exaggeration to say that Kusama, whose creative activities are rooted in the proliferation of dots and nets, inevitably encountered printmaking, an art of reproduction.

Legend has it that the Kannon of Kiyomizu-dera Temple transforms into a blue dragon and drinks from the waterfalls at night, so this event is held to honor the Yasha Goddess, and to pray for the people who come to worship. The dancing blue dragon parades from Okuno to the cobblestone streets around Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The blue dragon is believed to be one of the four great gods that protect the city of Kyoto. In addition to the blue dragon, there are men dressed in traditional samurai clothes, and the streets are filled with music and spectacular dancing. It's really magical! The Spring Festival is on March 14-15 and April 3. The Fall Festival is September 14-15, starting at 14:00 (2pm).

The Izumi Museum has a collection of more than 3,500 pieces, with a core collection of about 500 Chinese bronzes and bronze mirrors. Both in terms of quantity and quality, it is the leader in overseas bronze collections. Therefore, the "Age of Chinese Bronze" held at the Izumi Museum this spring is also worth paying attention to. If you go to visit the Izumi Museum's reopening exhibition, we also recommend that you pay special attention to this bronze exhibition, including the museum's treasure Tiger You, the early Warring States period chime bells, the Qiang bell, the Kui God drum, the owl zun, the taotie pattern square lei, the taotie pattern square yi, the ge you and other important bronze objects in the collection are all on display.

This exhibition will focus on the Hosomi Collection and will feature folding screens that can be enjoyed spread out in space, as well as picture scrolls that can be enjoyed by playing them out in front of your eyes. In addition to the "Toyotomi Hoko Yoshino Cherry Blossom Viewing Screen," which depicts Toyotomi Hideyoshi's cherry blossom viewing procession, and the "Suzuriwari Soushi Emaki," which was once a treasured possession of Ashikaga Yoshizumi, the 11th shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, visitors will be able to experience the unique qualities of these different painting styles and appreciate the appeal of each individual work.

Kuroda Jutaro, a prominent figure in the Kyoto Western-style painting scene, was not only a painter but also a prolific writer. His literary works conveyed the trends of European art, particularly those in France, and played a significant role in the acceptance of Western art in Japan. His 1947 publicationKyoto Yoga no Reimeiki(“The Dawn of Kyoto Western-style Painting”) provides a systematic account of the development of Western-style painting in Japan, focusing on Kyoto. With the publication of a revised and expanded edition in 2006, the book remains an essential work for understanding the Kyoto Western-style painting scene today. This Special Display traces the formation of Kyoto’s Western-style painting scene as told by Kuroda, introduced through the Museum Collection. From pioneers such as Tamura Soryu, the establishment of the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting, the formation of the Kansai Bijutsukai, and the arrival of Asai Chu in Kyoto, please enjoy exploring the foundations that shaped the development of Western-style painting in Kyoto.

Kimono have been used as clothing to adorn people's bodies. Kimono are decorated with designs on the surface, and because they are made from a fixed width of cloth sewn in straight lines, they have a very flat appearance, but the colorful designs they incorporate give them a three-dimensional appearance when worn as clothing. This shift between flat and three-dimensional is interesting, as it is very different from Western clothing, which is designed and produced from the beginning using three-dimensional cutting.

Focusing on the collection of the San Diego Museum of Art, along with masterpieces from the National Museum of Western Art, we will offer tips on how to enjoy viewing Western paintings. All of the world-renowned masterpieces on display from the San Diego Museum of Art, including works by Giorgione and Sánchez Cotán, will be on display in Japan for the first time. As we trace the history of Western art spanning 600 years, from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century, we invite you to come and find your own "where to look" at the venue.

The World Heritage Nijo Castle will host the "NAKED encounters Nijo Castle 2025 Evening Cool" lighting event, allowing visitors to enjoy the atmosphere of a summer festival at night. This project is part of the "NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO 2025" art project, which aims to bring visitors a new experience of Kyoto through real and virtual means. This summer, we will debut a variety of exciting content, including interactive art inspired by Kyoto's summer traditions - riverside seats and bamboo boats, with the illuminated National Treasure Ninomaru Palace and Important Cultural Property Karamon as the background.

The Bon Odori of Honganji Temple is one of the traditional events held every summer at Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto. As the largest Bon Odori event in Kyoto, it attracts many local residents and tourists to participate. The event is usually held in the Nishi Honganji Temple. Participants can dance around the stage in yukata to the accompaniment of traditional Japanese music, enjoying the coolness and joy of summer. In addition to the Bon Odori, there are various stalls at the event site, providing Japanese snacks and drinks, adding to the festive atmosphere. This event is not only an opportunity to enjoy summer fun, but also a good platform to experience Japan's traditional culture and community spirit.

Daigoji Temple is the main temple of the Shingon sect of the Daigo sect and is listed as a World Heritage Site. The "Daigoji Manrankai Festival" is a memorial service held on August 5 every year to commemorate the ancestors and souls of each family and focus on the preciousness of life. While many lanterns and lanterns light up the entrance, the "Manlan Ceremony" and "Hungry Ghost Tower Offering" are held. On the day of the event, the national treasure golden hall and five-story pagoda are specially lit up, creating a dreamy atmosphere.

The Gojozaka Pottery Festival began in the early Taisho period and has grown into one of the largest pottery festivals in Japan. The event takes place five blocks away on Gojozaka Street in Higashiyama District, where hundreds of vendors gather to sell their respective pottery. Although the kilns are now moved out of town for environmental reasons, Gojozaka still retains many of the pottery shops that have been passed down for many years. Kyoto-style pottery is renowned in Japan for its quality, and even low-end ones are expensive, but if you know where to look, you can always find some good goods during these four days.

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the Kyoto International Children's Film Festival, a film festival with children as the main characters. At the festival, children plan, organize and judge short and feature films from all over the world. It is a festival where you can watch, learn and experience, such as live dubbing by professional actors and children, and "Backyard Tour" where you can explore behind the cinema. This year's theme is "Summer Moments, Our Cinema".

The Matsuno-no-Torch Lighting Festival is a rural event that highlights some of the traditions of rural Japan and is held in three remote villages in Kyoto in August. Held on August 15th every year, starting at around 20:00, Hanase's Matsuhi is used as a way of sending off the dead who return to our world during the Bon Festival, as well as a ritual that is said to drive away fire. The festival is also a prayer for a good harvest. Twenty-meter-high torches are lit beside streams in a field of a thousand torches, and locals wave their lit small torches in the dark of night, which is a sight to behold! Hirogawara's Matsuhi is held on August 24th every year, starting at around 20:30. To host the festival, a tall pillar about 20 meters high is built from Japanese cedar wood, with a large torch on top. As night falls, bonfires are lit and small torches are placed in the surrounding fields to create a magical effect. Locals take small bundles of wood tied to ropes, light them in the bonfire, and throw them at the torch on top of the pole, trying to light it to the sound of energetic drums and cheers of the assembly.