Featured Events in Kyoto in September, 2025 (May 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.

Kyoto is often imagined as the seat of tradition, culture, and Japanese history—and while all of that is true, it’s also a fun-loving and modern place to visit. No time is this truer than during the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair! Visit the ancient capital of Kyoto during mid-to-late September to experience this two-day show celebrating everything anime and manga. Held at the Miyako Messe convention center, KYO-MAF is also a show, market, and festival and one of the largest events in Kansai.

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).

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.

Yakushigawa Chiharu has developed a distinctive style of abstract painting based on the relationship between “pairs.” In herrubseries, in which she applies handmade pigment to both hands and feet, pairs of two or four colors are arranged opposite one another, leaving traces that evoke her bodily movements. Positioned side by side on a single surface, the colors sometimes appear to encroach upon one another’s territory. Additionally, in her recentknockseries, Yakushigawa paints the surface by knocking on it with paint-covered hands, as if signaling to an unseen counterpart on the opposite side.This exhibition will showcase new works centered around the knock series. When confronted with Yakushigawa’s works, what might we imagine lies beyond the painted surface?

The Mingei movement began through gatherings in Kyoto between philosopher Yanagi Soetsu, and potters Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji. During a research trip to study Mokujiki’s wood-carved Buddhist statues , their discussions deepened, leading to the coining of the term “mingei” (“folk art”) in 1925. To mark the 100th anniversary of the term’s inception, we are holding the special exhibition,The 100th Anniversary of Mingei: Kyoto’s Legacy of Everyday Life,which reveals the relationship between Mingei and Kyoto.

Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings are Buddhist paintings created during the Song and Yuan dynasties in China. Japan has been a devout believer in Buddhism since ancient times, and imported many cultural artifacts from China, which was a leading country in Buddhism. Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings, which were brought to Japan mainly from the late Heian period to the Kamakura period, include many works of extremely high quality that are noteworthy in the history of Chinese painting. These were enshrined in temples and served as models for painters, and have deeply penetrated Japanese culture over a long period of time. This exhibition will collect Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings held in Japan and introduce the characteristics of each one in the context of the place where they were created. Although they are all grouped together under the term "Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings," their aspects are complex and diverse, including the content depicted, the era and region in which they were created, and the people involved. We hope that this exhibition will provide an opportunity to unravel the appeal of Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings and to reexamine the international nature, tolerance, and diversity of Japanese culture that has passed down these paintings.