Featured Events in Kyoto Prefecture in July, 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.

This is a grand festival dedicated to the god Inari, where devotees from all over the country gather. During the "Manto Shinto" ceremony held on the eve of the festival, prayer lanterns are lit throughout the temple. About 400 "andonga" (paper lanterns) are displayed in the temple for two days.

In 2013, "washoku" (traditional Japanese cuisine) was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Ten years have passed since then. The special exhibition "Washoku - Japanese Nature, People's Wisdom" has been touring the country since its debut at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, and is now coming to Kyoto, the home of washoku. Washoku, which is gaining more and more attention around the world, will be introduced from multiple perspectives, including science and history, along with a wide variety of specimens and materials. The exhibition will explore the diverse ingredients nurtured by the diverse nature of the Japanese archipelago, the technologies born from people's wisdom and ingenuity, historical changes, and even the future. We will explore the charms of washoku, which may seem familiar but is surprisingly unknown.

To commemorate this, we will introduce the development of transportation, centered on railroads, in the Keihanshin area around 1970, along with scenes from the Expo held 55 years ago.

Tanabata features keju (traditional football game) in Heian period costumes and the Komachi dance in ornate costumes. At the annual Tanabata Festival at the Shrine of the Great Daimyo, the Shigaraki Gagaku Association presents a dance performance followed by kemari and the Komachi dance. The girls performing the Komachi dance dress in Genroku period costumes, with purple headbands, silver hairpins with wind bells, and vermilion undergarments with one sleeve exposed, and they beat small drums around a large bamboo tree in the center of the ball court, which is decorated with Tanabata ornaments.

The Fire Festival begins with the Goma ceremony in the main hall, where about 20 Tanukiyama monks wearing bells devoutly offer scriptures to Acala. After that, they march in a procession to the fire walking dojo below the main hall, and the sound of conch shells solemnly echoes over Tanukiyama. The Tanukiyama monks, who have undergone rigorous training, work together to pray for the safety and health of their families. The flames of the pure fire rise instantly, reflecting on the main hall. After breaking down the firewood of the Goma altar and using the embers to make a fire bed, the Tanukiyama monks begin walking on fire. Next, the monks hold the fire walking amulets in their hands and take turns walking on fire.

The festival is held on the fourth Saturday of July every year in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, and is a tradition of releasing lanterns to honor ancestors from the late Meiji era. Today, it is a spectacular summer festival with the "Peace Prayer Manto Flow," where about 10,000 lanterns float simultaneously down the Yura River, and about 4,000 fireworks are set off. The venue is filled with a lively Ayabe Yosakoi dance adapted from the Kochi Prefecture Yosakoi dance. This is followed by the release of water lanterns at 7:30 p.m. A 40-minute fireworks display begins at 8 p.m., casting a dreamlike atmosphere over the entire Yura River bed.

On the eve of the Gion Festival, old families and long-established businesses in the Yamaboko area display art such as folding screens to the public, a tradition known as the folding screen festival. This year's theme is "Showa 100", and in addition to folding screens and hanging scrolls, the exhibition will also display photos, videos, and daily necessities related to food, clothing, housing, and transportation during the Showa era.

The Matsuo Taisha Oden Festival is a traditional festival held at Matsuo Taisha in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The main activities of the Oden Festival include a simulated rice planting ceremony. Participants wear traditional costumes and plant rice in the ancient way to show respect to the gods and pray for a good harvest. The festival is not only a religious event, but also an important moment to showcase and inherit Japan's traditional agricultural culture, attracting many tourists and local residents to participate.

Named after the Maizuru dialect word "chatta," the fireworks display lights up the summer nights of Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, beautifully. Colorful fireworks, including "Everyone's Fireworks" (Minna no Hanabi) donated by citizens and Hoshiko, are fired in unison, lighting up the summer night sky. The fireworks display is held alternately in the Higashi and Nishi wards each year, and will move to Nishi ward in 2025. There are also food stalls along the coastal avenue so you can enjoy the festive atmosphere. Since it is surrounded by mountains, you can enjoy the power of the fireworks while listening to the sound of the fireworks echoing through the mountains. And, since it faces the sea, the reflection of the fireworks on the water is also a beautiful sight.