What's on in Kyoto

Kyoto events in October 2026

47 events in October 2026: 14 exhibitions, 9 festivals, 8 illuminations, 5 performances, 4 markets, 3 gardens, 2 anime and games events and 2 food events, from headline festivals to neighbourhood fairs.

Mild, with highs around 23°C. The Jidai Matsuri procession on 22 October ends at Heian Jingu, and the leaves start to turn at the end of the month, first on higher ground at Mount Hiei, Ohara and Takao. More on the season in Autumn colour in Kyoto.

Map

The big dates in October 2026

Rurikoin Autumn Special Opening 1 Oct to 13 Dec · Yase
Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai) 18 Oct · Fushimi
Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) 22 Oct · Imperial Palace
Ninna-ji 'Sea of Clouds' Autumn Light-up 24 Oct to 13 Dec · Kinkakuji
Sagano Romantic Train Autumn Light-up 24 Oct to 29 Dec · Arashiyama
Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en Maple Garden 31 Oct to 6 Dec · Kitano

Day by day

What's on each day of October 2026, events starting that day first.

Mon 12 Oct: Arashiyama Autumn Fireworks · Mibu Kyogen Autumn Performances · Kyoto Imperial Palace Autumn Special Opening · Awata Matsuri and 14 more
Tue 13 Oct: Awata Matsuri · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up and 11 more
Wed 14 Oct: Awata Matsuri · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up and 11 more
Thu 15 Oct: Seiryu-e Blue Dragon Procession at Kiyomizu-dera · Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital · Awata Matsuri · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 and 13 more
Fri 16 Oct: Grand Sumo Tournament Kyoto · Kyoto Pottery Expo (KYOPO) · Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 and 13 more
Sat 17 Oct: Maruyama Okyo and Ito Jakuchu · Kyoto Pottery Expo (KYOPO) · Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 and 13 more
Sun 18 Oct: Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai) · Kasagake Horseback Archery at Kamigamo Shrine · Mori no Tezukuri-ichi Craft Market at Shimogamo Shrine (October) · Saigu Procession and 17 more
Mon 19 Oct: Hatsuka Ebisu Festival · Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening and 13 more
Tue 20 Oct: Hatsuka Ebisu Festival · Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening and 13 more
Wed 21 Oct: KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up · The Tale of Genji: Radiance of the Heian Court and 11 more
Thu 22 Oct: Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) · Kurama Fire Festival · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening and 13 more
Fri 23 Oct: Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026) · Entoku-in Autumn Exhibition and Night Viewing · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening and 13 more
Sat 24 Oct: Fushimi Sake Kairo Brewery Open Day · The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Ninna-ji 'Sea of Clouds' Autumn Light-up · Sagano Romantic Train Autumn Light-up and 18 more
Sun 25 Oct: Kyoto Meat Festival (Kyoto Niku Matsuri) · Saga Dainenbutsu Kyogen Autumn Performance · The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026 and 19 more
Mon 26 Oct: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up · Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026) and 16 more
Tue 27 Oct: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up · Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026) and 16 more
Wed 28 Oct: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up · Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026) and 16 more
Thu 29 Oct: The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening · Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up · Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026) and 16 more
Fri 30 Oct: Kyoto Antique Fair (Autumn) · Autumn Secondhand Book Fair at Chion-ji · The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures · Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening and 18 more
Sat 31 Oct: Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival · Chion-in Sanmon Gate Special Opening · Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en Maple Garden · NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS at Higashi Honganji and Shosei-en and 24 more

Dated events in October

Anime and games On now ¥

The Children Who Grew Up with Manga: 40 Years of Manga Culture in Europe

「Mangaと育った子どもたち：ヨーロッパにおけるManga文化の40年」展

17 Sept to 19 Jan Kyoto International Manga Museum, Shijo-Karasuma

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 2 min walk

How Japanese manga was translated, read, criticised and taken up over 40 years in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Germany, ending with work by Europeans who grew up on it and now draw manga themselves. It's included in the museum ticket, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays.

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The former school building of the Kyoto International Manga Museum behind its lawn

ESU, CC BY 3.0

Exhibition On now ¥1,000

Daitoku-ji Juko-in 460th Anniversary Special Opening

大徳寺聚光院開創460年特別公開

18 Sept to 6 Dec Juko-in, Daitoku-ji, Kitano

Time 9:30 to 15:30 (last entry) Station Daitokuji-mae bus stop (City Bus 1, 204, 205, 206), 5 min walk

Sen no Rikyu's family temple at Daitoku-ji opens for the first time in about three and a half years, with copies of the National Treasure wall paintings by Kano Eitoku and his father Shoei, Senju Hiroshi's waterfall panels and the tea room Kan'in-seki. It's cash only, preschool children can't enter, and it's closed on 14, 16 to 18, 27 and 28 Oct and 21, 22 and 27 to 29 Nov.

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A raked gravel garden with a moss island at Ryogen-in, a subtemple of Daitoku-ji

Eric Salard, CC BY-SA 2.0

Exhibition On now ¥1,500

Shapes of Love: The Lost Shunga Scroll Chigo no Soshi

「愛のカタチ－幻の春画《稚児草紙》公開－」

19 Sept to 17 Jan Fukuda Art Museum, Arashiyama

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Arashiyama (Randen), 4 min walk

The museum shows the early 14th-century Chigo no Soshi scroll in public for the first time, with painted shunga by Tsukioka Settei and others, Hokusai's Nami Chidori, made in his 70s, and paintings about love by Uemura Shoen and Kaburaki Kiyokata. Nobody under 18 is admitted, and you may be asked for photo ID.

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The glass and dark steel front of the Fukuda Art Museum in Arashiyama, with its name plate on the stone wall

運動会プロテインパワー, CC BY-SA 4.0

Exhibition On now ¥1,800

Kan'ei: Beauty Nurtured by Peace

特別展「寛永太平がはぐくむ美」

19 Sept to 15 Nov Museum of Kyoto, Shijo-Karasuma

Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 19:30 (last entry 30 minutes before) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 3 min walk

Marking 400 years since Emperor Go-Mizunoo's visit to Nijo Castle, the museum shows the Kan'ei culture of Hon'ami Koetsu, Tawaraya Sotatsu and Nonomura Ninsei, with scrolls and screens of the imperial procession and a Kano Sanraku hawk painting from Nijo Castle. It's closed on Mondays (open 12 Oct) and 13 Oct, and the ticket covers the permanent galleries too.

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The red brick annex of the Museum of Kyoto, a former bank building on Sanjo-dori

Photograph by Mike Peel www.mikepeel.net., CC BY-SA 4.0

Exhibition On now ¥1,800

Yamaga Seika: Textile Artist of Soaring Imagination

特別展生誕140年記念染織家山鹿清華宙翔ぶイマジネーション

19 Sept to 20 Dec Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 8 min walk

The first retrospective in 40 years of Yamaga Seika, who designed, chose the thread and wove his own tapestries, from Gion Matsuri float hangings to wall pieces showing locomotives, rockets and Tokyo Tower. It's closed on Mondays unless they're holidays.

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The 1930s facade of the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in Okazaki

そらみみ, CC BY-SA 3.0

Exhibition On now ¥1,000

Shokoku-ji Autumn Special Opening

相国寺秋の特別拝観

26 Sept to 15 Dec Shokoku-ji, Imperial Palace

Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line)

Shokoku-ji opens its Hatto, the oldest surviving Dharma hall in Japan, along with the abbot's quarters and the founder's hall. Look up at the 'crying dragon' Kano Mitsunobu painted on the Hatto ceiling. It's closed for services from 18 to 21 Oct.

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The Dharma Hall of Shokoku-ji at the end of a paved path lined with pines

663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0

Illumination On now ¥1,500

Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up

嵐山月灯路 Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up

30 Sept to 8 Nov Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Arashiyama

Time 18:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:40) Station Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line), 10 min walk

Bamboo lanterns, some made by local residents in workshops, line the Bamboo Grove path and about 1 km of lit walkways. At the gate it's ¥1,500 in cash, online tickets with guaranteed entry cost ¥2,000, and children 12 and under go free.

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The walking path through the tall green stalks of the Arashiyama bamboo grove

dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0

Garden On now ¥2,000

Rurikoin Autumn Special Opening

瑠璃光院 2026年秋の特別拝観

1 Oct to 13 Dec Rurikoin, Yase

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Yase-Hieizanguchi (Eizan Railway), 10 min walk

Rurikoin, at the foot of Mount Hiei in Yase, opens for the autumn season and gets very busy. From 13 Nov to 6 Dec you have to book ahead on the temple's site, and junior and senior high school students pay ¥1,000.

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Garden On now ¥700

Hogon-in Autumn Opening and Night Viewing

宝厳院秋の特別拝観・夜間特別拝観

3 Oct to 6 Dec Hogon-in, Arashiyama

Time 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:45), night viewing from 13 Nov 17:30 to 20:30 (last entry 20:00) Station Arashiyama (Randen), 3 min walk

This Tenryu-ji sub-temple opens its Shishiku garden, which borrows Arashiyama as a backdrop, round a lion-shaped rock under heavy maples, and for an extra ¥500 you can see Tamura Noriko's paintings in the main hall. From 13 Nov the garden is also lit at night (17:30 to 20:30, ¥1,000).

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The great mossy lion rock in the Shishiku garden of Hogon-in, with a bamboo railed path in front

663highland, CC BY 2.5

Performance On now ¥¥

KYOTO EXPERIMENT 2026

KYOTO EXPERIMENT 京都国際舞台芸術祭 2026

3 to 25 Oct ROHM Theatre Kyoto and other venues, Okazaki

Kyoto's international performing arts festival brings experimental theatre, dance and music from around the world to ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto Art Center and other stages. Times and ticket prices vary by programme.

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The modernist exterior of ROHM Theatre Kyoto in Okazaki under a clear blue sky

Asturio Cantabrio, CC BY-SA 4.0

Anime and games On now ¥1,900

Zen and Ghibli

「禅とジブリ」京都展

3 Oct to 6 Dec Higashiyama Cube, Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 8 min walk

Built on producer Suzuki Toshio's book of conversations with Zen monks, this hands-on show looks at Ghibli films through a Zen eye, set in the world of Miyazaki Hayao's The Boy and the Heron. It's closed on Mondays unless they're holidays, and numbered entry tickets may be handed out when it's crowded.

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そらみみ, CC BY-SA 3.0

Exhibition On now ¥2,200

The Tale of Genji: Radiance of the Heian Court

特別展源氏物語王朝のかがやき

6 Oct to 29 Nov Kyoto National Museum, Higashiyama

Time 9:00 to 17:30, Fridays to 20:00 (last entry 30 minutes before) Station Shichijo (Keihan), 7 min walk

The Kyoto National Museum's first Tale of Genji exhibition in about 50 years shows paintings, crafts, manuscripts and commentaries, about 250 works across its Kyoto and Tokyo runs, including the Aobyoshi-bon text edited by Fujiwara no Teika and the scattered 'phantom' Moriyasu Genji scroll. The display changes on 3 Nov, and the museum is closed on Mondays (open 12 Oct and 23 Nov), 13 Oct and 24 Nov.

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The Meiji era brick facade of the Kyoto National Museum's original building

kajikawa, CC BY 3.0

Exhibition Last day today Free

Kyoto Imperial Palace Autumn Special Opening

令和8年秋の特別公開「京都御所宮廷文化の紹介」

8 to 12 Oct Kyoto Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace

Time 9:00 to 15:20 (entry), out by 16:00 Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 6, 5 min walk

The palace shows the Takamikura throne in the Shishinden, guardian lion and dog statues and displays of court life, free. Catch kemari court football on 11 Oct or gagaku court music on 12 Oct at 10:00 and 11:00, and there are English guided tours at 13:00 and 14:00.

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The Kenreimon gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace behind its broad gravel forecourt

DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0

Exhibition On now ¥800

Daikaku-ji Shinden Special Opening for the Kan'ei Visit's 400th Year

寛永行幸400年記念・宸殿特別拝観

9 Oct to 7 Dec Daikaku-ji, Arashiyama

Time 9:00 to 16:50 (last entry 16:30) Station Daikakuji bus stop (City Bus 28, 91)

Daikaku-ji lets you inside the Peony Room of its Shinden, the hall Empress Tofukumon'in lived in, to see Kano Sanraku's peony paintings up close. It's included in the normal ¥800 entry, and the autumn treasure show runs alongside for an extra ¥500.

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The vermilion Shingyo Hoto pagoda of Daikaku-ji reflected in a pond in Kyoto

m-louis ., CC BY-SA 2.0

Festival Ends in 3 days Free

Awata Matsuri

粟田神社大祭（粟田祭）

10 to 15 Oct Awata Shrine, Okazaki

Time Night lantern procession 11 Oct from 17:00, kenboko procession 12 Oct from 10:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 7 min walk

Awata Shrine's main festival runs for six days. Come on the evening of 11 Oct for the Awata Daitoro, big painted lanterns paraded through the parish, or on 12 Oct from 10:00 for the kenboko halberds, said to be the forerunners of the Gion Matsuri floats.

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Illumination On now ¥750

Kyoto City Zoo Autumn Night Opening

京都市動物園秋の夜間開園

10 Oct to 7 Nov Kyoto City Zoo, Okazaki

Time 10 to 12, 17, 24 and 31 Oct and 7 Nov, open to 20:00 (last entry 19:30) Station Keage (Tozai Line), 7 min walk

On seven autumn days the zoo stays open until 20:00 and is lit after dark, with keeper talks at 17:30, 18:00 and 18:30 and an outdoor film at 19:00 from 12 Oct. Entry is the usual ¥750, free for junior high school students and younger, and gorillas, monkeys and some birds aren't on show at night.

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The entrance building of Kyoto City Zoo with its lettering, Okazaki, Kyoto

inunami, CC BY 2.0

Performance Last day today ¥1,000

Mibu Kyogen Autumn Performances

壬生狂言秋の公開

10 to 12 Oct Mibu-dera, Nijo

Time 13:00 to about 17:30 (doors 12:30) Station Mibudera-michi bus stop (City Bus 26, 28, 71), 1 min walk

Masked performers act out Buddhist stories in silent mime to gongs, drums and flutes, a 700-year-old tradition listed as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. There are six plays a day of about 45 minutes each, and seats are unreserved, so you just pay at the gate.

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The main hall of Mibu-dera with its stone Buddha pagoda behind, Kyoto

Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY 4.0

Festival Last day today Free

Arashiyama Autumn Fireworks

京都嵐山秋花火2026

11 to 12 Oct Nakanoshima Park, Arashiyama, Arashiyama

Time Fireworks from 20:30, about 5 minutes Station Arashiyama (Randen), 1 min walk

A short fireworks show over the river by Togetsukyo Bridge, about five minutes from 20:30 on both nights. The organisers say Nakanoshima Park gives the best view, and there's no parking, so come by train.

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Festival Starts in 3 days Free

Seiryu-e Blue Dragon Procession at Kiyomizu-dera

青龍会

15 Oct Kiyomizu-dera, Higashiyama

Time 14:00 to about 15:30 Station Kiyomizu-michi bus stop (City Bus 206), 15 min walk

An 18 m blue dragon, guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings and led by conch-blowing monks, winds from the Okunoin past Otowa Falls, out through the West Gate and the shopping street below, then back up through the Nio Gate to the main hall. The procession began in 2000, and you can watch it from the street outside the gate.

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The main hall of Kiyomizu-dera on its wooden stage above the wooded hillside

ito1117, CC BY-SA 3.0

Performance Starts in 3 days ¥5,000 to ¥10,000

Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital

第111回水明会

15 to 20 Oct Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 15:30 (doors 15:00) Station Sanjo (Keihan), 5 min walk

Pontocho's geiko have staged this dance recital since 1930, named after the clear water of the Kamo River, with tokiwazu, kiyomoto and nagauta pieces. Reserved seats are ¥10,000 or ¥8,000 and unreserved ones ¥5,000.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path

Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0

Performance Starts in 4 days ¥9,000

Grand Sumo Tournament Kyoto

大相撲京都場所

16 Oct Nisshin Denki Arena Kyoto (Kyoto City Gymnasium), Nishikyogoku

Time 9:00 to 15:00 (top-division bouts from 13:30) Station Nishikyogoku (Hankyu Kyoto Line), 8 min walk

Sumo's touring show comes back to Kyoto for one day, its first visit in about two years. Doors open at 9:00 for open practice and questions to the wrestlers, lower-division bouts, comic sumo and drumming start at noon, and the top division's ring-entering ceremonies and bouts run from 13:30 to about 15:00. Every seat is reserved, from ¥9,000 with a bento and tea.

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Market Starts in 4 days Free

Kyoto Pottery Expo (KYOPO)

第50回 Kyoto Pottery Expo 2026（旧清水焼の郷まつり）

16 to 18 Oct Kiyomizuyaki Danchi pottery estate, Yamashina

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (16:00 on the last day) Station Kiyomizuyaki Danchi bus stop (Keihan Bus 29 from Yamashina Station), 5 min walk

More than 100 potters, from young makers with roots in Kiyomizu ware to veterans, sell from stalls along the streets of the pottery estate, so you're buying from the people who made the pieces. It's the 50th edition of what used to be the Kiyomizuyaki no Sato Matsuri, and extra buses run from Kyoto Station during the fair.

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Exhibition Starts in 5 days ¥1,000

Maruyama Okyo and Ito Jakuchu

「円山応挙と伊藤若冲」

17 Oct to 20 Jun Shokoku-ji Jotenkaku Museum, Imperial Palace

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 3, 8 min walk

Okyo's Peony and Peacock (first half of the autumn period) and his Great Waterfall, over 3.6 m tall (second half), hang alongside all 50 of Jakuchu's ink panels from the great study room of Kinkaku-ji, where he shows what he could do without colour. It's closed for New Year from 27 Dec to 8 Jan.

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The paved path through a green garden to the entrance of the Jotenkaku Museum at Shokoku-ji

663highland, CC BY 2.5

Festival Starts in 6 days Free

Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai)

城南祭

18 Oct Jonangu, Fushimi

Time Rite 9:00, mikoshi procession from 12:00 Station Takeda (Karasuma Line, Kintetsu), 15 min walk

Three big mikoshi, the pine, bamboo and plum shrines of Shimotoba, Takeda and Kamitoba, are carried round the worship hall after noon and then out through the parish. Watching is free.

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The red torii and stone name pillar of Jonangu, with the shrine gate at the end of the paved approach

663highland, CC BY 2.5

Festival Starts in 6 days Free

Kasagake Horseback Archery at Kamigamo Shrine

笠懸神事

18 Oct Kamigamo Shrine, Demachiyanagi

Time From about 13:00 (rite in the main hall from 12:30) Station Kamigamo Misonobashi bus stop (City Bus), 5 min walk

Riders at full gallop shoot at targets level with them and down on the ground, a style of mounted archery more practical than yabusame. Kamigamo is the only shrine in Japan where it's performed as an offering, and there's a one-day-only goshuin stamp.

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The Hosoden hall of Kamigamo Shrine with its two sacred sand cones, Kyoto

Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0

Market Starts in 6 days Free

Mori no Tezukuri-ichi Craft Market at Shimogamo Shrine (October)

森の手づくり市～秋の特別編2026～

18 Oct Shimogamo Shrine, Demachiyanagi

Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 205)

Craft stalls selling accessories, woodwork, leather, ceramics, cloth goods and sweets line Shimogamo Shrine's approach and the Tadasu no Mori forest, with food trucks and acoustic sets. It goes ahead in rain unless Kyoto has a storm warning.

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The vermilion two-storey gate of Shimogamo Shrine

Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0

Festival Starts in 6 days Free

Saigu Procession

斎宮行列

18 Oct Nonomiya Shrine to Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama

Time Procession from 12:00 Station Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line), 10 min walk

A Heian-style procession re-creates an imperial princess setting out to serve at Ise Shrine, walking from Nonomiya Shrine to Togetsukyo Bridge from noon after a rite at the shrine. A purification rite at the river's north boat landing is planned for about 14:00.

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The black wooden torii of Nonomiya Shrine above stone steps, hung with a grass ring

Seven010, CC BY-SA 3.0

Festival Starts in 7 days Free

Hatsuka Ebisu Festival

二十日ゑびす大祭

19 to 20 Oct Kyoto Ebisu Shrine, Gion

Time Eve 19 Oct from 16:00, main festival 20 Oct from 14:00 Station Shijo-Kawaramachi bus stop (City Bus), 10 min walk

The autumn counterpart of January's Toka Ebisu welcomes the god Ebisu back from the sea, and lucky bamboo branches, charms and talismans for business are handed out. The eve is on 19 Oct from 16:00 and the main festival on 20 Oct from 14:00.

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Stone torii of Kyoto Ebisu Shrine on Yamato-oji, with the Ebisu face on the inner gate and the hall beyond

masato_photo, CC BY-SA 2.0

Festival Starts in 10 days Free

Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)

時代祭

22 Oct Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine, Imperial Palace

Time Leaves the Imperial Palace 12:00, Karasuma Oike about 12:50, Heian Shrine about 14:30 Station Marutamachi or Imadegawa (Karasuma Line)

Heian Shrine's festival is a 2 km costume parade of about 2,000 people, 70 horses and two oxen, walking back through history from the Meiji Restoration loyalists to the Heian court, and it leaves the Imperial Palace at noon. Paid seats are set up in the palace grounds, on Oike-dori and on Jingu-michi, and rain moves it to 23 Oct.

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DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0

Festival Starts in 10 days Free

Kurama Fire Festival

鞍馬の火祭

22 Oct Yuki Shrine, Kurama, Kurama

Time 18:00 to past midnight Station Kurama (Eizan Railway), 6 min walk

Villagers carry huge pine torches through Kurama to cries of 'saireya, sairyo', re-creating the welcome given to the shrine's god in 940, and the whole village burns until after midnight. Cars are barred between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen from 15:00 and every car park is closed, so take the Eizan train.

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Illumination Starts in 11 days ¥500

Entoku-in Autumn Exhibition and Night Viewing

圓徳院特別展と夜間特別拝観

23 Oct to 13 Dec Entoku-in, Gion

Time Night viewing 17:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30), screens on show from 10:00 Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206)

Nene spent her last 19 years at this Kodai-ji sub-temple, and its north garden, a dry landscape later reworked by Kobori Enshu, is lit at night while the Toyotomi family's Teikan-zu screens are on show. A ¥1,200 ticket covers both Entoku-in and Kodai-ji, and it's closed on 11 and 12 Dec.

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Illumination Starts in 11 days ¥2,000 to ¥2,400

Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026)

二条城まつり2026 NAKED meets 二条城 2026

23 Oct to 5 Dec Nijo Castle, Nijo

Time 18:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:00) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk

For the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei imperial visit, the castle's night light-up is an art show by NAKED built around Tokugawa Masako and Kan'ei-era design, with maples, ginkgo and cherry trees lit along the way. Tickets are ¥2,000 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,400 Friday to Sunday and on holidays (¥400 less if bought by 22 Oct), and children up to junior high school get in free.

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The white corner turret of Nijo Castle above its stone wall and moat

Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0

Food event Starts in 12 days Free

Fushimi Sake Kairo Brewery Open Day

伏見酒回廊2026

24 Oct Sake breweries across Fushimi, Fushimi

Time From 10:00 (closing times vary by brewery) Station Chushojima, Fushimi-Momoyama or Tambabashi (Keihan)

Thirteen Fushimi brewers open up at 11 sites on the same day, with tastings, sales, limited sakes, food and a stamp rally as you walk between them. Entry is free, each brewery keeps its own hours, and you should come by train if you're drinking.

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Exhibition Starts in 12 days ¥2,000

Whom Does Jewellery Dream Of?

ジュエリーは、誰を夢みる

24 Oct to 17 Jan The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 20:00 (last entry 30 minutes before) Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk

About 350 pieces trace contemporary jewellery in postwar Japan, from the Japan Jewellery Designers Association's founding in 1964 to artists working now, including works from Germany shown here for the first time in about 50 years. It's closed on Mondays (open 23 Nov and 11 Jan), 24 Nov, 12 Jan and from 29 Dec to 3 Jan.

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The grey stone and glass front of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0

Illumination Starts in 12 days ¥2,800

Ninna-ji 'Sea of Clouds' Autumn Light-up

世界遺産仁和寺紅葉雲海ライトアップ

24 Oct to 13 Dec Ninna-ji, Kinkakuji

Time Fri, Sat, Sun and holidays, 18:30 to 21:00 (entry 18:00 to 20:30) Station Omuro-Ninnaji bus stop (City Bus 26), 1 min walk

Ninna-ji lights its autumn maples above a 'sea of clouds', with a 528 Hz 'healing sound garden' playing. It runs on Fridays, weekends and holidays only, not on 8 or 28 Nov, and high school students and younger get in free.

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The two-storey Niomon gate at the entrance of Ninna-ji

josef knecht, CC BY 3.0

Illumination Starts in 12 days ¥880

Sagano Romantic Train Autumn Light-up

嵯峨野トロッコ列車秋のライトアップ「光の幻想列車」

24 Oct to 29 Dec Sagano Scenic Railway, Arashiyama

Time From 16:30 to the last train Station Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line)

From late afternoon the trains run past lit maples and illuminations in the Hozu gorge between Torokko Arashiyama and Torokko Kameoka. The railway says it's the last autumn light-up you'll see from the current carriages, and there's no service on 16 Dec.

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Exhibition Starts in 12 days ¥2,000

The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures

第78回正倉院展

24 Oct to 9 Nov Nara National Museum, Nara

Time 8:00 to 18:00, to 20:00 on Fridays, weekends and holidays Station Kintetsu-Nara (Kintetsu Nara Line), 15 min walk

Each autumn the museum shows treasures from the Shosoin, the storehouse of Emperor Shomu's belongings, and this year there are 60 pieces, 11 never shown before, including a lacquered ewer listed in the Kokka Chinpo-cho and a white glass bottle made around Iran. Entry is by timed ticket, so book ahead, though any slots left are sold at the museum on the day.

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Food event Starts in 13 days Free

Kyoto Meat Festival (Kyoto Niku Matsuri)

第11回京都肉祭

25 Oct Okazaki Park, in front of Heian Shrine, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 8 min walk

For one day, Kyoto restaurants including Mishima-tei, Moritaya and Ginkakuji Onishi cook dishes from Kyoto beef in the park in front of Heian Shrine, and packs of the beef sell at ¥1,000, ¥2,000 and ¥3,000. Entry's free.

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The vermilion and green halls of Heian Shrine under a cloudy sky

Manish Prabhune, CC BY 2.0

Performance Starts in 13 days Free

Saga Dainenbutsu Kyogen Autumn Performance

嵯峨大念佛狂言秋季定期公演

25 Oct Kyogen-do, Seiryo-ji (Saga Shakado), Arashiyama

Time 13:30 to 16:30 (former members' show from 11:30) Station Saga-Shakado-mae bus stop (City Bus 28, 91), 2 min walk

Masked players act out plays without a word on Seiryo-ji's kyogen stage, one of Kyoto's three great nembutsu kyogen and an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. This autumn it's Hashi Benkei, Shibari Bozu and Tsuchigumo from 13:30, after a show of Momijigari by former members at 11:30, and it's free and goes ahead in rain.

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The main halls of Seiryo-ji, known as Saga Shakado, in Saga, Kyoto

Mti, CC BY-SA 3.0

Market Free

Autumn Secondhand Book Fair at Chion-ji

第50回秋の古本まつり（百万遍知恩寺）

30 Oct to 3 Nov Hyakumanben Chion-ji, Demachiyanagi

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (first day opens after the memorial) Station Hyakumanben bus stop (City Bus 206), 1 min walk

About 200,000 secondhand books fill Chion-ji's grounds for five days, with an auction and a corner of complete sets. On the first morning, before the stalls open, there's a memorial service for old books with the temple's giant rosary.

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Main hall of Hyakumanben Chion-ji with a bronze lantern and pine in the courtyard

Daderot, CC0 1.0

Market Free

Kyoto Antique Fair (Autumn)

第96回京都アンティークフェア

30 Oct to 1 Nov Kyoto Pulse Plaza, Takeda

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (16:00 on the last day) Station Takeda (Karasuma Line, Kintetsu), free shuttle bus from exit 4

More than 300 dealers from across Japan fill Pulse Plaza with antiques and old art, furniture, paintings, Asian goods and Western antiques, at what the organiser bills as western Japan's biggest antiques fair. It's indoors and free, and a free shuttle bus runs from exit 4 of Takeda Station.

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Exhibition ¥1,000

Chion-in Sanmon Gate Special Opening

京都非公開文化財特別公開知恩院三門

31 Oct to 13 Nov Chion-in, Gion

Time 9:00 to 16:00 (entry) Station Chion-in-mae bus stop (City Bus 206), 5 min walk

Chion-in's Sanmon, the giant gate built in 1621 on the orders of the second Tokugawa shogun, opens to visitors as part of the Kyoto Non-public Cultural Properties Special Opening, which this autumn covers 32 sites across Kyoto Prefecture. Each site costs ¥1,000.

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The huge wooden main hall of Chion-in across its stone-paved courtyard

Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0

Garden ¥1,500

Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en Maple Garden

史跡御土居のもみじ苑

31 Oct to 6 Dec Kitano Tenmangu, Kitano

Time 9:00 to 16:00 (last entry 15:40), to 20:00 during the light-up from 13 Nov (last entry 19:40) Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50), 1 min walk

About 350 maples grow on the Odoi, the earth rampart Toyotomi Hideyoshi built round Kyoto, and the garden opens for the season with a light-up after dark from 13 Nov. Look out for the vermilion Uguisu Bridge over the Kamiya River, and the ticket comes with a sweet based on fu-no-yaki, said to have been devised by Sen no Rikyu.

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The carved Sanmon gate of Kitano Tenmangu hung with a large ema plaque

z tanuki, CC BY 3.0

Exhibition ¥3,000 to ¥5,000

Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival

京都モダン建築祭

31 Oct to 8 Nov About 150 buildings across Kyoto, Kyoto Station

Time Passport days 31 Oct and 1 Nov 10:00 to 19:00, 7 and 8 Nov 10:00 to 17:00 (hours vary by building) Station Kyoto (JR, Karasuma Line)

In its fifth year about 150 modern buildings take part, and on 31 Oct and 1 Nov and on 7 and 8 Nov a passport lets you walk into 61 that are usually closed or hard to visit, from houses, banks, schools and churches to a National Treasure. From 26 Oct a half pass is ¥3,000 and a full pass ¥5,000, sold online or for cash at the Kyoto General Tourist Information Center in Kyoto Station.

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Illumination ¥2,100 to ¥2,300

NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS at Higashi Honganji and Shosei-en

NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS 東本願寺・渉成園

31 Oct to 6 Dec Higashi Honganji and Shosei-en, Kyoto Station

Time 18:00 to 22:00 (Higashi Honganji last entry 21:00) Station Gojo (Karasuma Line), 5 min walk

NAKED lights Higashi Honganji and its detached garden Shosei-en for an evening walk through five scenes. Adult tickets are ¥2,100 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,300 Friday to Sunday and on holidays (¥200 less in advance), and from 6 to 8 Nov and on 25 Nov only Shosei-en is open.

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The vast Goei-do founder's hall of Higashi Hongan-ji across its gravel courtyard

Domenico Convertini, CC BY-SA 2.0

Exhibition ¥1,200

Sumitomo Shunsui: 100 Years On

特別展没後100年記念住友春翠－仕合せの住友近代美術コレクション

31 Oct to 20 Dec Sen-oku Hakuko Kan, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed Mondays (open 23 Nov) and 24 Nov Station Miyanomae-cho bus stop (City Bus 32, 105), 1 min walk

A centenary show for Sumitomo Shunsui, the 15th head of the Sumitomo family, whose collecting laid the museum's foundations, with Japanese and Western paintings and crafts including Monet's Parc Monceau and Fujishima Takeji's Sachi aru asa. Under-18s get in free, and the ticket covers the Bronze Gallery of ancient Chinese bronzes too.

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Illumination ¥1,000

To-ji Autumn Light-up and Night Viewing

東寺紅葉ライトアップと金堂・講堂夜間特別拝観

31 Oct to 13 Dec To-ji, Kyoto Station

Time 18:00 to 21:30 (last entry 21:00) Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk

About 200 maples round the five-storey pagoda are lit and reflected in Hyotan Pond, and the Kondo and Kodo halls, with the Kodo's 3D mandala of statues, open after dark. By day over the same dates, the pagoda's richly painted first floor is open too (8:00 to 17:00).

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Markets and fairs that run every month

Market Free

1000market at Kiyomizu-dera

1000market（サウザンドマーケット）

28th of every month, 9:00 to 16:00 Kiyomizu-dera, Higashiyama

Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Gojozaka bus stop (City Bus 100, 206) or Kiyomizu-michi (207)

Kiyomizu-dera's own market on the 28th, the Fudo-son fair day, in the square in front of the gate, which you can walk into without a ticket. It started in April 2022 around traditional crafts, the environment and cutting food waste, and the stallholders are posted on Instagram.

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ito1117, CC BY-SA 3.0

Market Free

Garakuta-ichi at To-ji

ガラクタ市（東寺）

First Sunday of every month To-ji, Kyoto Station

Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk

To-ji's smaller monthly market of antiques and handmade goods, held on the first Sunday rather than the big Kobo-ichi on the 21st.

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Market Free

Heian Antique Market (Heian Nomi-no-ichi)

平安蚤の市

About once a month on dates the organiser posts, 9:00 to 16:00 Okazaki Park, in front of Heian Shrine, Okazaki

Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk

More than 100 dealers in antiques and secondhand goods set up in Okazaki Park in front of Heian Shrine. Dates move from month to month and are often weekdays, and rain or storms cancel it, with the call posted the afternoon before.

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Manish Prabhune, CC BY 2.0

Market Free

Heian Rakuichi Handmade Market

平安楽市

About once a month on dates the organiser posts, 10:00 to 16:00 Okazaki Park, in front of Heian Shrine, Okazaki

Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk

A market of makers' own crafts and snacks in Okazaki Park, about once a month on dates the organiser posts, often on a weekday. In 2026 there was none in September or October, and the August one ran from 16:00 to 20:00.

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Manish Prabhune, CC BY 2.0

Market Free

Hyakumanben Handmade Market at Chion-ji

百万遍さんの手づくり市

15th of every month except August, 8:00 to 16:00 Hyakumanben Chion-ji, Demachiyanagi

Time 8:00 to 16:00 Station Hyakumanben bus stop (City Bus 206), 1 min walk

Makers sell their own crafts, ceramics, clothes and food in Chion-ji's grounds on the 15th of each month. Places are allotted by lottery among applicants, and it runs in the rain.

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Daderot, CC0 1.0

Market Free

Kamigamo Handmade Market

上賀茂手づくり市

4th Sunday of the month, 9:00 to 15:00 Kamigamo Shrine, Demachiyanagi

Time 9:00 to 15:00 Station Kamigamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 4)

Stalls line the Nara-no-ogawa stream in Kamigamo Shrine's grounds, and everything is made by the seller, from jewellery, clothes and pottery to vegetables, baked sweets and bread. Check the organiser's dates, since a month with five Sundays can catch people out.

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Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0

Market Free

Tenjin-san Market at Kitano Tenmangu

天神市（北野天満宮）

25th of every month, 7:00 to sunset Kitano Tenmangu, Kitano

Time 7:00 to sunset Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus), 1 min walk

Kitano Tenmangu's market on the 25th, the date tied to Sugawara no Michizane's birth and death, is Kyoto's other big fair alongside To-ji's, strong on antiques, old tools and secondhand clothes. On market days the shrine buildings are lit after dark.

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z tanuki, CC BY 3.0

Market Free

Kobo-ichi Market at To-ji

弘法市（東寺）

21st of every month, about 5:00 to 16:00 (stall hours vary) To-ji, Kyoto Station

Time About 5:00 to 16:00 Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk

On the 21st of every month, Kukai's memorial day, about 1,200 to 1,300 stalls fill To-ji's grounds with antiques, old kimono and secondhand odds and ends, and about 200,000 people come. Most stallholders are dealers with shops elsewhere, it goes ahead in the rain, and stalls open from about 5:00, so come early if you're hunting for something.

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Market Free

Kyoto Antique Fair

京都アンティークフェア

Three times a year (spring, early summer and autumn) over a Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, last day to 16:00 Kyoto Pulse Plaza, Takeda

Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last day to 16:00) Station Takeda (Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), then the free shuttle bus from west exit 4

Over 300 dealers from all over Japan sell antiques and old art, furniture, paintings, Asian goods and Western antiques under one roof at Pulse Plaza, so the weather doesn't matter. Entry is free, and a free shuttle bus runs from Takeda Station.

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Market Free

Tenjin-ichi Market at Kitano Tenmangu

天神市（北野天満宮）

25th of every month, all day, with the lanterns lit from sunset Kitano Tenmangu, Kitano

Time All day, lanterns lit from sunset Station Kitano-Hakubaicho (Randen Kitano Line), 5 min walk

The 25th is Kitano Tenmangu's monthly fair day, and stalls line the approach all day. From sunset the shrine lights its 350 stone and 250 hanging lanterns, and 25 January and 25 December are the busiest of the year, with about a thousand stalls.

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z tanuki, CC BY 3.0

Market Free

Kobo-san Market at To-ji

弘法市（東寺）

21st of every month, 7:00 to 15:30 To-ji, Kyoto Station

Time 7:00 to 15:30 Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 6 min walk

Over 1,000 stalls fill To-ji on the 21st of every month, Kobo Daishi's memorial day, selling antiques, old tools, secondhand clothes and food to about 200,000 visitors. It runs in the rain, and the January market is Hatsu-Kobo.

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Market Free

Umekoji Park Handmade Market

梅小路公園手づくり市

First Saturday of the month, none in January, May and August, 9:00 to 16:00 Umekoji Park, Kyoto Station

Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line)

The sister market of the Hyakumanben one, with makers' stalls in Umekoji Park, and unlike at the temple you can bring a dog. It goes ahead in the rain.

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A preserved Kyoto city tram on display in Umekoji Park, Kyoto

Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0

Market Free

Umekoji Park Handmade Market

梅小路公園手づくり市

1st Saturday of the month except January, May and August, 9:00 to 16:00 Umekoji Park, Kyoto Station

Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 1 min walk

The sister market of Chion-ji's, run by the same team, sets up in Umekoji Park on the first Saturday of the month, with crafts and food sold by the people who made them. In May it joins the park's Green Fair on 3 and 4 May instead.

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Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0

Good to know

What is on in Kyoto in October 2026?

There are 47 events listed for October 2026 (14 exhibitions, 9 festivals, 8 illuminations, 5 performances, 4 markets, 3 gardens, 2 anime and games events and 2 food events). The big dates are Rurikoin Autumn Special Opening (1 Oct to 13 Dec), Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai) (18 Oct), Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) (22 Oct), Ninna-ji 'Sea of Clouds' Autumn Light-up (24 Oct to 13 Dec), Sagano Romantic Train Autumn Light-up (24 Oct to 29 Dec) and Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en Maple Garden (31 Oct to 6 Dec). 47 have confirmed dates. Every listing links to the interactive map.

What festivals are on in Kyoto in October 2026?

9 festivals are listed for October 2026, among them Awata Matsuri (10 to 15 Oct), Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai) (18 Oct), Saigu Procession (18 Oct), Hatsuka Ebisu Festival (19 to 20 Oct) and Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) (22 Oct).

Are there free events in Kyoto in October 2026?

Yes. 17 of the 47 events listed for October 2026 are free to attend, including Jonangu Festival (Jonan-sai) (18 Oct), Saigu Procession (18 Oct) and Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) (22 Oct).

Is October a good time to visit Kyoto?

How current is this list?

Dated events are checked against the organiser's own page, and finished events drop off the page on their own. Annual events further out carry their usual dates until the official ones are published.