THINGS TO DO IN KYOTO IN JUNE 2025

If you’re in Kyoto this June, I’d say, “Lucky you!!” Whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff, or a shopping enthusiast, Kyoto has an amazing range of experiences. Throughout the month, the cultural capital of Japan buzzes with sound, color, and celebration every June. Here, we share a list of events that will add dashes of spice and adventure to your Kyoto trip this June.

Kifune Matsuri

Kyoto’s Kifune Shrine is the most prominent among 500 Kifune shrines across Japan. You’ll find the 1400-year-old shrine’s pristine forest setting and the sounds of the Kifunegawa River flowing nearby incredibly relaxing and meditative. The Kifunematsuri, held annually, is a prayer to Kifune, the god of water and rain, for peace and good farming weather. The golden mikoshi (portable shrine) procession in the serene forest set to loud chants by marching parishioners and worshippers is a unique experience. Immerse yourself in traditional bugaku and kagura dance performances at the matsuri (festival).

Date: June 1, 2025

Time: 6:00 – 17:00

Location: Kifune Shrine, 180 Kuramakibunecho, Sakyo-kyu, Kyoto

Website: https://kifunejinja.jp/

Fee: Free

Kyoto Takigi Noh

Immerse yourself in an ancient Japanese theatrical form, Noh, that will be on display at Kyoto’s historical Heian Jingu shrine. The melancholy of the centuries-old tales of spirits and longing told in the four Noh plays is balanced by the brevity of the Kyogen comedy. Performed after dusk on an open-air stage illuminated by the flickering lights of bonfires, this event is certain to enchant you as the shadows and lights add magic to the masked characters and lyrical sounds.

Date: June 1-2, 2025

Time: 18:00 – 21:00

Location: Heian Jingu Shrine, 97 Nishitennocho, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
(exact location to be decided on the day of the event)

Website: Heian Jingu Shrine & Ticketing website

Fee: 4,000 – 9,000 yen

Umekoji Handicrafts Market

If you are looking for one-of-a-kind souvenirs, look no further. Conveniently held on the grounds near the lush green Umekoji Park, this handicrafts market, held on the first Saturday of every month, showcases unique items. With over 300 stalls manned by local artisans and vendors, there is no lack of variety and creativity in the goods on display. You can find kimonos, ceramics, lacquerware, woodwork, and a variety of other handcrafted items that will make great souvenirs for your Japan trip.

Date: June 6-7, 2025

Time: 9:00 – 16:00

Location: Tedukuri Ichi, 56-3, Kankijicho, Shimogyo-kyu, Kyoto

Website: Handmade market

Fee: Free

Tauesai (Rice Planting Festival)

Taue-sai (rice planting festivals) are held every summer at several shrines across Japan. Kyoto’s version of Taue-sai is held at the iconic Fushimi Inari shrine. Apart from the traditional hand-planting of rice seedlings, you can also enjoy traditional dance and music performances. As taiko drums reverberate and beautiful Japanese women dressed in Heian-period costumes perform the ota-mai kagura dance to lilting tunes played on the shamisen (a three-stringed instrument), you will quickly find yourself transported back in time. But that’s not all to find, make sure you don’t miss out on savoring Kyoto’s local delicacies that can be found in various food stalls on site!

Date: June 10, 2025

Location: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi-kyu, Kyoto 

Website: inari.jp

Fee: Free

Ajisai Matsuri (Hydrangea Festival)

Believed to have been established by Empress Jingu, the Fujinomori shrine hosts a Hydrangea Festival (ajisai matsuri) that boasts blooms in pink, blue, purple, white, violet, and every imaginable hue in between. As the scent of flowering hydrangeas fills the air, soak in the traditional atmosphere as locals play a spirited game of kemari, sing heartfelt songs, and recite lyrical poetry. Make sure you enjoy the hydrangea-themed food, too!

Date: June 15, 2025

Time: 9:00 – 16:00

Location: Fujinomori Shrine, 609 Fukakusa Toriizakicho, Fushimi-kyu, Kyoto

Website: www.fujinomorijinjya.or.jp

Fee: Free

Kobo-Ichi Flea Market

Home to Kyoto’s tallest pagoda, Toji Temple hosts a bustling market on the 21st of each month. The temple is dedicated to Kukai, the Buddhist saint, and his life is honored on the 21st of every month, the date of his attaining nirvana. Stroll through the market to get a taste of local life and buy anything Japanese-related that you can think of. You may also see monks in their yellow robes praying and chanting sutras on the grounds. If you love shooting with your camera, you are likely to have a field day with all the colors on display. Food lovers will also find plenty to please them.

Date: June 21, 2025

Location: 1 Kujo-cho, Minami-kyu, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

Website: https://www.toji.or.jp/en/index.html

Fee: Free

Yayoi Kusama Special Exhibition

Enjoy the works of eminent Japanese artist and printmaker Yayoi Kusama this summer at Kyoto’s Kyocera Museum of Art, which will feature over 330 of Kusama’s vibrant artworks known for their use of playful patterns, including polka dots and nets, combined with everyday motifs, such as pumpkins and grapes. As you wander through the exhibition and admire her famed “Pumpkin” and “Love Forever” series, you’ll feel as though you have entered the creative mind of one of Japan’s contemporary art pioneers.

Date: All through June 2025

Time: 10:00 – 18:00

Location: Kyocera Museum of Art, 124 Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-kyu, Kyoto

Website: kyotocity-kyocera.museum/en/exhibition/20250425-20250907

Fee: 500 – 2,200 yen

Sakuraya Kijima Retrospective

If you are unable to enjoy the outdoors in Kyoto due to Tsuyu (the rainy season) this June, the Saga Arashiyama Museum’s Sakura Kijima retrospective may just be the right event for you. Showcasing some of the Kyoto Master’s realistic works depicting nature in all its beauty, the exhibition brings the outdoors alive within the walls of the museum. Known for his expressive painting style, the exhibition is likely to delight art lovers with a soft spot for Monet and beyond.

Date: All through June

Time: 10:00 – 17:00

Location: Saga Arashiyama Museum, 11 Munobabacho, Sagatenryuji, Ukyo-kyu, Kyoto

Website: https://www.samac.jp/exhibition/detail.php?id=61

Fee: 300 – 2,000 yen

Washoku Special Exhibition

Step into the centrally located Museum of Kyoto and find yourself transported to the streets of Edo as yatai food carts and stunning replicas of food items tell the story of washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine that represents a balanced meal, with “wa” standing for harmony as well as Japanese. Celebrating a decade since washoku was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the exhibition blends science, history, and sensory delight. And the bonus is that photography is allowed, so don’t forget your camera!

Date: All through June

Time: 10:00 – 18:00 (until 19:30 on Fridays)

Location: The Museum of Kyoto, 623-1 Higashikatamachi, Sanjyo-Takakura, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto

Website: https://www.bunpaku.or.jp/exhi_special_post_en/20250426-0706/

Fee: 600 – 1,800 yen

Kyoto Restaurant Special Expo

To coincide with the Osaka Expo, over 150 restaurants located across Kyoto are offering visitors the opportunity to have a special dining experience with a focus on Kyoto delicacies. Don’t miss the chance to try a kaiseki or an omakase course and savor Kyoto’s gourmet foods, such as hamo (conger), saba-zushi (mackerel sushi), Kyo-tsukemono (Kyoto pickles), yudofu (boiled tofu), and yatsuhashi (sweet rice dough cakes). And, if the expo has left you wanting even more, why not try one of our food tours too?

Date: All through June

Location: In restaurants across Kyoto

Website: https://krws.kyoto.travel/en/

A Summer to Enjoy in Kyoto

Every city, prefecture, and region in Japan has its own unique set of festivals. In Kyoto, the “City of a Thousand Shrines,” there’s a temple and a shrine on every street, and when it comes to festivals and events, Kyoto has plenty of them. (Check out our blog here to know more about Kyoto’s three big festivals.) 

Though the cherry blossom season comes to a close in April, nature in Kyoto does not disappoint June visitors, either. Let the heady scents of azaleas, hydrangeas, irises, and lotuses in full bloom lead you down Kyoto’s temple paths. The summer is also a great time to step out and enjoy the markets held outdoors. But if you are forced to stay indoors due to the rains in Kyoto, then you can always immerse yourself in artistic experiences at its museums or dine at one of the numerous restaurants serving up “oishii” dishes. With so much to see and do, there is no end to the fun and cultural immersion that can be found in the month of June whilst discovering the streets of Kyoto!

Featured Photo Credit: Yanhao Fang

Ready to see more of what summer has to offer across Japan? Check out our Summer Food Tours for a summertime adventure you’ll never forget!

 

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