November
The chill of autumn hangs in the air as Kyoto’s flora is engulfed with rich shades of red, orange, and yellow. Kyoto is famous the world over for its fall leaves, and the transformation turns even the most familiar of sights into a new and exciting vista. Shrine and temple gardens take on a new appearance and the mountains surrounding Kyoto turn to swathes of color. Festivals and events such as geisha dances, illuminations, and nature outings are the order of the month, with delicious seasonal food for the tasting.
Gion Odori
One of the five annual public performances put on by each of the geisha districts in Kyoto, the Gion Odori is a chance to see the elegant dances and charming songs of Gion Higashi's traditional geiko and maiko.
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Aki Matsuri
Tanukidani-san Fudō-in temple celebrates their Fall Festival in early November. The Aki Matsuri involves visitors writing their wishes on wooden tablets and monks who practice a form of mountain asceticism called shugendō throwing those wooden tablets into a sacred bonfire.
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Kyokusui no Utage
Kyokusui no Utage, an elegant form of leisure entertainment enjoyed by nobles in ancient Japan, is reenacted at Jōnangū Shrine in southern Kyoto twice a year in spring and autumn.
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Kyokusui no En
Visit the new Funade no Niwa garden at Kitano Tenmangū to see a poetry banquet the likes of which was enjoyed by cultured nobility a thousand years past.
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Hitaki-sai Fire Festival
Fushimi Inari attracts a great number of visitors from around Japan, and many come to Kyoto to participate in the Ōhitaki Fire Festival.
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Autumn Tanabata Exhibition
Each November the Ikenobo school of ikebana prepares a large Autumn Tanabata Exhibition to showcase a wide variety of both traditional and contemporary Japanese flower arrangements called Kyūtanabata-e.
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Kotobuki-kai
The famous geiko and maiko of Kyoto’s five geisha districts perform large-scale performances for the public once a year, but what many people don’t know is that each district also holds a smaller, more intimate performance... In Kamishichiken, this performance is called Kotobuki-kai!
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Japan Umeshu Festa
Kitano Tenmangū shrine in northern Kyoto has become the Kyoto host site of the Zenkoku Umeshu Matsuri (Japan Umeshu Festa)! This event brings together umeshu (plum wine) brewers from all over the country to offer samples of their products.
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Yoroi Kizome-shiki
Yoroi Kizome-shiki is based on a time-honored tradition of becoming a man in a ritual in which you would don your first pair of armor, though these days both boys and girls are allowed to participate.
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Autumn Foliage
Any visitor would be remiss if they passed up on autumn in Kyoto! Shrines and temples become even more gorgeous with the addition of fall colors, and many popular spots hold special nighttime illuminations of the colorful leaves.
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