October
Finally leaving behind the heat of summer, October is a pleasantly cool month in Kyoto that is full of festivals and food to enjoy. The incredibly popular Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) and Kurama Fire Festival are held at the end of the month, bringing in scores of tourists from around the country and beyond. Now that the fall season has begun in earnest, the seasonally minded city breaks out its tasty autumn flavors and décor.
Zuiki Matsuri
The most eye-catching aspect of the Zuiki Matsuri at Kitano Tenmangū is the omikoshi (portable shrine) decorated with vegetables and other dried products.
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Mishōryū Sasaoka Ikebana Exhibition
The Mishōryū Sasaoka school of ikebana holds its annual Kyoto Branch Exhibition at Shōren-in, a gorgeous 13th century temple, artfully combining ikebana flower arrangements with scenic garden views and lavishly decorated halls.
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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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Awata Taisai
Awata Shrine, a small shrine located in northern Higashiyama near famous temples Shōren-in and Chion-in, boasts a colorful and exciting series of annual rituals and parades in early to mid-October.
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Ningyō Kuyō
Hōkyō-ji, known as “the Doll Temple”, holds a Doll Memorial Service in October to give a proper send off to dolls and toys that have spent years by their owners' sides.
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Kiyomizuyaki no Sato Matsuri
The Kiyomizuyaki no Sato Matsuri is a large pottery festival showcasing goods from both local producers and those from all around the country, with a focus on the famous Kyoto ware known as Kyō-yaki/Kiyomizu-yaki.
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Kasagake Shinji
Kasagake Archery is one of the three original styles of archery performed for the entertainment of shrine deities in Japan, and can be see at Kamigamo Shrine in October.
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Saigū Gyōretsu
Nonomiya Shrine holds a reenactment of the priestess' departure for Ise called the Saigū Gyōretsu each year in October, where visitors to the gorgeous Arashiyama area can watch a procession of men and women in court regalia make their way from the shrine down to the river.
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Funaoka Taisai
Kenkun Shrine's Funaoka Taisai was conceived as a festival to extol the accomplishments of Oda Nobunaga, recognize his contributions to the country, and tell future generations about his history.
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Twenty-Five Bodhisattvas Procession Service
The heavenly host of Amida Buddha is given form at Sokujō-in temple each October for the Nijūgo Bosatsu Oneri Kuyō, with participants donning masks, golden halos, and rich brocade clothing to transform themselves into holy boddhisatvas and make a pilgrimage between two temple halls.
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Jidai Matsuri
The Jidai Matsuri is primarily composed of a two-kilometer, five-hour long procession of countless volunteers dressed in historical garb, representing Japanese cultural history from the Meiji era all the way back to the Enryaku era in the 780s.
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Kurama no Hi Matsuri
The Kurama Fire Festival is one of the most famous fire-based festivals in Kyoto and is also considered one of its most eccentric.
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Kyoto Antique Fair
The Kyoto Antique Fair, the largest antique fair in western Japan, is held three times a year at the Kyoto Pulse Plaza convention center. With over 350 dealers setting up stalls at this event offering a variety of items and prices, there's surely no antique you can't find!
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