June is a wonderful time to visit Kyoto. The springtime crowds have departed, the heat of summer has yet to set in, and the green of the trees is still fresh and beautiful. Best of all, there are plenty of special events.
Important: Many Events Cancelled Due To COVID-19
Please note that many of Kyoto’s June 2020 events are now cancelled to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are currently in Kyoto, please ask the staff at your accommodation to check ahead on your behalf before attending any of these events. Please also follow recommended safety protocols and stay safe!
Kifune Shrine
1 June 2019
Event: Kibune Matsuri
Location: Kifune-jinja Shrine
Time: 11:00am-around 4:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: kifunejinja.jp
Held in the ultra-quaint village of Kibune in the mountains north of Kyoto, this festival is a wonderful chance to experience a true Shinto festival. The events center on Kibune-jinja Shrine, in the middle of the village. For a full schedule of events and some pictures, visit the Facebook page of the festival (it’s in Japanese but you can use your browser to translate it and get a pretty good idea of what’s going on). If you have the energy, consider approaching from Kurama: take the Eizan Line to the last stop, Kurama, and walk over the mountain and down into Kibune.
1-2 June 2019
Event: Kyoto Takigi Noh
Location: Heian-jingu Shrine
Time: Open at 5:00pm (Start at 6:00pm)
Admission: JPY5,000 (at the gate price)
Website: Kyoto-Nohgaku.or.jp
With bizarre masks, haunting music, impenetrable words and colorful costumes, any performance of Noh is memorable. But performed by firelight it’s truly otherworldly. Your best chance to see such a performance is on 1 and 2 June, when Takigi (Firelight) Noh is held at Kyoto’s Heian-jingu Shrine. Note that photography is not permitted during the performances. Also, in the case of rain, the performances will be postponed until the next clear evening.
National Museum Of Modern Art, Kyoto
1-2 June 2019
Event: Potter Kawai Kanjiro: Works from the Kawakatsu Collection
Location: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Time: 9:30am-5:00pm (enter by 4:30pm, 9:30am-8:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays)
Admission: JPY1,300
Closed: Mondays
Website: momak.go.jp
If you’re a fan of Japan’s great “mingei” (folk craft) hero Kawai Kanjiro, then you won’t want to miss this show at the National Museum of Art, Kyoto. Known for his pottery, he also dabbled in poetry. If you enjoy his work, you can find more at Kyoto’s Kawai Kanjiro House.
1-9 June 2019
Event: Spring Special Opening
Location: Daitoku-ji Temple, Kourin-in
Time: 10:00am-4:30pm
Admission: JPY600
Website: Kyotoshunju.com
This beautiful little garden in the Daitoku-ji complex would be a great choice for someone looking to escape the crowds in Kyoto.
1-9 June 2019
Event: Priest Shinkyō 700th Memorial Special Exhibition: ART OF THE JI SHŪLocation: Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing
Time: Tuesday-Thursday, Sunday: 9:30am-6:00pm (Enter by 5:30pm), Friday, Saturday: 9:30am-8:00pm (Enter by 7:30pm)
Admission: JPY1500
Closed: Mondays
Website: kyohaku.go.jp
This exhibition focuses on the art of the Jishu sect of Buddhism that was born in the Kamakura Period. Even for those not particularly interested in that sect, this show is a good chance to experience the art of Japan’s Middle Ages.
2 June 2019
Event: To-ji Temple Flea Market
Location: To-ji Temple
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Admission: Free
If you can’t be in town for Kyoto’s two famous flea markets (Kobo-san Market and Tenjin-san Market), this is a good choice. Like the Kobo-san Market, it’s held on the grounds of To-ji Temple. You’ll usually find a good selection of antiques at this market.
7 June 2019
Event: Special Opening (Shinen garden)
Location: Heian-jingu Shrine
Time: 8:30am-4:30pm
Admission: Free
Website: heianjingu.or.jp
You normally have to pay to enter the Shinen Garden here at Heian-jingu Shrine, but during this special opening held on 8 June, you can enter for free. The event is held to coincide with the blooming of the garden’s wonderful irises, hydrangeas and water lilies. Don’t miss it if you find yourself in Northern Higashiyama on this day.
10 June 2019
Event: Tauesai
Location: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine
Time: Starts at 1:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Inari.jp
The spectacular Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine honors the god Inari, who is god of the rice harvest and commerce. The Tauesai festival involves a ritual planting of rice in a sacred rice paddy at the shrine. Seeing this festival gives an insight into just how important the humble rice plant has been in the evolution of Japan. It’s also a great chance to visit this incredible shrine.
15 June 2019
Event: Chion-ji Temple Handicraft Market
Location: Chion-ji Temple
Time: 8:00am-4:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: tedukuri-ichi.com
Chion-ji Temple hosts a fabulous handicraft market on the 15th of every month. It’s a great place to pick up unique, locally made souvenirs during your travels to Kyoto. It’s also a good chance to see Japan’s alternative community and local expats.
15 June – 13 July 2019
Event: Ajisai Matsuri
Location: Sanzen-in Temple
Time: 8:30am-5:00pm
Admission: JPY700
If you feel like a trip out of the city, there are few better destinations than the village of Ohara, which is a mere 30 minutes north of Kyoto by bus. And if you ever needed a good excuse to make the trip, the Ajisai (hydrangea) Matsuri is it. Held at the superb temple of Sanzen-in, a short walk uphill from the bus stop in Ohara, the Ajisai Matsuri showcases the myriad hydrangeas that bloom in the temples wonderful garden.
21 June 2019
Event: Kobo-san Market
Location: To-ji Temple
Time: 8:00am-4:00pm
Admission: Free
Named for Japan’s most revered Buddhist Saint, Kobo Daishi, this market is one of the two best markets in town (the other being the Tenjin-san Market, held on the 25th). You’ll find all manner of goods on sale here including used kimono, antiques, ceramics, food, bric-a-brac, old postcards and books, and assorted Japanalia. In addition to being a great market, this is also a chance to see Kyoto’s foreign community, which turns out in full, along with hoards of locals.
25 June 2019
Event: Tenjin-san Market
Location: Kitano Tenmangu Kitano Tenmangu
Time: 6:00am-4:00pm
Admission: Free
Like the Kobo-san market (see previous), this is one of the two best markets in town. It’s named for Sugawara no Michizane, a 9th century poet and scholar who is the patron saint of academic pursuits in Japan. Known colloquially as Tenjin-san, the market is a great excuse to visit this shrine and see people, especially school children, rubbing the two stone bulls in front of the main hall of the shrine (doing so is said to make one more intelligent). Like the Kobo-san market, this is a great chance to buy used kimono, ceramics, antiques and bric-a-brac, along with food and drink. You’ll also rub shoulders with an interesting assortment of expats and locals.
28-30 June 2019
Event: Antique Grand Fair
Location: Kyoto Pulse Plaza
Time: 10:00am-5:00pm (finish at 4:00pm on the last day)
Admission: Free
Website: Gomoku-do.com
This is the best antiques market in all of Japan. If you like antique lacquerware, scrolls, furniture, tea ceremony goods, ceramics and bric-a-brac, this is a must-see event. Don’t expect much in the way of bargains, as this is mostly a professional event, but you can certainly find some treasures here and not everything is terribly expensive. It’s held in Takeda, a short subway ride south of Kyoto Station. Click the above Kyoto Pulse Plaza location link for full details on transport etc.
Kyoto Vacation Checklist
- For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide
- Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com – usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too
- Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
- See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- Buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Kansai International Airport (for Osaka and Kyoto) or Tokyo's Narita Airport. Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
- If you're visiting more than one city, save a ton of money with a Japan Rail Pass – here's my explanation of why it's worth it
- A prepaid Icoca card makes travelling around Kyoto easy – here's how
- World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
