Kyoto Nippon Festival

The Kyoto Nippon Festival is a long-running seasonal art festival staged inside a major Kyoto shrine.

What happens?

Held at the historic Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine in Kyoto, this spring-long program combines contemporary art, dance, and music.

Highlights 2026

The 2026 festival brings together photographer and filmmaker Mika Ninagawa (whose work you may remember seeing at Kobe’s urban aquarium Átoa), scientist and creative director Hiroaki Miyata, and the multidisciplinary creative team EiM.

Highlights include large-scale outdoor installations in the shrine’s plum and maple gardens. There’s also an immersive theater production staged in the Fugetsuden Hall, created in collaboration with the renowned dance company DAZZLE.

Tickets 2026

Tickets are divided into garden and installation admission, and a separate ticket for the immersive theatre.

The standard installation ticket grants access to the shrine’s gardens and art spaces, including Mika Ninagawa’s EiM Afterglow. These tickets are valid from February 1 to May 24, 2026, with visiting hours from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and last entry at 8 p.m.

Advance tickets cost ¥2,800 for adults and ¥1,400 for children, while same-day tickets are priced at ¥3,000 for adults and ¥1,500 for children. Admission includes tea and sweets served in the Plum Garden.

The immersive theater Flower Evening Tea Ceremony takes place from March 20 to May 24, 2026, and runs for approximately 60 minutes. This experience requires a separate ticket and is not included with garden admission. Prices start at ¥10,000 for general seating (advance).

Purchase tickets online here. Same-day tickets may be available at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, depending on capacity.