Kyoto December 2025 Events Guide: Traditional Year-End Festivals, New Year Celebrations & Cultural Experiences
Kyoto stands as Japan's ancient capital with over a thousand years of history, where traditional culture and beautiful landscapes continue to thrive today. With UNESCO World Heritage temples, shrines, and gardens scattered throughout the city, it remains an indispensable destination for understanding Japanese culture deeply.
Among all seasons, December envelops Kyoto in a particularly solemn and sacred atmosphere. During this time, traditional events that allow visitors to experience Japanese heritage take place throughout the city. Visitors can enjoy special experiences unique to Kyoto, where history and faith continue to breathe.
This time, as someone who loves Kyoto, I would like to introduce the events I especially recommend for your Kyoto Event December 2025 journey.
Traditional Events to Enjoy in December Kyoto
Needle Memorial Service at Hōrin-ji Temple
At Hōrin-ji Temple, the Hari-kuyō (Memorial Service for Broken Needles) is held. Hari-kuyō is a ceremony where needles that can no longer be used are inserted into soft materials like tofu or konnyaku to express gratitude for their service.
At Hōrin-ji Temple's Hari-kuyō, a Needle Offering Box is set up where visitors insert large needles into large konnyaku while offering their gratitude and prayers. I myself offer my unused sewing needles every year. By expressing gratitude to the needles, I truly feel the importance of the tools that support my daily life.
This is a recommended event for those who want to experience the Japanese spirit of cherishing objects and showing gratitude.
Information:
- Date: December 8, 2025
- Access: 20-minute walk from JR Sanin Main Line "Saga-Arashiyama Station"
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.kokuzohourinji.com/events.html
Kuya Odori Nenbutsu at Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple
At Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple, "Kūya's Odori Nenbutsu" ceremony is held every year in late December. In the mid-10th century, when an epidemic spread throughout Kyoto, it is said that a monk named Kūya Shōnin began this practice to pray for the disease's retreat.
This ceremony is protected by the Japanese government as a cultural tradition and has been passed down for over 800 years to the present day. The monks strike bells hanging from their chests and chant nenbutsu while swaying their bodies in dance-like movements. This form makes the power of prayer visible to the eye.
Visitors can experience this ritual up close, where sins are purified and prayers are offered for happiness in the new year. Those who want to deeply understand Japanese faith and culture should definitely visit.
Information:
- Dates: December 13-20, 28-30, 2025
- Access: 7-minute walk from Kyoto City Bus Route 206 "Kiyomizu-michi"
7-minute walk from Keihan Electric Railway "Kiyomizu-Gojo Station"
15-minute walk from Hankyu Electric Railway "Kawaramachi Station"
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://rokuhara.or.jp/
Year-end Kōbō Market (Shimai Kōbō)
Source：Soda Kyoto Ikou
At Tō-ji Temple, the Kōbō Market is held on the 21st of every month. This event coincides with the monthly memorial day of Kōbō Daishi, a revered monk.
The year's final market is called Shimai Kōbō and bustles with people seeking antiques, clothing, daily necessities, and New Year's food ingredients. I also purchase Kyoto's traditional "Suguki Pickles (Kyoto's traditional pickled turnip)" every year.
At Shimai Kōbō, you can experience the year-end atmosphere characteristic of Kyoto. Many items related to Japanese lifestyle and traditions gather here, so you're sure to find something novel.
Information:
- Date: December 21, 2025
- Access: 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Kyoto Line "Tōji Station"
15-minute walk from JR "Kyoto Station"
Immediate arrival from Kyoto City Bus "Tōji Higashimon-mae"
- Admission: Free
- Website: http://www.touji-ennichi.com/
Year-end Tenjin Market (Shimai Tenjin) at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine
At Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, a market is held on the 25th of every month. December 25th is called "Shimai Tenjin" and is particularly bustling as a year-end traditional event.
Hundreds to thousands of stalls line the shrine grounds and approach paths, offering diverse products including antiques, vintage clothing, and miscellaneous goods. It's especially crowded with people seeking Japanese New Year's Decorations and Auspicious Items.
Since the stalls begin opening early in the morning, I recommend visiting in the early hours when you can browse relatively leisurely. Kitano Tenmangū Shrine is also famous as a plum blossom viewing spot. Every year, I look forward to checking the plum blossom conditions while buying New Year's Decorations.
This is especially recommended for those who want to experience the year-end atmosphere and traditional culture of Japan.
Information:
- Date: December 25, 2025
- Access: Immediate arrival from Kyoto City Bus Routes 50・101 "Kitano Tenmangū-mae"
5-minute walk from Keifuku Electric Railway Kitano Line "Kitano– Hakubaicho Station"
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/event/#:~:text=当宮の御縁日（毎月25日）の中でも,も多数見られます。
Tea Offering Ceremony (Kenchasai)
At Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, the "Kenchasai (Tea Offering Ceremony)" is held every year on December 1st. A solemn Shinto ritual is performed at the main hall by the Head of a Tea Ceremony School, where tea is offered to the gods.
Visitors can enjoy matcha at several Tea Ceremony Seats set up within the shrine grounds and surrounding areas. What I especially recommend is the Tea Ceremony Seat in Kamishichiken (Kyoto's oldest geisha district). Watching geiko prepare tea with beautiful movements is truly a uniquely Kyoto experience.
Don't worry if you don't know the proper etiquette. You'll be fine if you watch others and simply enjoy the experience. If you want to experience a part of Japanese culture, please try participating.
Information:
- Date: December 1, 2025
- Access: Immediate arrival from Kyoto City Bus Routes 50・101 "Kitano Tenmangū-mae"
5-minute walk from Keifuku Electric Railway Kitano Line "Kitano– Hakubaicho Station"
- Admission: 10,000 yen
- Website: https://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/
If You Want to Deeply Understand Kyoto's Traditions, Explore the City While Listening to Local Guide Commentary
If you want to deeply understand Kyoto's traditions and culture, we recommend using tours guided by local experts. You can receive on-the-spot explanations of historical backgrounds and cultural meanings that you might easily overlook when walking around on your own for sightseeing.
Magical Trip offers tours where you can experience the essence of Kyoto, from Gion street walks and Pontocho night tours to food culture experiences at Nishiki Market, and even programs to learn about Japanese spirituality. The distinctive feature is that you can learn not just about famous sightseeing spots, but also about geisha culture, local food customs, and the history that lives in the townscapes, all accompanied by comprehensive knowledge.
Through interaction with local guides, you can understand Kyoto in a more three-dimensional way, creating a special experience that satisfies intellectual curiosity beyond mere tourism.
Join the guided tours below and learn about more Kyoto's traditional culture in winter!
・Ultimate Kyoto Tours Guide 2025: Best Seasonal Experiences for Spring Cherry Blossoms, Summer Festivals, Autumn Foliage & Snowy Landscape
3 Must-See New Year's Eve Events in Kyoto - December 2025
December 31st in Kyoto unfolds with diverse ceremonies where faith and tradition merge. The entire city becomes lively with preparations to welcome the New Year, where sacred places of prayer and the bustling energy of people coexist. Let us introduce you to representative New Year events that you should definitely experience during this special Kyoto Event December 2025 season.
Okera Mairi
Okera Mairi is a ceremony held at Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine from December 31st to January 1st, where people pray for good health and protection from evil. After the New Year's Eve Festival is held at the main hall, fire is lit in the "Okera Lantern" within the shrine grounds. Worshippers purchase Kicchō Rope and transfer the fire to the rope to carry it home.
The sight of people walking while spinning the rope to keep the fire from going out is a characteristic winter scene of Kyoto. In the past, each household would start a new fire in their Traditional Japanese Cooking Stove and pray for health in the new year. Now that kitchen fires have changed to gas and electricity, the remaining burnt rope is displayed in the kitchen as a protective charm against fires.
This is a particularly recommended event for those who want to welcome the New Year in Kyoto style and experience historic ceremonies during this memorable Kyoto Event December 2025.
Information:
- Date: December 31, 2025
- Access: 5-minute walk from Keihan Electric Railway "Gion-Shijo Station"
8-minute walk from Hankyu Railway "Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station"
Direct access from Kyoto City Bus Routes 100 & 206 "Gion" stop
- Entrance Fee: 700 yen (Kicchō rope fee)
- Website: https://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/event/shougatsu/
Joya-no-Kane (New Year's Eve Bell)
Joya-no-Kane refers to the bells rung at temples throughout Japan on the night of December 31st. Generally, they are struck 108 times, a number that symbolizes the desires and delusions that humans harbor. Listening to this sound has the meaning of purifying the bad things of the year and welcoming the New Year with a refreshed heart.
This ceremony is also held at many temples in Kyoto, and the sound of bells echoing in the winter night sky is beloved as a year-end tradition. Let me introduce temples where you can experience Joya-no-Kane during this special Kyoto Event December 2025.
Chion-in Temple
The Joya-no-Kane at Chion-in Temple features 17 monks working together with coordinated calls to strike an impressive large bell that stands approximately 3.3m high, 2.8m in diameter, and weighs about 70 tons. The sight of the bell striker using their entire body to hang from the large wooden beam used as a bell hammer is spectacular, and the reverberating low tones are so powerful they shake your body and soul.
While visitors cannot strike the bell themselves, the solemn atmosphere and the regular 108 strikes represent a quintessential Kyoto New Year's scene. This is a recommended location for those who want to experience traditional ceremonial beauty and powerful bell tones during this remarkable Kyoto Event December 2025.
※Additionally, it was announced that starting December 31, 2025, visits will require reservations and cost 3,000 yen per person.
Information:
- Date: December 31, 2025
- Access: 14-minute walk from Keihan Electric Railway "Gion-Shijo Station"
15-minute walk from Hankyu Railway "Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station"
8-minute walk from Subway Tozai Line "Higashiyama Station"
- Entrance Fee: Free
- Website: https://www.chion-in.or.jp/
Kōdai-ji Temple
The Joya-no-Kane at Kōdai-ji Temple allows visitors to participate. Every December 31st from 22:00, numbered tickets for the first 108 groups to ring the bell are distributed. When I visited previously, I lined up around 21:00 and successfully received a ticket.
The bell sound at Kōdai-ji Temple is characterized by a mystical and pure resonance. The moment of actually striking the bell creates a real sense of concluding the year and welcoming a new one, making it a truly special experience. The temple grounds also feature illuminated gardens and complimentary Amazake (sweet fermented rice drink), allowing you to fully enjoy the New Year's atmosphere.
This is the perfect spot for those who want to ring the bell themselves and welcome the New Year in truly Japanese style during this unforgettable Kyoto Event December 2025.
Information:
- Date: December 31, 2025
- Access: 10-minute walk from Keihan "Gion-Shijo Station"
15-minute walk from Hankyu "Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station"
5-minute walk from Kyoto City Bus Routes 100 & 206 "Higashiyama-Yasui" stop
- Entrance Fee: Free
- Website: https://www.kodaiji.com/
Eikan-dō Temple
The Joya-no-Kane (New Year's Eve bell ringing) at Eikan-dō allows general visitors to participate after the monks complete their religious ceremony and the traditional 108 bell tolls. The distinctive feature is that no numbered tickets are required, and anyone who visits between 9:00 PM and 12:30 AM can ring the bell if they wish.
The general public's bell ringing begins after midnight on New Year's Day and typically continues until around 1:00 AM each year. As this temple grounds are renowned as a famous autumn foliage spot, the sound of the bell resonating through the clear winter air is exceptional, allowing visitors to experience the New Year of this ancient capital with all five senses.
Since everyone who waits in line will definitely get their turn, those who "absolutely want to ring the bell" should definitely visit this Kyoto Event December 2025 location.
Information:
- Date: December 31, 2025
- Access: 15-minute walk from Keage Station (subway), 5-minute walk from Nanzenji-Eikandobashi bus stop (Kyoto City Bus)
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.eikando.or.jp/
Hatsumode (New Year Shrine Visits)
Hatsumode is a Japanese traditional event where people visit shrines and temples to pray for health and good fortune in the new year. Strictly speaking, it's a New Year event, but many people visit directly from the night of December 31st, making it beloved as an event integrated with the New Year's atmosphere.
Kyoto has many historic shrines and temples that become crowded with people making their first visit of the year. Let us introduce representative popular Hatsumode spots in Kyoto for this special Kyoto Event December 2025 season.
Heian Jingu Shrine
Heian Jingu Shrine is a relatively new shrine in Kyoto, built in the late 19th century, but it's a popular spot where approximately 200,000 people visit for Hatsumode each year. Visitors pray for good health, business prosperity, academic success, and more in the new year.
Worship begins on January 1st, but people already gather from the night of December 31st, and the shrine grounds are enveloped in a festive atmosphere. On the afternoon of the 1st, there are also dedications of traditional performing arts such as Noh and Kyōgen, allowing visitors to welcome the new year while experiencing Japanese culture.
The vast shrine grounds and the vermillion Grand Torii Gate represent iconic Kyoto scenery. You can experience the solemn atmosphere befitting welcoming the New Year in Kyoto.
Information:
- Date: January 1, 2025
- Access: 10-minute walk from Higashiyama Station Exit 1 (Tozai Subway Line), 15-minute walk from Sanjo Station or Jingu-Marutamachi Station (Keihan Ōtō Line)
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.heianjingu.or.jp/
Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine is a popular shrine representing Kyoto for Hatsumode, with approximately 1 million visitors each year. During the first three days of the new year, the shrine grounds are filled with worshippers, overflowing with excitement and energy.
In recent years, to ease congestion, measures have been taken to prohibit entry to the shrine grounds from 11:00 PM on December 31st until midnight on January 1st.
I once visited for Hatsumode in the early morning, and it was relatively uncrowded, allowing me to welcome the New Year with a refreshing feeling alongside the clear morning air.
Those who want to welcome the New Year in a lively atmosphere with many people, or those who want to experience the traditional atmosphere typical of Kyoto, should definitely visit Yasaka Shrine during this memorable Kyoto Event December 2025 period.
Information:
- Date: January 1, 2025
- Access: 5-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Railway), 8-minute walk from Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Railway), immediate walk from Gion bus stop (Kyoto City Bus routes 100, 206)
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/
Iwashimizu Hachimangū Shrine
Iwashimizu Hachimangū Shrine has gathered deep faith from people since ancient times as an important shrine protecting the nation. For Hatsumode, many worshippers come to pray for warding off evil, good fortune, and traffic safety, and it's especially famous as the "god of warding off misfortune."
In the worship area in front of the main hall, a Goshin'ya (Sacred Arrow) approximately 4 meters long is installed. Goshin'ya (Sacred Arrow) refers to lucky charms granted at shrines, arrows that are said to ward off disasters and evil spirits and bring good fortune for the year.
Its impressive appearance is photogenic, making it one of the highlights of Hatsumode and a must-see during your Kyoto Event December 2025 experience.
It's the perfect place to pray for health and safety throughout the year.
Information:
- Date: January 1, 2025
- Access: Transfer from Iwashimizu-Hachimangū Station (Keihan Railway) to the approach cable car, then 5-minute walk from Hachimangū-Sanjō Station
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://iwashimizu.or.jp/
When You Come to Kyoto, Also Enjoy Local Dishes and Exquisite Japanese Cuisine
When you come to Kyoto, please also taste authentic local cuisine and bar culture. Food culture is an indispensable element for understanding a place, and through cuisine, you can connect with Kyoto's history and people's way of life.
Guides explain the background of the dishes, so the experience transforms from simply "eating" to "understanding Kyoto's food culture." Additionally, if you venture into local restaurants, you can feel the atmosphere of nighttime Kyoto and glimpse aspects of daily life. Sometimes interactions with locals may even develop.
The introduced tours are both small-group format with English-speaking local guides, so you can participate with confidence. They're perfect for people who want to know nighttime Kyoto more deeply or enjoy authentic Japanese food and drinks during this special Kyoto Event December 2025 season.
However, if you have special dietary restrictions such as vegetarian or gluten-free needs, prior consultation is necessary. Since alcohol is included, it's also reassuring to confirm age restrictions beforehand.
Kyoto Bar Hopping Nightlife Tour in Pontocho
If you're interested in winter flavors unique to Kyoto, join the local guided tour!
・Ultimate Kyoto Tours Guide 2025: Best Seasonal Experiences for Spring Cherry Blossoms, Summer Festivals, Autumn Foliage & Snowy Landscape
