One of Kyoto’s special summer traditions is Kamo River Noryo-yuka, where restaurants set up open-air terraces along the Kamo River so guests can enjoy a meal with the cool evening breeze and beautiful riverside… Read more: Kamo River Noryo-yuka

Beyond Gion’s famous streets, there are narrow alleyways quietly tucked between traditional wooden buildings. These small passages may be easy to overlook, but they reveal a more intimate and authentic side of Kyoto. Walking… Read more: Discovering Gion’s Hidden Alleyways

Today, Kyoto was filled with excitement as the Yamahoko Hikizome, the traditional float-pulling ceremony of the Gion Festival’s Saki Matsuri, took place.The streets were crowded with visitors who came to see the magnificent festival… Read more: Gion Festival Float-Pulling Ceremony in Kyoto

*Event PeriodJuly 17 (Fri) – August 23 (Sun), 2026Closed: August 13 (Thu) – August 16 (Sun) *Opening Hours7:00 PM – 9:30 PM(Last admission: 9:00 PM) Admission Please NoteThe evening illumination is held only at… Read more: Just a Short Walk from Gion: Shoren-in Temple Special Summer Night Illumination

Here are photos from today’s family from Sweden who joined our Gion Night Tour. It was a comfortably cool, overcast evening, perfect walking weather. Yasaka Pagoda looked beautiful as always. Tonight was especially quiet,… Read more: Gion Night Tour Diary 6-17-2026

When you visit Kyoto’s famous Gion district, what are you hoping to experience? Perhaps you want to see geisha, stroll through historic streets, visit beautiful temples and shrines, or capture memorable photos of traditional… Read more: Beyond Geisha: Why a Gion Walking Tour Is One of the Best Ways to Experience Kyoto

In Kyoto’s geisha districts, most women enter this world in their teens, shortly after graduating from junior high school. They spend five or six years training as maiko (apprentice geisha) before becoming geisha themselves… Read more: The Little Known World of Geisha

Gion Matsuri is Kyoto’s most famous festival and one of Japan’s three greatest traditional festivals. Organized by Yasaka Shrine, the festival has a history of more than 1,000 years and takes place throughout the… Read more: Gion Matsuri 2026: Complete Guide & Schedule