Moon Viewing Events – “Kangetsu Kai” in 2025

Venue: Kodai-ji Temple
Date: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 5th (Fri) to 28th (Sun), 2025
Time: Reception between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM *Reservations required.

Light tea ceremony and a guided tour of the illuminated garden (in Japanese). Visitors of the Kodaiji Hashiba Restaurant can also enjoy enjoy tasting dim sum dumplings. (Reservations required by 4 PM the day before)

Kodai-ji Temple’s official website (article in Japanese) 

Kodaiji Hashiba Restaurant’s website (in Japanese only)

Venue: Shiramine-jingu Shrine

Date: October 3rd (Fri), 2025 *Free admission

This event is set during the night of the harvest noon, in honor of Emperor Sutoku who is enshrined in Shiramine-jingu Shrine. An altar is set up amid lanterns together with offerings such as autumn herbs, Japanese pampas grass and moon-viewing rice dumplings. A tea ceremony is held at the same time.

Shiramine-jingu Shrine’s official website

Venue: The Former Saga Imperial Palace Daikaku-ji Temple
Date: October 4th (Sat) – 6th (Mon), 2025
Time: 5:30 PM to 9 PM (Last admission at 8:30 PM) *Day and night shift system.

Osawa Pond at Daikaku-ji Temple is one of Japan’s three great moon viewing spots, along with Sarusawa Pond and Ishiyama-dera Temple (Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture). It is said that in the past, Emperor Saga (around 9th Century) has boarded the boat on Osawa Pond to admire the harvest moon together with aristocrats and scholars. Participants of this event can relieve that moment in time by viewing the moon and its reflection from the dragon-headed boat floating atop the pond.

*Please check the Daikaku-ji Temple website for details.

Daikaku-ji Temple’s events page (in Japanese only)

Venue: Shinsen-en Garden
Date: October 4th (Sat), 2025
Time: From 5:00 PM~

During the moon viewing event an outdoor tea ceremony will be held from 5:00 PM (admission fee: 700 yen). The moon viewing ceremony will be held in the main hall from 6 PM and a religious musical performance will be held from 7 PM. The garden will also be open to the public.

Shinsen-en Garden’s official website (in Japanese only)

Venue: Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
Date: October 6th (Mon), 2025
Time: From 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Moon-viewing tea ceremony: 1,000 yen
Admission without tea ceremony: Free

An ancient event revived by the Shimogamo Kogaku-kai (Shimogamo Ancient Music Association) in 1963. After the ritual, performances of bugaku dance, kangen music, aristocratic Heian era dance, koto, shakuhachi and biwa music are offered on the shrine grounds. Tea ceremony will also be organized for interested visitors (participation fee required).

Shimogamo-jinja Shrine’s official website

Venue: Kamigamo-jinja Shrine
Date: October 6th (Tue), 2025
Time: From 4:30 PM~

The Kamigamo Moon Viewing Festival is held on the shrine grounds of the Kamigamo-jinja shrine, a World Heritage Site, on the fifteenth night of the full moon. Following the ritual, various performances dedicated to deities, such as kagura dance and taiko drum performances are held. Moon-viewing dango dumplings are served.

Kamigamo-jinja Shrine’s official website

Venue: Hirano-jinja Shrine
Date: October 6th (Tue), 2025
Time: From 6:30 PM~

An elegant harvest moon festival held in the mid-autumn. This historic shrine was originally established in Heijo-kyo (currently Nara), but was moved to its current location when the capital was relocated to Heian-kyo (currently Kyoto). The Harvest Moon Festival consists of a Shinto ritual followed by folk songs, dances and gagaku (ancient Japanese court music) performances, as well as the offering of matcha green tea (for a fee).

Performances:
From 7:00 PM – Koto performance
From 7:25 PM – Shakuhachi performance
From 7:55 PM – Gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performance
*From 7:00 PM – Matcha green tea ceremony (fee required)

Hirano Shrine’s official website

Venue: Chishaku-in Temple
Date: October 5th (Sun) & October 6th (Mon), 2025
*Admission fee is required for both dates, please check the official webpage for details.
Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

(Schedule):

October 5th (Chanting performance and meditation experience)

5:00 PM – Doors open
5:30 PM – Start of the performance

October 6th (Chanting performance, meditation experience and special musical performance)

5:00 PM – Doors open
5:40 PM – Start of the performance
5:50 PM – Start of the meditation experience and chanting performance
7:00 PM – Start of the special musical performance featuring piano, flute and violin

During the first day of the event, a chanting performance by a Buddhist monk and a meditation experience called Gachirin-kan (“Full-Moon Viewing”) will be held. During the second day, a special musical performance will follow the chanting performance and meditation experience. In addition, Chishaku-in’s famous garden will be illuminated to create an ephemeral atmosphere. The Shinden Hall, decorated with fusuma paintings by Insho Domoto will also be open to the public for a special exhibition.

Chishaku-in Temple official website (event article in Japanese)

Venue: Yasaka-jinja Shrine
Date: October 6th (Mon), 2025
Time: 7:00 PM~

Yasaka-jinja Shrine, affectionately known as “Gion-san,” is a shrine dedicated to gods of traditional performing arts. Every year on the night of the harvest moon, bugaku music, koto, and taiko drums are played in its halls. Waka poetry is recited, and the event begins under the soft light of lanterns.

Venue: Matsunoo-taisha Shrine
Date: October 6th (Mon), 2025
Time: 5:00 PM~8:30 PM
Admission fee: 1,000 yen *Admissions are open from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

Every year, on the night of the harvest moon, after the ceremony at 5:15 PM, there will be events such as a shakuhachi performance, and a haiku poetry competition. Free moon-viewing manju (sweet bun) and sake from a wooden barrel will be served.

Matsunoo-taisha Shrine’s official website

Venue: Myoshin-ji Taizo-in Temple
Date: October 4th (Sat) & October 5th (Sun), 2025
Fee: 16,500 yen (tax included, reservation required), payment method: cash only.

From 5:00 PM – Reception opens
From 5:30 PM – Matcha tea is served, special viewing of the temple
From 6:30 PM – Meal (special shojin (vegetarian) cuisine)
From 8:00 PM – Moon viewing at Yoko-en Garden

Applications for the event (Japanese only)

Myoshin-ji Taizo-in Temple’s official website