The spiritual and the sensory entwine even further in Kyoto's August. Beginning with elegant greetings in geisha districts, the month culminates in the Gozan Okuribi ritual, a fiery send-off for the ancestors after the Obon holiday
The heat of summer retains its sweaty grip on the old capital but cooler weather is on the way. Risshu (立秋), which marks the start of autumn according to the old calendar, usually falls on or around August 8.
The change can be felt in the summer festivals: the buoyant energy of July's Gion Matsuri gives way to the poignance of Obon remembrances, just as the deafening chorus of the cicadas segues into the plaintive cry of the higurashi. Listen for it when dusk falls: since ancient times, the call of the evening cicada has been heard as the swan song of summer.
Hassaku in Kyoto's Hanamachi: A Flower District Tradition
When: Morning of August 1
Where: Kyoto's hanamachi (areas where geisha live and work)
On the morning of August 1, an old ritual unfolds in Kyoto's hanamachi, or geisha districts. This day, known as Hassaku, is one of formal greetings and deep bows.
Geiko - Kyoto's term for geisha - and their maiko apprentices make the rounds of teahouses and teachers, offering thanks for their continued support. Behind the elegance lies a world of discipline, where respect and human connections are central.
You may catch these dignified figures walking through the lanes of Gion Kobu, Pontocho or Kamishichiken - a fleeting glimpse into a slower rhythm of Kyoto life.
The word Hassaku (八朔) is an abbreviation of "hachigatsu tsuitachi" (八月朔日), meaning the first day of the eighth month. While now observed on August 1, its timing originally aligned with the old lunar calendar and more closely matched early September.
This was when the rice began to ripen - and typhoon season reached its height. Hassaku thus became a day to pray for a bountiful harvest, safe from storm and ruin. To this day, agricultural festivals across Japan are held in early September.
Farmers would offer the first fruits of their harvest to deities and patrons alike. Over time, the practice spread to samurai and noble families, evolving into an annual expression of gratitude.
It is said that ochugen, the Japanese practice of summer gift-giving, originates in hassaku and its traditions.
Kamishichiken Beer Garden: Geiko, Maiko and Adult Beverages
When: Early July to early September; 2-hour seatings from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theater
As evening falls in Kyoto’s oldest geisha district, the lights go up in the garden of Kamishichiken Kaburenjo. But instead of an elegant tea gathering, you’ll find bar food and beer.
This annual beer garden is unlike any other. Here, geiko and maiko from Kamishichiken mingle with guests in a relaxed, casual setting. It’s a rare and affordable way to experience the charm of Kyoto’s flower and willow world.
Though modern in form, the event draws on the noryo (納涼) culture of Japan - seasonal customs meant to bring relief during the country’s humid summer.
Your evening begins with a kind of ceremony: the holy trinity of the Japanese summer - a frosty mug of beer, chilled tofu and salted edamame - appears. From there, move on to more substantial classics such as yakisoba or cold noodles.
Reservations for the beer garden open in early June and are strongly recommended. Guests must be 20 years or older.
Equal parts convivial and cultural, this may well be one of Kyoto’s most memorable summer experiences.
Gozan Okuribi Bonfires: A Send-off on Five Mountains
When: Evening of August 16. The first fire is lit at 8pm, with the rest following at 5-minute intervals. Each bonfire burns for about 40 minutes; all the fires are visible from around 8:20pm - 8.40pm.
Where: Mountainsides around Kyoto city
Obon is traditionally a time for the Japanese to return to their hometowns. Families visit cemeteries, clean ancestral graves and make offerings to honor the departed.
Lanterns are hung outside homes on the first day of Obon to guide the ancestors in, and again on the final day to help them return.
Kyoto does this on a grand scale. On August 16, as the Obon period draws to a close, Kyoto sets ablaze five mountains around the city in a ritual known as Gozan no Okuribi (五山の送り火), or just Gozan Okuribi.
About 480 bonfires are lit to depict different Chinese characters as well as enormous representations of a boat and Shinto gateway.
The Different Characters and Their Significance
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大文字 (Daimonji; 'Great')
Bonfire start time: 8pm
Location: Mount Daimonji (Higashiyama)
Meaning: The bonfires that make up 大, the Chinese character for ‘big’ or ‘great’, represent spirit or a person.
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妙法 (Myo Ho; 'Wondrous Dharma')
Time: 8:05pm
Location: Mount Matsugasaki
Meaning: Two kanji characters representing Buddhist teachings.
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船形 (Funagata; Boat Shape)
Time: 8:10pm
Location: Mount Nishigamo
Meaning: A spirit boat carrying souls across the divide.
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左大文字 (Hidari Daimonji; Left 'Great')
Time: 8:15pm
Location: Mount Daihoku
Meaning: Another 'Great' kanji character representing the spirits.
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鳥居形 (Toriigata; Shrine Gate)
Time: 8:20pm
Location: Mount Mandara
Meaning: A torii, the type of gate seen at Shinto shrines.
Collectively, the bonfires could be interpreted in this way: the spirits, represented by the 大 character in the Higashiyama mountains, move westwards to the Myo Ho fires. After reading a sutra there, they move on to the mountain with the magical fire boat.
Getting in, they sail to the other side of the city then pass through the burning torii gate and return to the other world.
As the bonfires are lit, people all over Kyoto pause and look to the mountains. The fires are more than a spectacle; they are a meditation on transience, love and return, one that has been repeated every year for centuries.
Arashiyama Toro Nagashi: Lanterns on the River
When: 7pm - 9pm, August 16 (Lantern sales: 12pm - 8:30pm)
Where: Nakanoshima Park in Arashiyama
Held on the same day as Gozan no Okuribi is another event just as otherworldly.
In the scenic district of Arashiyama, hundreds of lanterns are released onto the river. This custom, toro nagashi, is practiced at the end of the Obon festival to show ancestor spirits the way back to the other world.
If you purchase a lantern, the organizers will float it on your behalf but you can write the names of those you wish to remember on the toro yourself.
Even if you have no lantern to set on the river, join the locals by putting your palms together in prayer as this visual poem of loss and continuity unfolds.
Furin Matsuri at Shoju-in Temple: The Sound of Coolness
When: June 1 - September 30, 2025
Where: Shoju-in Temple, Ujitawara
In the tea-growing region of Ujitawara, summer takes voice in the form of wind chimes. At Shoju-in, more than 2,000 colorful furin are hung in the temple grounds during the Furin Matsuri.
The glass chimes catch every breeze, the shimmering notes meant to soothe the soul and offer relief from the heat. Originating in bronze bells hung from temple eaves to ward off evil, wind chimes have since become an icon of summer in Japan.
The temple is also known for the window in its reception hall. The unusual shape is meant to suggest a boar's eye - the inome (猪目) is an auspicious motif with a history dating back more than 1,000 years.
But to the modern eye, the window looks more like a heart, which may be why the temple draws young couples, especially from late August to mid-September, when sunlight pours through the window to cast a glowing heart on the floor.
Through the window, greenery can be seen and the sounds of birds and the nearby river can be heard: this space is meant to remind visitors that they are part of nature.
With this intent, the hall was named Sokuten no Ma, after the phrase 'sokuten kyoshi' (則天去私). Coined by novelist Natsume Soseki, it describes the state of mind he sought to achieve in his later years, one in which a higher state is reached by relinquishing self-centeredness and following the principles of heaven and nature.
Light Up with Remembrance
In Kyoto, August is not simply summer. It is a passage: of fire and river, light and wind, prayer and parting. The season burns brightly, then dissolves into memory - just as it should.
Whether you catch sight of the Gozan no Okuribi fires, bear witness to spirit lanterns floating away or hear wind chimes sing then fall silent, this month offers a thousand ways to remember, feel and let go.