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With the Emperor’s Birthday falling on Monday February 23, Japan is enjoying a long weekend packed with seasonal events and activities. Whether you're in Osaka planning a day trip to Kyoto or are already exploring the ancient capital, the city is brimming with limited-time experiences.
You could spend the day browsing an art fair before stepping inside a rarely opened temple. Or head to an off-the-beaten-path shrine to admire its beautiful weeping plum blossoms, which have just started blooming. As night falls, end your day with a magical temple illumination. Sounds exciting? Well, bundle up – you’re in for a memorable winter weekend in Kyoto.
Toji Japanese Garden Light-up
Ends March 11, 6pm–9pm (last entry 8.30pm), ¥500–¥1,500
Temple illuminations in Kyoto typically happen in spring and autumn, but this winter, Unesco World Heritage Site Toji is breaking with tradition by opening its doors for a limited-time night visit. For this special occasion, the organisers behind last October’s wildly popular Arashiyama bamboo forest illumination have brought their signature light displays to one of Kyoto’s most historic temples.
Founded in the 8th century, Toji Temple now sees its elegant grounds transformed by an array of traditional bamboo lanterns and artistic installations. Highlights include the illumination around the temple’s iconic five-storey wooden pagoda – which is the tallest of its kind in Japan – as well as the adjacent pond. Tickets are available online.
Weeping Plum and Camellia Festival at Jonangu Shrine
Ends March 22, 9am–4.30pm (last entry 4pm), ¥600–¥1,000
Located in southern Kyoto, Jonangu Shrine is a peaceful escape from the city centre’s busier temples. But not in late February through mid-March, when the garden’s weeping plum blossoms are in bloom, creating one of the most breathtaking winter sights in Kyoto and attracting some of its biggest crowds.
Jonangu features five separate gardens, and the one to its west, named ‘Haru no Yama’ (‘Spring Mountain’), is home to about 150 weeping plum (ume) trees. The best time to visit is during full bloom, when the drooping branches are heavy with pink, red and white flowers.
What’s more, the garden’s camellias are blooming around the same time, making Jonangu Shrine one of the best places to catch two of Japan’s most iconic winter blooms in one spot.
Koseiji Temple special winter opening
Ends February 23, 10am–4.30pm (last entry 4pm), ¥400–¥800
It may seem as though there is an endless array of temples in Kyoto, but many of them are usually closed to the public. This winter, a selection of these private grounds will open their doors for a limited-time visit. Koseiji is one such temple.
Koseiji is renowned for its dry landscape garden, designed by celebrated landscape artist Shigemori Mirei (1896–1975). This Zen attraction features a distinctive design, with rocks and moss carefully arranged to form the kanji ‘kokoro’, meaning ‘heart’.
The temple is also home to several historical artefacts, including an image of Sho-Kannon-Bosatsu believed to have been created during the Heian period (794–1185), as well as a beautiful wooden plaque from the Edo period (1600–1868) featuring peonies, butterflies and a mythical cat.
Artists’ Fair Kyoto 2026
February 21–23, 9.30am–5pm (last entry 4.30pm), ¥1,000–¥2,000
Unlike many art fairs, where artists are represented by galleries and rarely present, Artists’ Fair Kyoto allows you to meet the creators themselves. Now in its ninth edition, the event serves as a platform for emerging artists to launch their careers and engage directly with collectors and the public.
A total of 40 emerging artists from Japan and abroad will exhibit at the historical Meiji Kotokan building at the Kyoto National Museum, with works spanning multiple genres from paintings and video art to sculptures and installations. Additionally, Artists’ Fair Kyoto is complemented by AFK Resonance, a fringe exhibition held at Tofukuji Temple from February 21 to March 1.
The discounted ¥2,000 Free Pass is now available online until 11.59pm on February 20, granting access to all AFK venues. After this date, only venue-specific tickets are sold: ¥1,800 for the main exhibition at Kyoto National Museum, and ¥1,000 for AFK Resonance at Tofukuji Temple.
Prefer to explore Osaka instead? Here are the best things to do in Osaka over the February 20–23 long weekend.
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