Japanese New Year’s Eve Bell and other ceremonies. Enjoy the New Year’s atmosphere in Kyoto

At the end of the year, many people will go out with their families. We recommend a visit to Kyoto. Kyoto has many shrines and temples that you can visit for good luck throughout the year. There are also many spots to experience unique Japanese New Year’s events like the New Year’s Eve Bells and other ceremonies. Experience traditional Japanese culture, cleanse yourself of the year’s misfortunes, and ring in the new year.

See an exciting New Year’s Eve Bells performance at Chionin Temple

Chionin is an esteemed temple and has a deep history. On New Year’s Eve, there is a New Year’s Eve Bells performance. This performance is broadcasted on Japanese television every year, so many Japanese people know about this. On the day of, you can go see the performance. On December 27th, 2024, you can also see them do a trial run. The gigantic bell is breathtaking! It’s worth hearing the sounds of this bell in person. It will be crowded, so be sure to check your schedule before going.

Event period	December 31st, 2024 10:40PM ~ Trial run: December 27th, 2024 2:00PM – 3:00PM
Address	400 Rinka-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 20-min. walk from the hotel Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 6-min. walk from the Gion bus stop which is a 5-min. bus ride from the Shijo Kawaramachi bus stop Hotel Tavinos Kyoto: 6-min. walk from the Gion bus stop which is a 10-min. bus ride from the Kawaramachi Gojo bus stop
URL	https://www.chion-in.or.jp/en/

“Okera Mairi” is a Kyoto tradition. Pray for good fortune and get ready for the new year at Yasaka Shrine

“Okera Mairi” is a Kyoto tradition. From New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day, a special fire is kindled and kept going. It is a tradition unique to Kyoto. One of the famous Okera Mairi events is held at Yasaka Shrine. After the New Year’s festival at 7:00PM, a unique herb called “okera” is lit aflame and kept lit all throughout the night. The unique aroma of the herb will spread through the air. This scent is said to ward off evil spirits and protect us from disasters all year. Visitors can take some of this flame home. It might be hard to take some home as a traveler, but if you come during the day, you can write down a wish and have them burn it.

Event period	December 31st, 2024 From around 7:30PM
Address	Gion-machi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 20-min. walk from the hotel Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 3-min. walk from the Gion bus stop which is a 5-min. bus ride from the Shijo Kawaramachi bus stop Hotel Tavinos Kyoto: 3-min. walk from the Gion bus stop which is a 10-min. bus ride from the Kawaramachi Gojo bus stop
URL	https://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/en/

This Japanese traditional snack comes from Shimogamo Shrine. Enjoy some at Kamo Mitarashi Chaya

Shimogamo Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto. Shimogamo Shrine is home to Mitarashi River and Mitarashi Pond which are known to be holy places. This is where the Japanese snack, “Mitarashi Dango”, was born. Mitarashi Dango is rice cake balls on a stick with a special sweet and salty sauce. Kamo Mitarashi Chaya is right next to Shimogamo Shrine. It was founded in 1922 and famous for their Mitarashi Dango. The first and second rice cake balls are separated which is the traditional way to serve this snack. The rice cakes are covered in a brown sugar sauce and very hearty. There will be a special New Year’s menu item during New Year’s season, so we recommend that, too.

Hours	9:30AM – 6:30PM (Closed on Wednesdays) Hours may differ for New Year’s season
Address	53 Shiomogamo Matsunoki-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 2-min. walk from the Shiomogamo Jinja-mae bus stop which is a 13-min. bus ride from the Shijo Kawaramachi bus stop Hotel Tavinos Kyoto: 2-min. walk from the Shiomogamo Jinja-mae bus stop which is a 19-min. bus ride from the Kawaramachi Gojo bus stop