Thinking of where to go in Kyoto this April? Kyoto is one of the famous places in Japan which is rich in the historical culture of its numerous traditional temples, gardens, and shrines. If you want the ambiance of old Japan, Kyoto is one of the best places you can visit in Japan.
And in this article, I would like to share with you some places you can visit in April where some events, festivals, and other activities are held in Kyoto.
April in Kyoto
April is the month of the spring season, the perfect month to visit Kyoto to view the cherry blossom. The peak season of cherry blossom lasts only for one week and you can see its full bloom in April. The area of Osaka and Kyoto are not far from each other and in terms of weather, it is almost the same. The weather is good as well with moderate temperatures during the daytime and cool at nighttime. However, the climate is still changing from time to time, so it is better to check the weather before visiting.
Many tourist visit Kyoto in April to witness the cherry blossom in full bloom; both locals and foreigners. And many events are held in April in different areas of Kyoto. There are also foods that are available only during spring. Here is our list of the 10 best things to do in Kyoto in April.
1. Cherry Blossoms
Viewing cherry blossoms is the main thing to do in spring. And there are many places to view the cherry blossom in Kyoto. One of these is Maruyama Park, the popular place for the best spot to view the cherry blossom with almost 680 cherry trees in the park.
Another known as having best viewing spot in the Kansai area is the Yodogawa Riverside Park where the cherry blossom festival is held during spring. Other places we recommend to check out cherry blossoms include the following.
Philosopher’s Path is a pedestrian path along with a cherry tree-lined canal of Lake Biwa canal and one of the most popular spots for viewing cherry blossoms.
Kyoto Imperial Palace as spring and the cherry blossoms bloom the Kyoto Imperial Palace opens to the public for the annual seasonal showing special opening takes place in the first week of April.
2. Spring Matsuri
Kyoto has many beliefs and rituals as well as festivals depending on the season. Festivals held from ancient times to the present day. Spring festivals are one of them and the Oka-sai matsuri is a sakura or cherry blossom festival held every year in April at the Hirano shrine (平野神社).
▶Hirano Shrine Official Website: https://www.hiranojinja.com/home/english-page
The festival begins with a religious ceremony at the Hirano’s Shrine followed by prayers and other rituals before the procession in which the participants wear Japanese ancient costumes. Another festival that takes place every April is the Yasurai matsuri held once a year in mid-April at Imamiya Shrine to pray for good health and prevention of diseases. There is also the Kado matsuri which is held at the Daikaku-ji temple in Saga-Arashiyama for several days in mid-April commemorating the passing of Emperor Saga by offering flowers and classical dance.
▶Imamiya Shrine Official Website: http://www.imamiyajinja.org/eng/
▶Daikaku-ji Temple Official Website: https://www.daikakuji.or.jp/english/
3. Odori festivals
There are many Odori festivals held in Kyoto, especially during the spring. Each of the districts performs a large-scale dance to keep and share the values of traditional dances and music.
One of them is the Miyako Odori geisha dance which is said to be the origin of all geisha dances that was first performed in 1872 and called in the present time as the “Capital of the Dances”. Apart from Miyako Odori, there are other odori performed in April that you can witness such as the Kitano odori performed at Kamishichiken Kabukai and the Kyo Odori performed at Miyagawacho.
▶Miyako Odori Officail Website: https://miyako-odori.jp/english/
▶Kamishichiken Kabukai Official Website: http://www.maiko3.com/kitanoodori/
▶Miyagawacho Official Website: http://www.miyagawacho.jp/kyoodor.html
4. Night Time Illumination
Nijo Castle is one of the most famous places in Kyoto as the top cherry blossom viewing spot and during spring Nijo castle holds night illumination events for visitors from the end of March to the middle of April. This is to enjoy the cherry blossom viewing after sunset.
And this spring the Nijo Castle will hold unique events for visitors to enjoy more of the cherry blossom it is the Naked Flowers 2023 Cherry Blossom from March 17 to April 15, 2023.
There are also some temples that are illuminated during nighttime as well such as Kyomizudera Temple and Shoren-in.
▶Kyomizudera Temple Website: http://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/en/visit/special_night_viewing/
▶Shoren-in Website: http://www.shorenin.com/english/night/
5. Experience Sagano Romantic Train
One of the things you should not miss this spring when visiting Kyoto is riding the Sagano Romantic Train (or Sagano Torokko Ressha in Japanese). It will give you an extraordinary experience of the breathtaking view of cherry blossoms.
The train runs along the countryside between Saga Arashiyama and Kameoka where you can witness the beautiful views of the forest and mountains.