10 Things to Do in Kyoto in February

The city of Kyoto, Japan's former capital, is now considered its cultural centre and one of the country's most important cities. In the month of February, there are many things to see and do in Kyoto, and many reasons to bundle up and head out to discover all that this fascinating city has to offer.

From colourful and meaningful festivals to plum blossom gardens, dances and rituals to ward off demons, or even curious celebrations such as the National Cat Day, February is definitely a great time to visit this city and look forward to coming back every year.

The cherry blossom is one of the most incredible spectacles of nature to be seen in Japan, which is why so many people visit Japan in spring. However, a little earlier in the spring, plum trees bloom in Kyoto, and their blossoms are just as beautiful as those of the cherry trees.

Plum trees, or ume in Japanese, blossom in Kyoto in mid-February, and are also eagerly awaited by the locals. When these trees blossom, they are filled with numerous flowers in a wide variety of colours, such as pink, red and white, which perfume the streets of the city. The plum blossom occurs in Setsubun, a period that coincides with the end of winter in Japan.

When the plum blossoms are in bloom, it is an ideal time to visit Kyoto's temples, whose gardens take on a very special beauty. These include Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, Zuishin-in Temple, Nijo Castle and Jōnangū Shrine, among many others.

Plum trees are also used to prepare culinary delights such as umeboshi, the salted dried fruit used to accompany various dishes such as rice, and umezuke, which is the undried fruit. If you take a cooking class in Kyoto, you will probably taste ume in many typical dishes.

Every 25th February in Kyoto, the Baikasai, or Plum Blossom Festival, is held at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine. It is a festival celebrating the plum blossom, with a special tea ceremony performed outdoors by geisha and maiko, their apprentices, under the enchantment of the blossoms.

Baikasai is the most important plum blossom-related festival in Japan. Its origins go back to a politician and poet who wrote a poem bidding farewell to plum trees during his exile, which would have inspired many people to plant plum trees at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine, which is why there are so many there.

The festival is a great opportunity for you to take part in this traditional tea ceremony, and see the elegance of the geisha and maiko at one of Kyoto's most beautiful shrines. Participating in these ceremonies or going in search of plum blossoms should definitely be part of one of your Kyoto tours in February.

As for Kitano Tenmangū, it is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in the city, and is very close to the unmissable Golden Pavilion temple, which you can also visit that day.

For more information, visit

• Location: Kitano Tenmangū Temple, Bakurocho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto.
• Days and times: 25 February from 10am to 3pm approximately.
• Admission fee: Entrance to the temple is free, but it costs around 8 EUR to attend the tea ceremony. Tickets begin to be sold one month before the festival at the shrine.
• How to get there: from Kyoto Station you can take a half-hour bus ride to Kitano Tenmangū-mae Station.

In February, a festival of great importance to the Japanese is celebrated: National Foundation Day, or Kenkokukinen No Hi, which is held every year on 11 February. It is one of the few patriotic celebrations in the country, commemorating the beginning of the imperial family with the ascension of the first emperor Jinmu to the throne.

On this special day, the city dresses up with events and activities for all citizens and visitors. The city's parks, shrines and temples are decorated in the colours of the national flag, and there is dancing, recreational activities, music and traditional Japanese food.

Compared to other festivities in Japan and Kyoto, it is a simple celebration where the city is filled with Japanese flags, with each citizen carrying their own. You can also watch the flag-raising at different points around the city and see military performances in public spaces.

Please note that on National Foundation Day many museums and temples in Kyoto will be closed, as it is a public holiday throughout Japan. However, it is a good time to take a tour of the city of Ky oto and see how the city experiences this celebration.

In February, the Japanese take advantage of the winter to make the most delicious dishes such as soups, sauces and hot broths to ease the cold. One of the favourite gourmet dishes is Shabu Shabu.

This is a special dish consisting of raw vegetables and meat, traditionally beef, but can also be prepared with crab, chicken, pork, duck or lobster. These are served with a ponzu sauce, a sauce very similar to vinaigrette, which is prepared with citrus juices, soy and dashi, a fish stock.

In addition, this dish is usually accompanied with gum dare, which is made from sesame seeds and is creamy, or with steamed rice. It is customary for the Japanese to mix the rice with leftover dashi stock. It's a dish you'll definitely want to try on one of the best food tours of Kyoto.

Other Japanese dishes to take the edge off the cold include hot pot, a stew with a variety of ingredients; Yosenabe, made with a seaweed-based broth; and mochi, or Japanese rice cake. There is no doubt that enjoying traditional Japanese hot dishes is one of the best things to do in Kyoto in winter.

In the first days of February, for two consecutive days, Setsubun, a festival celebrating the end of winter and the arrival of spring, is held at all the shrines in the city. On this occasion, the maikos and geikos (geisha apprentices) dance and throw bags of soya beans to the public to ward off bad fortune and disease.

In Kyoto, the most representative shrine for Setsubun is Yasaka, where the maikos and geikos of the city's four districts perform different dances, depending on the district to which they belong. This display of dances and beautiful kimonos is a unique and enchanting spectacle, and one of the most interesting cultural performances in Kyoto.

During this festival, you can buy beans and lucky charms, and eat red bean soup for the same purpose. There is also a raffle, in which all tickets have a prize.

As for Yasaka, it is a 7th century Shinto shrine where the Gion Matsuri, the most important in the city, is held. It is a must-see temple, usually included in any 2-day Kyoto itinerary. Attending this festival is a great opportunity to get to know this temple and the Gion district, known as the geisha quarter.

More information about the festival

• Location: Yasaka Shrine, 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto.
• Days and times: 2 and 3 February from 11 am to 4 pm approximately.
• Admission fee: free of charge.
• How to get there: from Kyoto Station you can take a bus to the Gion stop, or take a train that leaves you 600 metres from the temple.

In February, Kyoto city is covered in snow and the weather is ideal for winter sports and activities. There are several ski and snowboard resorts near the city, such as Hirogawara, where you can go tobogganing, one of the most fun activities. Visiting Hirogawara, which is about an hour's drive from the city, is one of the best things to do from Kyoto.

At Hirogawara, you can rent a sled and do this fun activity with your family or friends. Children can also play in the snow, or ski, as there are ski lessons for children and adults who are just starting out. Without a doubt, enjoying the snow is one of the best things to do in Kyoto with kids in February.

There is also a hut at the resort that offers drinks and food so you can rest for a few hours before heading back to the city. Before you go to the resort, check the website for the status of the slopes and the route to make sure it is open and you can get to your destination.

More information about the resort

• Location: 286 Hirogawaraobanacho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
• Days and Hours: Usually open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, but due to snowfall the opening hours may change suddenly.
• Admission fee: adults €8 and children under 12 €4.
• How to get there: from Kyoto terminal you can get there in about 2 hours by public transport.

The Agon No Hoshi Matsuri is a festival held every year on February 11th in the Yamashina district, which is located east of Kyoto. It is a celebration that is consecrated to the stars of destiny, honmyojo and tonenzokusho, to ask for happiness and world peace.

During this festival, large processions are held, Buddhist relics and statues are displayed, and you can participate in various activities such as fortune telling. But the most impressive part of the festival is undoubtedly the burning of thousands of ancient prayer sticks on two giant pyres to ward off bad luck.

The burning of the sticks is accompanied by music, drumming and original dances, which you can watch from the stands a short distance away. It is a little-known festival, but it is without doubt one of the best cultural activities in Kyoto, where you can connect with the most ancestral part of this culture.

Read more about the festival

• Days and times: 24 February from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm approximately.
• Admission fee: free of charge.
• How to get there: from Kyoto station you can get to Yamashina district station in 15 minutes.

On 22 February every year, Japan celebrates National Cat Day, or Neko no Hi. Apparently, the sound of this date, which is 22/02, sounds very similar to the meowing of cats (nyan nyan nyan nyan) so they decided to institute the celebration on this date a few decades ago.

During this day, sweets are decorated with cat faces, and restaurants and cafes offer food and shapes decorated with this special theme. Shops also offer products inspired by the little felines, such as cuddly toys or pillows, and offer discounts on these products.

It is a day when Japanese people pamper their pets, posting photos of their cats in costumes, especially kimonos, on social media. Many people make reservations several days in advance at one of **Kyoto'**s cat cafes, such as Neko Café Time, where the kittens are the real masters of the place. It's certainly a good time to buy some cat-shaped cakes and enjoy the cheerful decorations in shops and restaurants.

Japan, as a cosmopolitan country, has incorporated the celebration of Valentine's Day like so many countries around the world. However, this celebration, which was established by the Morozoff confectionery company in 1958, has merged with Japanese culture and has taken on its own distinctive character.

During Valentine's Day in Japan, it is customary to give chocolate as a gift, but not only to your partner, but also to friends and family. In addition, only women give them to men, as it is their turn in March, on "White Day". For this reason, you will see that the shops are decorated in a special way.

The chocolates, depending on the type, have different messages for their recipients, such as honmei choko, which are given to the person you are in love with, giri choko, which are given as a courtesy, or tomo choko, which are given to friends. But if buying chocolate doesn't appeal to you so much, you can take advantage of this date to go to the Kiyomizudera temple and check your luck in love.

When you arrive you will find the well-known "love stones" there. Tradition has it that you should touch one and then walk with your eyes closed to the other, which is at the other end. If you succeed, it means that you will find love soon, or that you have found the love of your life.

Emperor Naruhito's birthday is celebrated in Tokyo every 23 February, after his birth date (23 February 1960) was determined. Previously it was celebrated on 23 December, the day of his predecessor Akihito's birth.

It is a huge celebration known as Tenno Tanjobi and is held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the emperors' residence. To get to Tokyo, you can take the bullet train, which takes about 2.5 hours, and take advantage of some of the best tours of Tokyo.

Entrance to the Imperial Palace normally costs money, but on this holiday it is free for everyone. It is also the only time of the year when you can enter the gardens. During the celebration, the emperor salutes from the balcony, and citizens wave their flags in salute. Other members of the imperial family are also often seen on the balcony.

If you wish to attend this celebration, it is important that you only bring a handbag, as the bags and backpacks of people entering the Palace garden are usually checked in order to protect the life of the emperor.

For more information

• Location: 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo.
• Days and times: 23 February.
• Admission fee: free.
• How to get there: from Kyoto City you can get there in about 5 hours by car via Shin-Tomei Expressway/Second Tokai Expressway. The bullet train is the fastest means of transport (about 2.5 hours) to get to Tokyo.