"KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 - A Blooming Garden that Transcends Time" by Mika Ninagawa with EiM is being held at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto until Sunday, May 24, 2026.

KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL has been spreading Japanese beauty and culture from Kyoto to the world. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival, and the creative team EiM, which brings together specialists from various fields, including artist Mika Ninagawa and Hiroaki Miyata, who also served as the theme project producer for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, will be participating. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, the headquarters of all Tenmangu shrines across Japan, will be the setting for an installation that transforms the historic garden into art, along with an immersive performance.

The plum garden at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, known as one of Kyoto's most famous plum blossom spots, is home to an outdoor installation called "Garden of Light and Flowers," which uses approximately 1200 crystals. The crystals, bathed in light, show different expressions over time, responding to the changing seasons and the ever-changing colors of the sky. This work allows you to experience the moment when nature and art resonate with each other.

Another installation, Afterglow, will be displayed in the Odoi Baikoken teahouse. Here, the cycle of time is visualized by contrasting blooming flowers with withering flowers. It expresses the overwhelming beauty that lies hidden in the seemingly negative states of withering and decay.

Starting on Friday, March 20th (national holiday), the immersive theater "Hanayoi no Daichakai" (Flower Night Tea Ceremony), a collaboration with the world-renowned dance company DAZZLE, is scheduled to begin. In this production, there is no distinction between the audience seats and the stage, and the cast will perform freely in front of the audience. In the historic space of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine's Fugetsuden Hall, you will be invited to an experience that transcends time and space.

The special shop inside the venue will also be selling merchandise exclusive to this exhibition, including T-shirts, hand towels, and wrapping cloths featuring photos of the plum blossoms at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine taken by Mika Ninagawa, as well as collaboration items with long-established Kyoto manufacturers such as "Saint Nikki Matcha" from Shogoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten, and incense and sachets from Shoyeido.

Spring in Kyoto is a time when history, tradition, and art intersect. Why not visit for an immersive experience where you can feel the brilliance of life with your whole body?

◆KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 - A timeless, blossoming garden -
[Date]
Installation "Garden of Light and Flowers" "Afterglow"
-Sunday, February 2, 2026 - Sunday, May 24, 5 *Closed on some days
Immersive Theatre "Flower Night Tea Ceremony"
- March 20th (Friday, national holiday) - May 24th (Sunday), 2026 (May be closed on some days)
-Performance time: Approximately 60 minutes
[Opening hours] 9:00-20:30 (last admission 20:00)
[Closed] There are some days during the exhibition period (notified on the website)
[Venue] Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Bakuro-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)