A Kamigamo sacred rite featuring a New Year banquet and gagaku
Shinnen Kyoensai
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on January 5 / Every year
- Location
- Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamigamo Shrine)
- Area
- Kyoto Prefecture・Kita Ward, Kyoto(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/26
This festival carries on at Kamigamo Shrine the New Year banquet ceremony passed down since the Kamakura period. Offerings before the deity and performed at the Hashidono mark the turning point of the new year.
About Shinnen Kyoensai
The Shinnen Kyoensai is a New Year festival held at Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamigamo Shrine).
This sacred rite, passed down since the Kamakura period, is considered the banquet ceremony that concludes the New Year ceremonies.
It is listed among the shrine’s annual festivals as a regular event held on the fifth day of Mutsuki.
This festival celebrates the new year through offerings before the deity and bugaku performances at this turning point in the year.
Source: 新年竟宴祭 | イベント一覧 | 京都府観光連盟公式サイト / 上賀茂神社のひととせ | 賀茂別雷神社（上賀茂神社：かみがもじんじゃ）公式Webサイト
Festival highlights
Highlights include the New Year’s banquet ceremony, when offerings are presented before the deity, and bugaku performed as an offering within the .
Bugaku takes place at the Hashidono, with the Shingu Gagaku Society performing amid bonfires.
The morning ceremony and evening bugaku offer two different glimpses of Kamigamo Shrine’s festival celebrating the new year.
The sound of gagaku and the offering performance staged at the Hashidono are hallmarks of the festival.
Source: 上賀茂神社 新年竟宴祭 | ざ · Kyoto
A Kamigamo sacred rite featuring a New Year banquet and gagaku
What to expect
The ceremony takes place at 9 a.m., with the banquet ceremony that concludes the New Year observances.
New Year’s offerings are presented before the deity, and the new year is celebrated through the sacred rites.
In the evening, bugaku is performed as an offering by the Shingu Gagaku Society at the Hashidono, amid bonfires.
The sacred rites and bugaku offering performances take place at separate times.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamigamo Shrine), 339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
- Train and bus
Get off at “Kamigamo--mae” on the city bus or Kyoto Bus, or at “Kamigamo Misonobashi” on the city bus, then walk 3 minutes
- Parking
Available (¥1,000 per use from 1/1 to 1/7)
Address 339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on January 5
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kyoto Prefecture / Kita Ward, Kyoto (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions include Shake, the Uetsuji Family Residence, Ota Shrine, and the Koryo Museum of Art.
According to the Kyoto Prefecture Tourism Federation, Shake is 0.3 km in a straight line from the venue, the Uetsuji Family Residence is 0.5 km away, Ota Shrine is 0.5 km away, and the Koryo Museum of Art is 0.6 km away.
These are useful places to visit alongside the festival, including shrines, temples, and historic buildings around Kamigamo.
京都タワー
京都府京都市下京区にある塔
京都国立博物館
京都市にある国立博物館
京都国立近代美術館
京都市左京区岡崎にある美術館
京都国際マンガミュージアム
日本の京都府京都市中京区にある日本最大の漫画博物館
京都市美術館
京都市左京区岡崎にある美術館
京都府立植物園
京都市左京区にある植物園
京都鉄道博物館
京都府京都市下京区にある鉄道博物館
Fushimi Inari Taisha
京都市伏見区にある神社
元離宮二条城
京都市にある城郭及び元皇室関連施設
Yasaka Jinja
京都市東山区にある神社
円山公園
京都市にある公園
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
京都市上京区にある神社
Origins and History of Shinnen Kyoensai
The Shinnen Kyoensai is said to be a sacred rite passed down since the Kamakura period.
As the banquet ceremony that concludes the New Year ceremonies, it has been passed down as part of Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine’s annual festival calendar.
The shrine’s current guide lists the Shinnen Kyoensai on January 5, as well as a bugaku offering on the same day.
Long-established ceremonies and offerings of gagaku are brought together as New Year events.
Official information
賀茂別雷神社（上賀茂神社）公式Webサイト：Official website of Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine (Kamigamo Shrine)
Shinnen Kyoensai at a Glance
The Shinnen Kyoensai is Kamigamo Shrine’s New Year festival, passed down since the Kamakura period.
On January 5, the banquet ceremony begins at 9 a.m., with offerings presented before the deity.
In the evening, bugaku is performed as an offering amid bonfires at the Hashidono.
Participation requires an initial offering of ¥3,000 and advance arrangements at the shrine office.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/10/26
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