Plum blossoms have been celebrated in Japanese poetry since the 8th century (Photo: Julian Bohler)

Spring at Kitano Tenman-gu, Kyoto

Baikasai: Plum Blossom Festival

Julian Bohler   - 1分钟阅读时间

Located northwest of Kyoto near the famous Golden Pavilion, Kitano Tenman-gu is a Shinto shrine where Sugawara no Michizane, an aristocrat from the ninth century, is worshipped as the deity of education. A tea ceremony is held within the shrine precincts every year on February 25 during the Plum Blossom Festival. Surrounded by hundreds of plum trees in full bloom, around thirty geiko (a local term in Kyoto for geisha) and maiko from the neighbouring geisha district (Kamishichi-ken) will serve matcha tea to visitors, accompanied by delicious Japanese sweets.

Gates open at 10:00 am and close at 3:00 pm. It costs ¥1,500 to enter and the ticket includes tea, sweets, a special gift and a ticket for the museum of the shrine. Tickets are limited to 3000 attendees, so be sure to arrive early enough as you will mostly likely have to queue before sitting.

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Julian Bohler

Julian Bohler @julian.bohler

Born in France, I was twenty years old when, passing by a local bookstore, a book about Japanese characters caught my attention. This was my first encounter with Japan, and one that would change my life in many ways. Earning a degree in Japanese Studies with a major in Japanese religions and f...