The Miyako Odori was created in 1872, when Kyoto lost the imperial court to Tokyo and needed a reason for visitors to come. The geiko and maiko of the Gion Kobu district perform a themed dance programme in the Kaburenjō theatre, several times daily through April, with a tea ceremony served by a maiko before the higher-priced seats.
No attendance figure is collected in this pass.
It is the most accessible point of contact with a profession otherwise closed to anyone without an introduction, and the other Kyoto districts — Pontochō, Kamishichiken, Miyagawachō — hold their own odori in spring and autumn.
April in Kyoto is also blossom season, which makes it the single most oversubscribed month in the Japanese travel year.
PlanningA month-long April window of daily performances, ticketed — the one time the Gion houses perform publicly at scale.
Dates
Season
Computed from the recurrence rule we record for this entry, not copied from a listing. A date marked ~ comes from a calendar conversion and the observance may fall a day or two either side.