murmurKifune Water Festival (Tanabata Rite)
Kyoto City · Kifune Shrine
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Kifune Shrine · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Tue, Jul 7, 2026 （Ended） 10:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early July
- How the date is set
- Every year on July 7
- Venue
- Kifune Shrine
- City
- Kyoto City, Kyoto
About
Kifune Shrine, the head shrine of some 2,000 water-deity shrines across Japan, holds this festival every July 7. Rooted in ancient rain-prayer rites, it gives thanks to the god who governs the water supply and asks for good weather and a healthy share of rain in the year ahead. The ceremony features a tea offering, court dances, and a ritual knife-cutting performance, and it is combined with the Tanabata seasonal rite, one of the five traditional seasonal festivals. The shrine is about a six-minute walk from the Kibune stop on the Kyoto Bus.
Sources
- OfficialKifune Shrine kifunejinja.jp
- OfficialKyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel) ja.kyoto.travel
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.