Kuni-kyo Tenpyo Festival × Kamo Matsuri 2026

Dates & time: November 1, 2026 (Sun) 10:00–20:00
Price & booking: Free admission (activities, lanterns, food and goods are paid) Mikanohara lanterns can be booked on Kotoyori Mall until 17:00 on Oct 30; some are also sold on the day.
Venue & access: Kuni Palace Site (Special Historic Site) Free shuttle bus on the day from Kamo Station on the JR Yamatoji Line (about 30 min on foot). On-site parking is limited.

Calendar

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Why You Should Visit

Kuni-kyo was Japan's capital for a few years in the 740s under Emperor Shomu, and on this day its palace site in Kizugawa hosts two festivals at once: the Kuni-kyo Tenpyo Festival celebrating the site's history, and the Kamo Matsuri, the local autumn festival. The Tenpyo side offers a special viewing of the ongoing excavation and gagaku (ancient court music), with bamboo lanterns lighting the grounds after dark. The Kamo side brings food and local-produce booths, a stage programme, a big bingo game and the Mikano lanterns in the evening. Running from 10:00 to 20:00, it lets you see the dig by day and stay on for the lantern light, with a free shuttle bus from JR Kamo Station.

Programs

Timetable & Map

Kuninomiya Market stalls

Shop List & Map

NOTE

Kuni-kyo Tenpyo Festival

Special viewing of the excavation of the inner palace
Kuni-kyo Tenpyo AR: step inside the Daigokuden hall in AR and see the seven-storey pagoda of Yamashiro Kokubunji
Bamboo lanterns
Kuni Palace original goods (plus goods from Heijo Palace and Shigaraki Palace)
Wado Kaichin coin-casting workshop: elementary school age and up, ¥700
Cosmos picking: up to 3 stems per person, first 100 people, ¥300

Kamo Matsuri

Kuninomiya Market food and local-product stalls, plus food trucks
Mikanohara lanterns: ¥2,500 each booked in advance on Kotoyori Mall (Oct 1 10:00 – Oct 30 17:00), ¥3,000 each on the day (Nov 1, 10:00–16:00)
Lanterns fly on a string; afterwards you reel them in and take them home
Children of elementary school age and under must take part with a guardian (lanterns are not handed to children alone)
In bad weather the lantern release moves to Sat, Nov 21 from 18:00
Hosted by the manzai duo Headlight

Shuttle bus

From JR Kamo Station 9:55–20:25; from the palace site to Kamo Station 10:07–20:37. Timetable (PDF)
Some buses run Kaijusenji → palace site → Kamo Station
Shuttle riders can enter a draw for a chocolate bar and an original Kuni Palace chocolate mould (limited)
A temporary bike-share station is set up at the venue

History Heritage Events Festivals Free Cheap Family Gourmet

出典: 恭仁宮跡公式サイト（恭仁京FESTA2026）

Kobe · Gluten-free

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FAQ

Is there an admission fee?

Admission is free. Activities such as cosmos picking and coin casting, the Mikanohara lanterns, food and goods are paid.

Can I drive there?

There is parking at the venue but spaces are limited and it is expected to be busy. A free shuttle bus runs from JR Kamo Station.

What time are the lanterns released?

The Mikanohara lantern release is 19:15–19:40. Shuttle buses to Kamo Station run until 20:37.