No need to shove Heian Shrine into a crowded daytime itinerary while this breathtaking event is going on.

When visiting Kyoto, many travelers hope to experience moments of unhurried tranquility and timeless beauty at the city’s temples and shrines. “Timeless” doesn’t mean “open at any time,” though. Many of Kyoto’s most popular sightseeing attractions are only open during the day, which can lead to situations where you’re forced to create a packed daylight-hours itinerary or skip some sites altogether.

However, if you’re headed to Kyoto this spring, you might be able to move Heian Shrine out of your pre-sundown plans, since it’ll be open after dark.

Well, the sky will be dark. Heian Shrine itself won’t be though, because at the beginning of April it’ll be holding its annual Sakura Otoyo light-up event. Sakura, as you probably already know, is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, which should be in bloom at this time, and so for five nights, from April 1 to 5, the shrine will be open later than normal and the Otenmon gate, Daigokuden hall, and Minami and Higashi Shinen (south and east gardens) will be lit up to provide an even greater contrast between the soft pink of the sakura’s petals and the night sky.

As for the Otoyo part of the name, yo means “night,” and oto means “sound,” referring to the live musical performances that will take place near the Higashi Shinen area’s pond. This year’s lineup includes a variety of contemporary instrumental artists, vocalist Aoi Teshima, and acapella quartet Real Traum.

Admission to the light-up event, which lasts from 6:15 to 9 p.m., is 1,500 yen (US$9.70) for prepurchase or 2,000 yen at the gate. For those also wishing to watch the musical performances from the standing area near the pond, the admission prices instead are 3,000/4,000 yen, though given the open-air nature of the venue, odds are you’ll be able to hear the music even as you stroll around the other parts of the shrine.

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased via the Sakura Otoyo website here.

Source: PR Times, Sakura Otoyo official website
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Sakura Otoyo official website
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