“KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026” to be held February 1–May 24, 2026 at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kyoto — 10th-anniversary edition featuring Mika Ninagawa with EiM and DAZZLE
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL,” which has shared the beauty and culture of Japan with the world, will present “KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 – Beyond time, the garden blooms –” at the historic Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto) from February 1 to May 24, 2026. Artist Mika Ninagawa, the creative team EiM, and the dance company DAZZLE join forces to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience in a storied setting.
10th-anniversary program featuring Mika Ninagawa with EiM and DAZZLE
Since its launch in 2016, KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL has presented a wide range of cultural programs from Kyoto every year. For the 2026 edition at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, artist Mika Ninagawa—known as a photographer, film director, and contemporary artist—will be joined by the creative team EiM, which brings together specialists from various fields including scientist and EiM producer Hiroaki Miyata. The festival will also partner with DAZZLE, a dance company leading immersive theater in Japan.
A particular highlight will be the first-ever Immersive Theater at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. The vivid world created by Mika Ninagawa will merge with DAZZLE’s physical expression to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience where history, tradition, and art intersect against the backdrop of spring at Kitano Tenmangu.
Enchanting installation in the Plum Garden “Flower Garden”
As one of the programs, the “Three Gardens of Snow, Moon, and Flowers — Plum Garden ‘Flower Garden’ Installation” will be presented. Set in Kitano Tenmangu’s Plum Garden “Flower Garden,” which comes into full bloom with the arrival of spring, spatial production by Mika Ninagawa with EiM will be staged. In a fantastical space where nature and art merge, visitors are slated to encounter a vivid experience. The exhibition period is February 1 to May 24, 2026.
World-first immersive theater performance in a traditional setting
Another main program is the “Immersive Theater Performance.” Structure, direction, and script will be jointly handled by DAZZLE and Mika Ninagawa with EiM; planning and performance by DAZZLE; and art production by Mika Ninagawa with EiM. This collaboration is a first. Audiences will be drawn into the world of the story as if they were characters or parties to it, experiencing an unprecedented level of immersion.
This performance—claimed as a world-first attempt in a shrine or temple setting—will deliver a singular stage at Kitano Tenmangu’s Fuugetsu-den. The scheduled run is from March 20 to May 24, 2026, with a performance time of 70 minutes.
Ticket information and key participants
For this event, only tickets for the Immersive Theater performance are slated for advance sales via DUZZLE’s supporters club “DUZZLE” from early November 2025. For both the installation and the Immersive Theater, general sales are scheduled to begin in mid-November. Ticket prices are currently being finalized.
Event outline: KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 – Beyond time, the garden blooms –
Dates:Overall / Three Gardens of Snow, Moon, and Flowers — Plum Garden “Flower Garden” Installation: February 1 (Sun) – May 24 (Sun), 2026
Immersive Theater Performance: March 20 (Fri, national holiday) – May 24 (Sun), 2026 (scheduled; dark days apply)
Venue: Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Bakuro-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8386)
Organizer: KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL Executive Committee
Planning / Production / Operation: Sony Music Solutions Inc.
Sponsors: JTB Corp.; eplus inc.
Support: Kyoto Prefecture; Kyoto Prefectural Tourism Federation; Kyoto City Tourism Association; Kyoto Traditional Performing Arts Foundation (Ookini Foundation)
Official website https://kyoto-nippon-festival.com/s/knfes/?ima=4745&lang=en
EiM, the creative team, is composed of specialists led by Mika Ninagawa and Hiroaki Miyata (scientist and EiM producer), including production designer ENZO, and forms diverse lineups for each project. DAZZLE is a dance company formed in 1996, known for original works that fuse street dance and contemporary dance, and has presented a succession of immersive theater pieces since 2017.
New value for Kyoto born from the fusion of tradition and cutting-edge art
KYOTO NIPPON FESTIVAL 2026 is an event where the vividly colored art created by Mika Ninagawa with EiM intersects with DAZZLE’s innovative Immersive Theater within the historic setting of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Based on the festival’s philosophy of sharing Japan’s “beauty” and “culture” with the world, it aims to offer visitors a moving experience available only here—where a traditional space and state-of-the-art expression come together.
