Shimai-Kōbō and Shimai-Tenjin

When and where: Monday, December 21 and Friday, December 25, 2026

Shimai-Kōbō is the December edition of the Kōbō Market held on the 21st of every month at Tō-ji (Kyōōgokoku-ji, Kujō-chō, Minami Ward). Shimai-Tenjin is the December edition of the Tenjin Market held on the 25th of every month at Kitano Tenmangū (Kamigyō Ward), and it is the market that closes the year. The first editions after the New Year are called Hatsu-Kōbō (January 21) and Hatsu-Tenjin (January 25).

As a rough guide to times: at Tō-ji, stalls start setting up as soon as the gates open at 5 a.m., and almost all are open by around 8 a.m. Stalls begin closing from around 4 p.m., and some close early on rainy days (some notices give Shimai-Kōbō in 2026 as 8:00–15:00). Kitano Tenmangū's Tenjin Market generally runs from 7 a.m. to around sunset, and Shimai-Tenjin in 2026 is announced as running from 6:30 to 21:00. Stalls open as they are ready from around 6:30, and most are in place by around 9:00. Closing times vary by stall.

Origins: Kūkai's Mieku and Michizane's 25th

At Tō-ji, on the 21st of every month, the monthly anniversary of the death of Kōbō Daishi Kūkai, a Mieku memorial service is held from 10 a.m. in the Mieidō, the hall dedicated to Kūkai. On April 21 (the 21st day of the 3rd month in the old calendar), when Kūkai entered eternal meditation (nyūjō), the Shō-Mieku is held. The Kōbō Market is said to have begun when teahouses offering "issen ippuku" (a cup of tea for one sen) opened for the people coming to this service, and later dango, firewood and charcoal, pots and kettles, and other daily goods came to be sold as well. The teahouses are said to have opened about 700 years ago. Kūkai is called "Kōbō-san," and the 21st is also called "Kōbō-san's day."

Kitano Tenmangū's 25th is an ennichi (fair day) linked to the fact that both the birthday (June 25) and the death day (February 25) of Sugawara no Michizane, the deity enshrined there, fall on the 25th. On the 25th of every month stalls line the approach all day, and the Tenjin Market is regarded, together with Tō-ji's Kōbō Market, as one of Kyoto's two great ennichi. The history and buildings of Kitano Tenmangū and the Buddhist statues of Tō-ji's Kōdō are covered in separate entries.

December markets lined with New Year goods

At both markets, stalls usually sell antiques, old tools, used clothing, potted plants, household goods, food, and more. In December, items for welcoming the New Year are added, and the markets are crowded with people looking for New Year goods such as ornamental kale (habotan) and decorations featuring the coming year's zodiac animal. The zodiac animal for 2027 is the sheep (hitsuji).

Tō-ji's Shimai-Kōbō is crowded with people looking for good-luck items for the New Year. At Kitano Tenmangū's Shimai-Tenjin, there are more stalls along the approach than in other months, and besides potted plants, antiques, used clothing, and other clothing, they sell New Year items such as habotan, shimekazari (sacred straw decorations), aramaki salted salmon, and kazunoko (herring roe). At the shrine, iwai-bashi (celebratory chopsticks) and otoso (spiced New Year sake) are also offered. Kitano Tenmangū's Ōfuku-ume plums, distributed from Kotohajime on December 13, can also be obtained until around Shimai-Tenjin.

As for the number of stalls, Tō-ji's Kōbō Market has close to 1,000 every month, and at Kitano Tenmangū, Hatsu-Tenjin and Shimai-Tenjin each bring about 1,000 stalls inside and outside the grounds, with crowds reaching about 150,000 people (figures announced as of November 2026). Hatsu-Tenjin is also a day when many students facing entrance exams visit with their families.

How to get around, and tips for visiting with children

Kitano Tenmangū's grounds are open for worship at no charge, and at Tō-ji, visiting the Mieidō and the Jikidō (refectory) is free. Tō-ji's Kondō and Kōdō have an admission fee: during the regular period from December 14 it is 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for high school students, and 300 yen for junior high school students and younger (as of November 2026).

The December and January markets are among the most crowded days of the year. The aisles between stalls get packed, so when going with small children it helps to be prepared, for example by holding hands and deciding in advance on a place to meet if you get separated. The stalls are all in place by around 8:00 at Tō-ji and around 9:00 at Kitano Tenmangū.

On market days (the 21st of every month at Tō-ji and the 25th at Kitano Tenmangū), the parking lots in the grounds cannot be used. Go to both by train or bus.

Getting there

Tō-ji is southwest of Kyoto Station and Kitano Tenmangū is in the northwest of the city; both can be reached on foot from stations and bus stops.

• Tō-ji (1 Kujō-chō, Minami Ward): 10 minutes' walk (about 0.6 km) from Kintetsu Tōji Station, or 15 minutes' walk (about 1.1 km) from the Hachijō exit of JR Kyoto Station. The nearest city bus stops are "Tōji Higashimon-mae," "Tōji Minamimon-mae," "Tōji Nishimon-mae," and "Kujō Ōmiya"
• Kitano Tenmangū (Kamigyō Ward): get off at the "Kitano Tenmangū-mae" city bus stop, about 35 minutes from JR Kyoto Station on route 50, or about 15 minutes from Imadegawa subway station on routes 51 or 203. It is a 5-minute walk from Kitano-Hakubaichō Station on the Keifuku (Randen) line