Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival 2026 Passport Goes on Sale Today, July 16

The Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Executive Committee and Kyoto City will host the '2026 Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival' from Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 8, 2026. The official website has launched today, announcing participating buildings and programs, and early-bird 'Festival Passport' sales begin today, July 16 (Thursday).

This year, approximately 150 buildings across 13 areas are expected to participate. The festival offers 61 buildings open for free public viewing with a passport, around 120 guided tour courses led by experts, and a special 5th-anniversary event, the 'Higashiyama Grand Tea Ceremony,' providing multidimensional architectural experiences enhanced by walking and exploration.

The theme is 'Intensifying the Density of Architectural Experience.' The festival aims to design high-quality experiences where visitors deeply engage with a single space, understand its historical background, and deepen connections with people and the city.

Official Website: https://kyoto.kenchikusai.jp/

Festival Passport On Sale Today

With a passport, visitors can freely access 61 participating buildings during the festival without prior registration (including limited areas with restricted access). Early-bird pricing is available until Sunday, October 25, 23:59.

Ticket Types

Target

Early Bird (until 10/25)

Regular (from 10/26)

U29 Passport (Full Period)

Ages 29 and under

¥1,800

¥2,000

Early Period Passport (Valid 10/31–11/1)

General

¥2,800

¥3,000

Late Period Passport (Valid 11/7–11/8)

General

¥2,800

¥3,000

Full Period Passport

General

¥4,800

¥5,000

*All prices include tax. Sales will end once the quota is reached. *One child under junior high school age may accompany each adult free of charge.

Purchase Methods:

Online via electronic ticketing platform 'teket'

At Seven-Eleven stores (via multi-copy machines)

At ticket counters, retail outlets, and various websites

▶ Passport details and purchase: https://kyoto.kenchikusai.jp/passport/

Applications for guided tours (approximately 120 courses, require registration and are paid) will open for lottery registration from Friday, September 4 to Wednesday, September 30 (only accommodation packages available on a first-come, first-served basis starting July 16 at 10:00).

5th Anniversary Special Events (Details to be announced)

◆ Special Talk by Tadao Ando

Photo: Kinya Kanno

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026 Doors open 14:30 / Start 15:00

Venue: Kyoto Art Center Auditorium

Capacity: 200

Admission: Free with Festival Passport (Full Period, Early Period, or U29)

General: ¥1,000 (tax included)

Registration: Details to be announced on the official website

◆ Higashiyama Grand Tea Ceremony

To celebrate the 5th anniversary and raise public awareness of architectural preservation, a crowdfunding campaign will run from Saturday, July 18 to Monday, October 12, 23:59 on 'The KYOTO' platform. Support offers returns such as exclusive tea ceremony access and limited-edition goods, directly contributing to the inheritance of architectural culture.

Crowdfunding site: https://the-kyoto.en-jine.com/projects/daichakai

2026 Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Overview

Duration: 9 days, from Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 8, 2026 *Opening hours vary by building. Please check the official website for details.

Passport-Open Buildings (4 days total, no prior registration required, free viewing) Early Period: October 31 – November 1, 2026, 10:00–19:00 (some night openings) Late Period: November 7–8, 2026, 10:00–17:00 (some night openings)

Participating Areas (13 areas planned): Kitayama-Matsugasaki, Kitashirakawa, Kinugasa-Kita, Nishijin, Goshonishi, Goshohigashi, Goshokita, Yoshida-Kita, Nakagyo, Okazaki, Higashiyama, Kawaramachi-Gojo, Kyoto Station-Shichijo, and others

Doshisha Women's University Miyagawa-machi Butai © Masaki Hamada (kkpo)

TIME'S Kyoto Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church

Kyoto Prefectural Domon Imao Museum of Arts / Kyoto University Institute for Research in Humanities Branch

Organizers

Organizer: Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Executive Committee

Co-organizer: Kyoto City

Supporters: Japan Institute of Architects, Architectural Institute of Japan, Japan Federation of Architects and Building Engineers Associations, Public Building Association Kinki Regional Office, Kyoto Prefecture Construction Industry Association (in no particular order)

Collaborators: Kyoto City Transportation Bureau, Kyoto City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, Kyoto City Foundation for the Promotion of Arts and Culture, Kyoto Okazaki Charm Promotion Council, Kyoto Sanjo Urban Development Council, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, America-ya Co., Ltd., Yutani Shigemori Architecture Institute Co., Ltd., Kumakura Construction Co., Ltd., Starbucks Coffee Japan Co., Ltd. (in no particular order)

Special Supporters: teket Inc., Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd., Flatfield Technologies Inc., Meiji Taiseki Co., Ltd. (in no particular order)

Partners: iHistory Inc., Hai Koki Honpo Co., Ltd., Community Bank Kyoshin, Fujiki Construction Co., Ltd., NISSHA Foundation, Takenaka Corporation, Uemono Kato Landscaping Co., Ltd., Rover Urban Architecture Office Co., Ltd., Flat Agency Co., Ltd., Hasei Co., Ltd., Takamatsu Construction Group Co., Ltd., Space Design College, Shimadzu Corporation, Doshisha Women's University, Architect Titan Co., Ltd., Geo-Mark Co., Ltd., Kyoto University of the Arts (in no particular order)

Secretariat: Maimai Kyoto

The Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival launched in 2022 as a commemorative project for the Agency for Cultural Affairs' relocation to Kyoto, co-hosted by the Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Executive Committee and Kyoto City.

It was among the first in Japan to introduce a paid passport system for a large-scale architectural open event, with passport access and guided tours as core programs.

Inquiries

Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Executive Committee Secretariat, Public Relations: Ogi

2F Mainichi Shimbun Kyoto Building, 285 Nishikinu-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City

Email: [email protected]

Official Website: https://kyoto.kenchikusai.jp

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/kenchikusai

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenchikusai/

Contact Form: https://kyoto.kenchikusai.jp/contact/

[Reference 1] Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival Executive Committee

Chairperson: Hitori Kasahara (Associate Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology)

Committee Members: Junko Kamato (Head of Tourism Division, Kyoto City Tourism Association)

Junosuke Kuramochi (Professor, Osaka Metropolitan University)

Naotake Maeda (Professor, Kyoto Sangyo University)

Hiroyuki Matsuura (Head of Cultural Properties Division, Cultural Arts City Promotion Office, Kyoto City Bureau of Culture and Citizens)

Yoshiyuki Yikura (Representative, Maimai Kyoto)

Auditors: Takeshi Osaka (Chief, Promotion Section for Attractiveness Utilization, Tourism and MICE Promotion Office, Kyoto City Industrial and Tourism Bureau)

Shin Tanaka (Certified Public Accountant, Tanaka Management Accounting Office)

Advisor: Yuichi Ishikawa (Cultural Properties Protection Section, Cultural Arts City Promotion Office, Kyoto City Bureau of Culture and Citizens)

Secretariat: Maimai Kyoto

[Reference 2] List of All Participating Buildings

Kitayama-Matsugasaki

Kitayama Hongcha-kan

Community Bank Kyoshin Kitashirakawa