Kyoto Experience nature's music coming to light during an unforgettable nighttime walk at Kyoto Botanical Gardens Experience nature's music coming to light during an unforgettable nighttime walk at Kyoto Botanical Gardens
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  • Indoor Greenhouse Experience
  • 4 Thematic Areas
  • Good for all ages

Light Cycles Kyoto

A glowing night walk through nature, light, and sound.
LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO will be held at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. Against the backdrop of Japan’s oldest public botanical garden, visitors can enjoy seasonal illuminations and an immersive art experience created through light and sound. Produced by world-renowned multimedia studio Moment Factory, the event invites you into a fantastical world that unfolds across the night in Kyoto.

Limited Time Autumn Foliage Area

Around 200 Japanese maple trees (Iroha Momiji) surrounding Nakaragi Forest and its nearby ponds burst into brilliant color, their reflections on the water creating a dreamlike world of inverted autumn leaves (the best time to view autumn leaves are usually from late November to mid December). At Nakaragi Shrine, which has stood on this land for over a thousand years, an installation of light, sound, and nature transforms the space into something mystical—where prayer, light, and plants resonate as one.

Due to popular demand, the event period has been extended until Saturday, December 27. Starting Tuesday, December 9, the fir trees in the park will receive a special illumination with Christmas decorations. Enjoy this one-of-a-kind evening as the scenery shifts from the colors of autumn to the sparkle of winter.

VISITOR REVIEWS

  • It was an absolutely magnificent production. Rather than immersion, it gave me a mysterious feeling as if I were on a different planet—something I had never experienced before. I highly, highly recommend it to everyone.

  • The moment I stepped through the entrance, the music and lighting created an otherworldly atmosphere that made my heart leap! It really felt like I had come to an attraction, and it was more interesting than I imagined—I was able to fully enjoy the beautiful lights!

  • A magical experience that felt like stepping into a fantasy game. You absolutely have to go!

  • I visited together with my nieces, and they were very happy, saying it was stylish and beautiful. I'm glad we could participate.

  • I was so moved by the fusion of music and lights that I just stood still. This time I visited alone, but I want to go again with my grandchild.

  • It was very enchanting, and it even made me feel the breath of the plants.

  • It was very beautiful. The collaboration between the botanical garden and the lights gave me a sense of a whole new world.

  • No matter how many times I see it, I never get tired of it. It's truly magnificent.

  • This was not like the greenhouses I've seen over the years—it felt like a completely new experience. Both the sound art and installation art were outstanding. Compared to the museums and exhibition halls I've visited before, the scale is different, and I've always felt that plants communicate even through subtle vibrations, including their roots. With the different botanical scents on each floor, all unnecessary distractions disappeared, allowing me to experience it with my whole body, even if only virtually. It's experiential modern art. Personally, I really enjoyed the cactus area. Maybe cacti have emotions like this.

  • Thanks to the effects of sound and light, the plants looked like cool works of art, and the greenhouse changed in many ways, giving me a feeling of being in another dimension or traveling to various places rather than just Kyoto. It was thoroughly enjoyable. The trees reflected in the pond at the end of the dark path looked so mystical that I could have stared at them forever. Experiencing something like this in Kyoto, in a botanical garden—what a wonderful experience!

Practical Info

  1. Opening hours:

    • October 1 - October 30 (tentative): 18:00 - 21:30 (Last entry 20:30)
    • October 31 - February 28 (tentative): 18:00 - 21:30 (Last entry 20:00)
    • March 1 - March 31 (tentative): 18:30 - 21:30 (Last entry 20:00)

    Closed on Mondays. If Monday falls on a national holiday, the event will be open and will close the following Tuesday.

    Year-end and New Year Schedule: this experience will be closed from Sunday, December 28 to Monday, January 5. The call center will also not be available from Sunday, December 28 to Sunday, January 4. Aside from these dates, regular opening hours will apply.

  2. Duration:
    (October 1 - October 30): 45 minutes
    (October 31 - March 31): 60 - 80 minutes
  3. Location: Kyoto Botanical Gardens
  4. Age requirement: All ages!
  5. TEL: 075-284-0161 (9:30ー17:30)
  6. Email: contact@lightcycles-kyoto.com

    For all enquiries related to LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO, please use the contact information above (please do not contact staff from the Botanical Gardens) For nighttime emergency contact details, please refer to the FAQ.

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THE EXPERIENCE

Map of Kyoto

Light Cycles Location in Kyoto

Kyoto Botanical Gardens – Conservatory (Shimogamo Hangicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto), Kyoto, Japan.
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FAQS

Do you have any questions?

Maybe you can find the answer here!

Reveal faqs

At the limited-time store "KYOTO BOTANICAL GARDENS STORE," we will be selling original merchandise featuring designs inspired by the history and botanical charm of the Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Gardens.

Please see below for the products available for sale.

STORE OVERVIEW

Store Name: KYOTO BOTANICAL GARDENS STORE

Store Location: Near the "Conservatory" at Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Gardens

Operating Hours: Aligned with LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO event hours

Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, Credit Card, QR payment

Please note that some products may cease to be sold once their stock runs out.

PRODUCT LIST
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