This autumn, Higaki, the restaurant located inside Kyoto Gyoen at the Nakadachiuri Gomon gate, will hold its first one-night, limited-seating dining event tied to the harvest moon. On September 25, 2026 (Friday), the "Harvest Moon Special Dinner and Moon-Viewing Banquet" invites guests to mark Chūshū no Meigetsu — the Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon — with a special dinner followed by a moon-viewing gathering in a specially arranged area in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace's Seisho-mon gate.
About the Harvest Moon Dinner
Kyoto Gyoen is home to the historic Kyoto Imperial Palace and was once the stage where Heian-era court nobles held seasonal events as the center of politics and culture. Higaki, Kyoto Gyoen Nakadachiuri Gomon, is located inside Nakadachiuri Kyukeijo, a free rest facility within Kyoto Gyoen. Since opening in May 2026, the restaurant has added the only breakfast service inside Kyoto Gyoen and evening hours on top of its lunch and cafe service, and in summer 2026 it also began a reservation-only beer terrace on selected days of the week, proposing new ways to enjoy Kyoto Gyoen by time of day and season.
This autumn, as a special program, the restaurant is holding a one-day-only dining event timed to Chūshū no Meigetsu. The tradition spread through the imperial court during the Heian period, when nobles admired the moon alongside music and poetry — one of autumn's most elegant, representative customs.
The event unfolds in two parts: guests first enjoy a special kaiseki course inside the restaurant, then move to a specially arranged area in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace's Seisho-mon gate, set up just for this occasion, where they can take in the autumn night sky and a moon-viewing dessert while listening to the sound of a koto.
Guests can spend a special evening in Kyoto Gyoen tracing the elegance of an earlier age, in the same grounds where Heian nobles once admired the moon, composed poetry, and enjoyed the sound of traditional instruments.
An AI-generated rendering based on the venue's buildings and the planned layout for the Moon-Viewing Banquet
Schedule for the evening
- 5:30 PM — Reception (Higaki, Kyoto Gyoen Nakadachiuri Gomon)
- 6:00 PM — Part 1: Dinner begins, with a special kaiseki course built around autumn flavors, served only on this day
- 7:15 PM — Guests move on foot through the garden grounds
- 7:30 PM — Part 2: Moon-Viewing Banquet, in the specially arranged area in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace's Seisho-mon gate, enjoying the autumn moon, the sound of a koto, and a specially prepared moon-viewing dessert together
- 8:00 PM — Event concludes
*In case of rain, Part 2 (the Moon-Viewing Banquet) will also be held inside the restaurant, with the koto performance and moon-viewing dessert still served.
Event Overview
- Date: September 25, 2026 (Friday)
- Hours: 6:00 PM–8:00 PM (reception from 5:30 PM)
*Nakadachiuri Kyukeijo, the public facility housing the restaurant, remains open as a free rest area during the event. - Location: Part 1 — inside the Nakadachiuri Gomon Higaki restaurant; Part 2 — a specially arranged outdoor area in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace's Seisho-mon gate
*Guests will walk through Kyoto Gyoen on foot, under staff guidance, during the event. - Format: Reservation only
- Menu:
- Sakizuke: Simmered abalone and sesame tofu
- Wanmono: Autumn pike conger (hamo) soup
- Otsukuri: Assorted seasonal sashimi, three kinds
- Yakimono: Grilled hassun assortment
- Shiizakana: Kuroge Wagyu beef, sukiyaki style
- Sunomono: Returning bonito with sudachi-scented tosa vinegar
- Shokuji: Rice with autumn flavors
- Mizumono: Seasonal fruit and tsukimi dango (moon-viewing dumplings)
- Price: ¥18,000 (tax included)
- Capacity: 15 groups (30 guests)
- Reservations: TableCheck reservation page
About Higaki, Kyoto Gyoen Nakadachiuri Gomon
Under the concept of "a showcase of Japanese culture, opening onto the Imperial garden," Higaki offers food and culture that respect the dignity of the former imperial estate grounds. Since May 1, 2026, it has served Japanese lunches incorporating Kyoto's cuisine, adding a breakfast menu from July 1 and date-and-time-limited, reservation-only evening hours from July 18; from August 1 it has also run a weekend-only kaiseki course restaurant. The restaurant plans to expand further into events for promoting Japanese culture and MICE use, and to strengthen its vegan, halal, and multilingual offerings for a diverse range of visitors.
- Name: Kyoto Gyoen Nakadachiuri Gomon Higaki
- Location: 3 Kyoto Gyoen, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto (north side of Nakadachiuri Gomon)
- Opened: May 1, 2026
- Hours: Breakfast 8:00 AM–10:00 AM; regular hours 10:00 AM–6:30 PM (last order 6:00 PM); evening hours 5:30 PM–8:00 PM (reservation only)
- Seats: 76 (including counter seats), plus 36 terrace seats
About Nakadachiuri Kyukeijo
Nakadachiuri Kyukeijo is a public facility within the national park that visitors can use as a free rest area, with part of its space set aside for a restaurant and shop. Open to the public as a casual stop during a stroll through the garden, it aims to balance a dignified atmosphere with everyday convenience.
About Kyoto Gyoen
Kyoto Gyoen is a roughly 100-hectare national garden spread around the Kyoto Imperial Palace, where emperors lived and conducted affairs of state for more than a thousand years. Created after the Meiji Restoration on the former site of court nobles' residences, the area today encompasses the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Omiya Palace, Sento Palace, and the Kyoto State Guest House, and is enjoyed by visitors from Japan and abroad as well as by local residents. The grounds include rest areas, a children's park, and sports facilities, offering a place to enjoy nature through the seasons.
