From December 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027, OMO by Hoshino Resorts' three Kyoto hotels — OMO3 Kyoto Toji, OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo, and OMO5 Kyoto Gion — are running a "New Year Fortune Morning Prayer" program that takes guests to nearby temples and shrines in the quiet of a winter morning, before the crowds arrive, guided by the hotels' neighborhood guides, the "OMO Rangers." The program runs from an evening "prayer preparation" routine of purification and lucky rituals through to a warming, fortune-themed meal or drink after the visit — a stay built around an experience only available by spending winter nights in Kyoto.
Background
Kyoto draws large crowds throughout the year, but January and February see relatively fewer visitors, making them a hidden best season for exploring the city and its temples and shrines at a relaxed pace (*1). From the standpoint of "dispersed tourism," which spreads visitors out to avoid concentration, spending time in the city before it fills up with people is also considered worthwhile. At the start of a new year, travelers increasingly want to "avoid the crowds and comfortably set their fortune for the year ahead" or "learn the proper manners and culture behind a prayer for a deeper connection with its blessings" (*2). Because all three OMO Kyoto hotels sit close to temples and shrines, they've put together a program that only they can offer: a stay that carries guests through evening preparation, an early-morning prayer visit, and a fortune-themed meal tied to each hotel's own blessing.
*1 Based on the Reiwa 7 (2025) Kyoto Comprehensive Tourism Survey (a 1.3x difference in monthly crowd levels between the busiest month, November, and the quietest, February)
*2 Based on TripAdvisor Co., Ltd.'s "2026 Inbound Report"
OMO Kyoto's New Year Fortune Morning Prayer special page
[OMO3 Kyoto Toji] Warding Off Bad Luck: "Toji Yakuyoke Mairi," Watched Over by the Five-Story Pagoda
At OMO3 Kyoto Toji, close to the UNESCO World Heritage site Toji Temple, guests can receive the blessing of Dainichi Nyorai — the statue at the center of Toji's three-dimensional mandala and the guardian deity of 2027's zodiac sign, the sheep — to clear a year's worth of bad luck and invite good fortune.
1 A Prayer Ceremony in a National Treasure Hall, With a Program-Exclusive Goshuin
Guests can receive a special prayer ceremony in the Miei-do hall, associated with the Buddhist priest Kukai (Kobo Daishi). For those unfamiliar with the ritual, an OMO Ranger provides full support throughout. After the ceremony, guests receive a goshuin (temple seal) dedicated to Dainichi Nyorai — the guardian deity of the 2027 zodiac sign and a bringer of good fortune to all.
2 Purification With Zuko Incense Powder and Herbal Tea, Then Warm Amazake to Clear Bad Energy
The evening before the ceremony, guests purify their hands and body with zuko, a purification incense powder from the incense specialist Shoyeido, and drink an original herbal tea made with clove, known for its purifying properties, to cleanse mind and body. After the ceremony the following morning, guests can relax with a cup of warm amazake — a sweet fermented rice drink long treasured for celebrations and warding off bad energy — to clear away negativity from the inside as well.
Sample Stay Schedule
3:00 PM Check in, then relax in the guest room
8:00 PM Enjoy the purification herbal tea at the "Toji Mandala Night Salon," part of the Local Rhythm Night program
10:00 PM Purify hands and body with zuko before bed, in preparation for the next morning's visit
9:00 AM Head to Toji for the prayer ceremony, guided by an OMO Ranger
10:30 AM Warm up from the inside with amazake, in the guest room or at the OMO Base
"Toji Yakuyoke Mairi" Overview
Period: December 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (excluding certain dates; check the official website for details)
Time: 9:00 AM, approximately 1 hour
Price: ¥6,000 (tax included) per person
Location: OMO3 Kyoto Toji, 1st floor OMO Base and guest rooms
Included: Prayer ceremony at Toji, amazake, herbal tea, zuko purification experience
Capacity: 15 guests
Reservations: Required, via the official website
"Toji Yakuyoke Mairi" special page
[OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo] Winning Fortune: "Sanjo Hisshou Mairi" Through a Neighborhood Steeped in History
In the lively Sanjo area, the historic end point of the Tokaido road, guests can join a bracing morning service tour at Honno-ji Temple, associated with the feudal lord Oda Nobunaga, to pray for achieving the year's goals or passing an exam.
1 A Morning Service and Prayer for Winning Fortune in the Quiet of Honno-ji Temple
In the crisp early-morning air, an OMO Ranger leads guests to Honno-ji Temple. After a short lecture on the proper posture and mindset for the service, guests clear their thoughts and renew their resolve as powerful sutra chanting and drumming fill the main hall. Once composed, participants in the program can receive a goshuin themed around winning fortune, available only to those who take part.
2 Fortune-Themed Food Tied to a Warlord's Victory Prayers
Before and after the service, guests follow a food-based ritual for good luck, based on the "strike, win, celebrate" foods that Sengoku-era warlords ate to pray for victory before heading into battle. The evening before, guests try chestnut sweets from a long-established confectionery shop as "kachi-guri" (victory chestnuts), reflecting on their goals for the new year as they prepare for the next day. After the service, guests are served kelp tea and okaki rice crackers to warm a body chilled by the early morning. Guests strike the okaki with a wooden mallet as a gesture of resolve, praying for their fortune in winning to rise.
Sample Stay Schedule
4:30 PM Check in, then relax in the guest room
8:30 PM Try chestnut sweets tied to "kachi-guri" at "Yoru no Kyogashi-dokoro Sanjo-ten," part of the Local Rhythm Night program
5:50 AM Join the morning service tour at Honno-ji Temple, guided by an OMO Ranger
7:00 AM Strike the okaki with resolve and enjoy it with warm kelp tea
"Sanjo Hisshou Mairi" Overview
Period: December 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (excluding certain dates; check the official website for details)
Time: 5:50 AM, approximately 1 hour
Price: Free
Location: OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo, 1st floor OMO Base
Included: Morning service tour at Honno-ji Temple, wagashi at Local Rhythm Night, a set of kelp tea and okaki
Capacity: 15 guests
Reservations: Required, via the official website
"Sanjo Hisshou Mairi" special page
[OMO5 Kyoto Gion] Family Harmony: "Gion Enman Mairi," an Elegant Stroll Through Gion
In Gion, the temple town centered on Yasaka Shrine, guests visit the shrine — which enshrines the family of deities Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Kushiinadahime-no-Mikoto, and the Yahashira-no-Mikogami — to deepen their bond with family and loved ones and pray for a year free of illness or accident.
1 A Fortune-Boosting Sendo Mairi Circuit Unique to Yasaka Shrine
Guests are guided to Yasaka Shrine, strolling through Hanami-koji street in the lingering quiet of the morning. Along with learning the correct hand-washing purification method at the temizuya and proper manners at the main hall, guests discover Kyoto's own way of praying, offering wishes for household safety and marital harmony. After the visit, a lucky shishimai lion dance welcomes guests back at the OMO Base, nibbling their heads to ward off bad luck.
2 A Purifying Bath the Night Before and Lucky Sekihan for Happiness
The night before the visit, guests soak in a purifying bath in their room to wash away travel fatigue and impurity, preparing for the next morning. Timed to guests' return to the hotel after the visit, sekihan (red rice) is served from Gion Narumiya, a confectionery shop founded in 1931 that's also relied on for Kyoto's traditional events. Guests can enjoy it at leisure in their room, drawing on the protective power of its red color and adzuki beans to ward off bad luck and wish for a year of good health and happiness.
Sample Stay Schedule
4:00 PM Check in, then relax in the guest room
8:00 PM Enjoy matcha and ozashiki parlor games at "Gion Yoi no Omo Chawakai," part of the Local Rhythm Night program
9:30 PM Calm the mind with a purifying bath in the room, in preparation for the next morning's visit
6:30 AM Set out with an OMO Ranger on the tour to pray at Yasaka Shrine
8:00 AM Enjoy Gion Narumiya's sekihan and breakfast in the guest room
"Gion Enman Mairi" Overview
Period: December 15, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (excluding certain dates; check the official website for details)
Time: 6:30 AM, approximately 1 hour
Price: Free (sekihan sold separately)
Location: OMO5 Kyoto Gion, 1st floor OMO Base
Included: Morning fortune-prayer tour, bath salts (sekihan is an optional reservation)
Capacity: 10 guests
Reservations: Required, via the official website
"Gion Enman Mairi" special page
OMO3 Kyoto Toji by Hoshino Resorts
OMO3 Kyoto Toji sits in the quiet Toji area, near the UNESCO World Heritage site Toji Temple with its five-story pagoda, a symbol visible from the shinkansen. Built around the concept of a journey through time for the mind, it offers a stay that lets even first-time visitors feel at home at a temple, for those wanting a little rest or to find comfort in viewing Buddhist statues.
Address: 11-6 Nishikujo-Zaocho, Minami-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto 601-8414
Phone: 050-3134-8095 (OMO Reservation Center)
Rooms: 120 / Check-in 3:00 PM, Check-out 11:00 AM
Rate: From ¥10,000 per room per night (tax included, excluding accommodation tax and meals)
Access: About 13 minutes on foot from JR Kyoto Station; about 2 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Kyoto Line Toji Station
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/omo3kyototoji/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omo3kyototoji/
OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo by Hoshino Resorts
OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo is built around the concept of a lively riverside walk through the old town. Centered on Sanjo-dori, a street that has stayed busy from the past to the present, and the Takase River, which helped build the foundation of Kyoto's economic development, the hotel is a deep dive into the Sanjo area's merchant culture. For those who want to savor the pleasure of exploring on foot, it offers a stay packed with things to see, buy, and eat.
Address: 434-1 Ebisu-cho, Kawaramachi-dori Sanjo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto 604-8005
Phone: 050-3134-8095 (OMO Reservation Center)
Rooms: 122 / Check-in 3:00 PM, Check-out 11:00 AM
Rate: From ¥15,000 per room per night (tax included, excluding accommodation tax and meals)
Access: About 2 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Kyoto Municipal Subway Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station; about 5 minutes on foot from Exit 7 of Keihan Main Line Sanjo-Keihan Station
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/omo5kyotosanjo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omo5kyotosanjo/
OMO5 Kyoto Gion by Hoshino Resorts
OMO5 Kyoto Gion is built around the concept of "living like a local in Gion today," offering a stay meant to feel like actually living in the town. It invites guests to immerse themselves in the daily rhythm of Gion, the temple town centered on Yasaka Shrine, with the lively streets unique to a traditional geisha district.
Address: 288 Gion-machi Kitagawa, Shijo-dori Yamato-oji Higashi-iru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto 605-0073
Phone: 050-3134-8095 (OMO Reservation Center)
Rooms: 36 / Check-in 3:00 PM, Check-out 11:00 AM
Rate: From ¥40,000 per room per night (tax included, excluding accommodation tax and meals)
Access: About 6 minutes on foot from Keihan Railway Gion-Shijo Station; about 1 minute on foot from the Kyoto City Bus Gion stop
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/omo5kyotogion/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omo5kyotogion/
