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Kyoto · Japan · To discover

Auction House Kogire-kai

Location & practical

A Matter of Taste

  • Two days in Okazaki, every two months.
  • Tea bowls, folding screens, samurai armour and more.
  • The previews are public. The bids are sealed.
  • €0 / person
  • Okazaki, Sakyō Ward, Kyoto
  • Auction preview
  • 30–90 minutes

In Kyoto’s Okazaki district, a short walk from the vermilion gate of Heian Jingū, the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design occupies the lower level of Miyako Messe. Every two months, the convention hall acquires a second collection. For two days, the Kyoto auction house Kogire-kai sets out the lots from its next sale on long tables draped in black. A painted folding screen can draw you from across the hall. A tea bowl asks you to come a little closer.

Kogire-kai began as a market for antiques dealers in 1985 and held its first auction eight years later. Today the previews are open to the public and the catalogues are free to browse online. A single sale might take in dyed textiles, Buddhist art and samurai armour, though it’s quite possible to spend ten minutes choosing between two tea bowls. One sits lower on its foot. The glaze on the other thins at the rim. You discover, rather late in the deliberations, that you have strong feelings about a millimetre of clay. Bids are sealed, so you can keep the full extent of those feelings to yourself.

  • Urban setting Okazaki, Sakyō Ward, Kyoto

Good to know.

Location
Japan, 〒604-0811 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Kameyachō, １７６ 堺町通 １７６
Open map & directions
Parking
Paid underground parking on B2, with three accessible spaces. The car park accepts cash and operates on a first-come basis. Free outdoor bicycle parking is available off Nijō-dōri.
EV charging
One 200 V outlet in the underground car park. Bring your own cable. Charging is free for up to 60 minutes and parking charges apply.
Getting around
Take the Tōzai subway line to Higashiyama, about eight minutes on foot from Miyako Messe. From Kyoto Station, city bus 5 stops at Okazaki Kōen Bijutsukan / Heian Jingū-mae.
Arriving
Check Kogire-kai’s auction calendar for the Kyoto preview dates, hours and exhibition hall. Go to Miyako Messe in Okazaki, at 9-1 Okazaki Seishōjichō. The auction house’s office in Nakagyō is a separate address.
Pets
Miyako Messe welcomes assistance dogs. Ask Kogire-kai about pet access to the preview hall.
Accessibility
Miyako Messe has lifts, accessible toilets and free loan wheelchairs. Most areas are step-free. The central first-floor foyer and the B1 courtyard are reached by stairs. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Travelling with children
The preview is open to everyone. Miyako Messe has changing tables and a baby care room in the east lobby on the first floor.

Worth knowing

  • The admission range is exactly €0–€0 per person. Optional purchases are separate and vary by lot. Check the catalogue for minimum bids and the auction terms for charges.
  • If you plan to bid from overseas, check Kogire-kai’s deposit requirements before the deadline.

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About this edit · 6 sources
  • Company profile Contact details and history. · Read 2026-11-10
  • Auction schedule Auction frequency, dates and preview venues. · Read 2026-11-10
  • How to participate Free public entry, condition reports and overseas bidding terms. · Read 2026-11-10
  • About Kogire-kai Sealed bidding and free online catalogues. · Read 2026-11-10
  • Access and parking Venue address, public transport, parking and EV charging. · Read 2026-11-10
  • Accessibility Lifts, wheelchairs, toilets, assistance dogs and family facilities. · Read 2026-11-10