A web media covering art, exhibitions and light events across Japan

“Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping” from December 11; Snow, Stars and Santa Claus on an Important Cultural Property, Free to Watch

As the centerpiece of OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 in Nakanoshima, Osaka, images will be projected onto the east facade of Osaka City Central Public Hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The event runs for 15 days, from Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, with screenings from 17:30 to 21:30. Viewing is free and no reservation is required. Here is a guide to the highlights, screening times, other events in Nakanoshima during the same period, and access.

“Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026” from December 18; First-Ever Projection Mapping on the Keep, Free to View

A nighttime event projecting images onto the keep, the Omote-gomon Gate and the stone walls of Hiroshima Castle will be held from December 18 to January 11, 2027. According to Hiroshima City, it is the first projection mapping on the keep; admission is free and no advance application is required.

“Hakuin World” at the Eisei Bunko Museum and Waseda University’s Aizu Museum: The First Joint Project Linking the Collections of Moritatsu Hosokawa and Shigenori Tomioka

The first joint project of the Eisei Bunko Museum (Bunkyo City) and the Waseda University Aizu Museum (Shinjuku City) presents paintings and calligraphy by the Edo-period Zen monk Hakuin Ekaku at both venues. The Eisei Bunko Museum’s exhibition runs until Sunday, November 29, and the Aizu Museum’s until Tuesday, December 8; admission to the latter is free.

National Archives of Japan’s “Playful Spirits” Is Free Until December 6: Edo-Period Books and Records Featuring Kappa and Mermaids

The National Archives of Japan’s exhibition “Playful Spirits: Yokai and Fantastic Beasts in the Edo Period” is being held at its Tokyo main building in Takebashi. It presents records of the uncanny written down by people of the Edo period, including the “Suiko Koryaku,” which shows five different scenes of kappa. Until Sunday, December 6, free admission.

“Uketsu’s Strange World Exhibition.” in Tennoz Until January 17: A One-Third-Scale Model of the “Strange Houses” Home and 11 Floor Plans in 3D

The first large-scale exhibition by horror writer Uketsu, known for “Strange Houses,” is being held at Warehouse TERRADA’s G1 Building in Tennoz. It features a one-third-scale model of the house from the story, models of 11 floor plans and a “forest” visitors can walk through. Until Sunday, January 17, 2027, with timed entry on weekends, holidays and during the winter vacation.

“Seeds and Roots: Cultivating the City” at Tokyo Opera City Until December 20: Ten Artists from Art, Architecture and Fashion

Taking the new ecosystems that arise in the gaps of the city as a clue, this exhibition explores ways to restore our connection with nature. Ten artists from contemporary art, architecture and fashion reconsider the city through everyday activities such as living, wearing and eating. Until Sunday, December 20; ¥1,800 for adults.

Shinjuku’s Permanent VR Theater “Storydive Theater WAHHHP”: Walk Through Gaudí and the Titanic

On the 10th floor of a building a 1-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station is a permanent theater where visitors wear VR headsets and walk around. “Gaudí, the Atelier of the Divine” is scheduled to run until December 31, and “TITANIC: Echoes from the Past,” which began on October 23, until February 28, 2027.

Who Was Toshusai Sharaku? The “Mystery Artist” Who Vanished After Ten Months: Major Actor Prints, Theories on His Identity, and Where to See Them

Toshusai Sharaku debuted suddenly in 1794 with 28 mica-ground okubi-e actor portraits and disappeared about ten months later. A guide to his four periods and major works, the theories about who he was, and where to see his prints.

Who Was Kitagawa Utamaro? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of Beauties Behind “Three Beauties of the Kansei Era,” and Where to See Them

Kitagawa Utamaro won fame with okubi-e close-up portraits of women, working with the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo. A guide to his life and major works, his clash with the shogunate’s censorship, and where to see his work, including the British Museum’s Edo painting exhibition.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Hiroshima Art Guide: Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander, Dreamination, and the Hiroshima Museum of Art, Prefectural Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art

“Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026” brings the first projection mapping to the castle keep from December 18, and “Hiroshima Dreamination” has moved to December 4–January 24. A guide to the winter night events, exhibitions at three city museums in the same period, and New Year closing days.

Who Was Utagawa Hiroshige? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and Where to See Them

Utagawa Hiroshige won fame with “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and his “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” was copied by Van Gogh. A guide to his life and major works, the color known as “Hiroshige blue,” and where to see his prints, from the Tokyo National Museum’s Hiroshige exhibition to museums named after him.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Aizuwakamatsu Art Guide: Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping, Sazaedo, Oyakuen Garden and the Fukushima Museum

For three nights from November 20, “Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026” lights up the keep and stone walls with imagery inspired by Aizu crafts. This guide covers the castle keep, the Fukushima Museum, Oyakuen Garden and the double-spiral Sazaedo to visit by day, with admission, hours and the last loop bus.

Who Was Katsushika Hokusai? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master Behind “The Great Wave,” and Where to See Them

Known worldwide for “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” Katsushika Hokusai kept painting until his death at 90. A guide to his life, his major works from “Hokusai Manga” and “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” to the paintings of his final years, and where to see them, including The Sumida Hokusai Museum and the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse.

Who Was Utagawa Kuniyoshi? Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of Warriors, Cats and Giant Skeletons, and Where to See Them

Utagawa Kuniyoshi won fame with his “Suikoden” warrior prints and still astonishes viewers with his cat caricatures and the giant skeleton of “Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre.” A guide to his life, major works, the wit that dodged the Tenpo Reforms, and where to encounter his prints and video installations.

What Are Policy-Purpose Negotiated Contracts? How Japanese Local Governments Can Contract Startups Without Bidding, with a Projection Mapping Example

Japan’s Enforcement Order of the Local Autonomy Act lets local governments procure new products and services without bidding from businesses they certify. Tokyo builds this into its startup programs as “policy-purpose negotiated contracts.” We explain the system, its 191 contracts nationwide in MIC’s survey, and a projection mapping example.

13 Local Government Light Events and Projection Mapping Projects: Comparing Aims, Budgets and Visitor Numbers from Public Records

Using calls for proposals, financial statements and press releases for 13 cases, including those of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Osaka and Kagawa Prefecture, we sorted out the aims, budgets and visitor numbers of light events. Contract ceilings range from ¥9,500,000 to ¥265,000,000, and the way visitors are counted also differs from case to case.

Drone Show Guinness World Records 2026: 71,207 Drones in a Week in Texas and 33,615 Flown Simultaneously in Sichuan

Drone light shows kept breaking Guinness World Records in 2026. In Texas, the record for “most drones launched in a week” was broken in both spring and autumn, and in Sichuan, China, 33,615 drones flown simultaneously were certified.

Frieze London and Art Basel Paris 2026: Paris Draws Over 200 Exhibitors from 41 Countries and Regions, Including Three Tokyo Galleries

In October 2026, Frieze London and Frieze Masters were held in London and Art Basel Paris in Paris. Paris brought together more than 200 exhibitors from 41 countries and regions, including three Tokyo galleries.

Las Vegas Sphere’s “The Wizard of Oz” Sells More Than 4 Million Tickets: A New Show in 2027 and Abu Dhabi Completion by Late 2029

“The Wizard of Oz,” the immersive film experience at Sphere, the spherical venue in Las Vegas, has sold more than 4 million tickets in total. The operator expects a new show to open in 2027 and its second venue, in Abu Dhabi, to be completed by the end of 2029.

Senso-ji Projection Wins an Excellence Award at the Projection Mapping Tokyo Award and MUSE Gold; 2026 Edition from October 30

A projection onto Senso-ji Temple’s Hozomon Gate, Five-Story Pagoda and Nitenmon Gate in December 2025 received an Excellence Award at the Projection Mapping Tokyo Award and Gold at the MUSE Creative Awards 2026.

[2026] Projection Mapping and Immersive Exhibition Production Companies in Japan: Key Firms and Their Work

From projections on castles, temples, shrines and government buildings to touring exhibitions, permanent venues and shipboard theaters, we sort out the planning and production companies behind events officially announced in Japan in 2025–2026, along with budgets in public calls for proposals and permit procedures.