Gifu Light Story 2027 from January 30 at Gifu Park and Shohoji: The Light of Gifu Umbrellas and Lanterns, and a Sea of Clouds

“Gifu Light Story 2027,” which stages Gifu Park and Shohoji Temple in Gifu City with light, will be held from Saturday, January 30 to Sunday, February 28, 2027. Hours are 17:30 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), and the theme is “A Thousand Years of Light, Unfolding at Night.” It features light-ups using the light of Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, designated as national traditional crafts, and projection mapping on the rock face of the garden at the site of Lord Nobunaga’s residence and elsewhere. This is the seventh edition since 2020; it is organized by the GIFU Night View Project Executive Committee and produced by HITOHATA, INC.

*Disclosure: “Gifu Light Story 2027” is an event produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

The seventh edition’s stage: Gifu Park at the foot of Mount Kinka, and Shohoji

The stage is Gifu Park at the foot of Mount Kinka, where Gifu Castle stands, and Shohoji Temple, which enshrines the Gifu Great Buddha. The Gifu Great Buddha is said to be one of the “three great Buddhas of Japan.” This seventh edition is the first produced by HITOHATA, INC..

The theme is “A Thousand Years of Light, Unfolding at Night,” and the official website promotes it as “a night of fantasy woven by Gifu’s traditional crafts and a sea of clouds.” The composition centers on the light of Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, national traditional crafts, and uses the site of Lord Nobunaga’s residence as a stage for video on subjects such as cormorant fishing on the Nagara River.

Highlights: the light of umbrellas and lanterns, projection on the rock face and a first sea of clouds

Gifu Park is lit up with the light of Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns. At the “Site of Lord Nobunaga’s Residence,” the remains of Oda Nobunaga’s mansion, projection mapping is projected onto the garden’s rock face and elsewhere. Motifs include cormorant fishing on the Nagara River in Gifu, clear streams and folding-screen paintings.

A sea-of-clouds effect, the first in “Gifu Light Story,” is also added. Shohoji is also one of the stages for staging with traditional crafts and light, projection mapping and a sea of clouds. The venue is divided into areas, “Large Garden with a Waterfall & Three-Story Pagoda,” “Senjojiki,” “Below Senjojiki,” “Kabukimon Gate to the Stairs” and “Gifu Great Buddha Light-Up,” each with different light staging.

Tickets and prices: different on weekdays and on weekends and holidays

Prices (including tax) differ between weekdays and weekends and national holidays. On weekdays, adults (18 and over) pay 1,200 yen on the day (1,100 yen in advance) and junior high and high school students 900 yen on the day (800 yen in advance). On weekends and holidays, adults pay 1,400 yen on the day (1,300 yen in advance) and junior high and high school students 1,100 yen on the day (1,000 yen in advance). Advance tickets are 100 yen cheaper than same-day tickets in every category.

Elementary school students and younger and people with disabilities (including one caregiver) are free. Visitors may be asked at the venue to show a student ID, proof of age, a disability certificate or similar.

Advance tickets are on sale from 10:00 on Sunday, November 1, 2026 to 23:59 on Friday, January 29, 2027, and same-day tickets from 0:00 on Saturday, January 30 to 20:30 on Sunday, February 28. Tickets are sold online through asoview!, Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, Rakuten Travel and Jalan, and at convenience stores (P-code 996-376, L-code 42324).

Access, parking and viewing notes

From JR Gifu Station or Meitetsu Gifu Station, take a Gifu Bus bound for Nagarabashi or the City Loop Line (counterclockwise) and get off at “Gifu Koen/Gifu-jo” after about 15 minutes; the venue is right there. By car, it is about 20 minutes from Gifu-Kakamigahara IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway and about 15 minutes from Gifu IC on the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway.

According to the official website, in addition to the free Kagamiiwa Parking Lot (370 spaces), there are the paid Teigai Parking Lots (No. 1: 143 spaces; No. 2: 36 spaces) and the Omiya-cho Parking Lot (50 spaces). Twelve spaces for people with disabilities and those needing consideration are available at the Omiya-cho Parking Lot. The organizers recommend public transportation, as those coming by car may have to wait more than an hour to park.

The event goes ahead in the rain, but in stormy weather, earthquakes and similar events, staging may be partly changed, suspended or canceled. When crowded, entry may be restricted or content partly changed, and visitors are asked to follow staff directions and cooperate with one-way traffic at the venue. As it is held at night, visitors should take great care when walking.

Visitors are asked to refrain from flash photography, drone photography and long periods of shooting with tripods. Avoid burst shooting when crowded or use silent shooting, and please make way for others, as areas suitable for viewing are limited. Visitors may appear in footage shot by staff or media, and visitor movements may be analyzed in a way that does not identify individuals in order to improve operations.

Food and hot springs around Gifu Park at night? Evening opening at Gifu Castle Rakuichi and day bathing

During the event, seven shops at “Gifu Castle Rakuichi,” the food and retail facility in Gifu Park, open specially in the evening: Shikisai Udon Hanakinton, Inokuchi Coffee Roastery, Noka no Daidokoro Kisara, Aigi San Shokudo, Niku Kobo Minoya, Fruits Candy ar. and the honey specialty shop Akitaya. Opening hours may change.

At Nagaragawa Onsen, five facilities, Gifu Grand Hotel, Usho no Ie Sugiyama, Ishikin, Hotel Park and Juhachiro, offer day bathing for a limited time. Details such as hours will be announced later, and opening days and hours vary by facility. The museums, tea ceremony venues and Gifu Great Buddha of Gifu Park, to visit by day, are summarized in our Gifu Park art guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see the same staging whatever time I go?

Yes. According to the official website, visitors can see the same staging whatever time they come. Hours are 17:30 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30.

When can I buy advance tickets?

They are on sale from 10:00 on Sunday, November 1, 2026 to 23:59 on Friday, January 29, 2027. Advance tickets are 100 yen cheaper than same-day tickets, and prices differ between weekdays and weekends and holidays. Tickets are available online through asoview!, Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket and others, and at convenience stores (P-code 996-376, L-code 42324).

Can I also visit Gifu Castle and the ropeway?

The Gifu Castle keep is closed for renovation work, and according to Gifu City its reopening is scheduled for November 2027. The Gifu Kinkazan Ropeway is scheduled to suspend operations from Thursday, January 7 to Tuesday, February 16, 2027 for maintenance work and inspections, overlapping with Gifu Light Story from January 30 to February 16.

Can I go by car? Is there parking?

Besides the free Kagamiiwa Parking Lot (370 spaces), there are the paid Teigai Parking Lots (No. 1: 143 spaces; No. 2: 36 spaces) and the Omiyacho Parking Lot (50 spaces), which has 12 spaces for people with disabilities and others who need them. The organizers recommend public transportation, as it may take more than an hour to park. From JR Gifu Station or Meitetsu Gifu Station, take a Gifu Bus for about 15 minutes to “Gifu Koen / Gifu-jo”; the venue is right by the stop.

What if it rains?

The event is held rain or shine. In stormy weather or after an earthquake, part of the program may be changed, suspended or canceled.

Editor’s perspective

At the Gifu City Museum of History in Gifu Park, “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” is held from Friday, November 6, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday). That exhibition features venue-exclusive content in which ukiyo-e of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing come to life, after which Gifu Light Story projects video on subjects such as cormorant fishing at the site of Nobunaga’s residence in the same park. Both are planned and produced by HITOHATA, INC., treating Gifu’s subjects of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing in succession indoors and outdoors.

The other axis is the light of Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, national traditional crafts. The official website also seeks support through corporate furusato nozei (hometown tax donations), and the event can be seen as an effort to use local crafts for nighttime tourism.

The approach of combining a sea of clouds with regional traditional crafts can also be seen in HITOHATA, INC.’s other events. “Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026,” from Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22, combines a sea-of-clouds effect with video using Aizu lacquerware, Aizu painted candles and Aizu cotton as motifs. While the staging methods are shared from place to place, what is chosen as the subject unique to each locality is what distinguishes each event. This winter’s light events in the four Tokai prefectures are introduced in our roundup of illuminations and light events in the Tokai region, and light events across Japan in our roundup of projection mapping and light events across Japan.

Overview

Name: Gifu Light Story 2027 (GIFU LIGHT STORY)
Dates: Saturday, January 30 – Sunday, February 28, 2027
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Venues: Gifu Park, Shohoji Temple
Address: Gifu Park: 1 Omiya-cho, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture / Shohoji: 8 Daibutsu-cho, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
Admission: Weekdays: adults (18 and over) 1,200 yen on the day (1,100 yen in advance), junior high and high school students 900 yen on the day (800 yen in advance) / Weekends and holidays: adults 1,400 yen on the day (1,300 yen in advance), junior high and high school students 1,100 yen on the day (1,000 yen in advance). Free for elementary school students and younger and people with disabilities (including one caregiver) (including tax)
Advance tickets: 10:00 on Sunday, November 1, 2026 – 23:59 on Friday, January 29, 2027
Nearby: During the event, seven shops at Gifu Castle Rakuichi open specially in the evening, and five facilities at Nagaragawa Onsen offer day bathing
Organizer: GIFU Night View Project Executive Committee
Planning and production: HITOHATA, INC.
Official website: https://gifulightstory.com/
*Information as of October 31, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: The Gifu Great Buddha at Shohoji, Gifu City, May 2025 (photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on information on the official website of the GIFU Night View Project Executive Committee, materials released by HITOHATA, INC. (October 23, 2026) and its official website, and the official website of Gifu City (on the Gifu Castle keep and maintenance work on the summit of Mount Kinka) (viewed October 31, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: “Gifu Light Story 2027” is an event produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

The latest information on events produced by HITOHATA, INC. is available at HITOHATA, INC.’s event information. Inquiries about planning projection mapping on cultural properties, government buildings and other urban buildings are accepted through the company’s contact form.