Winter 2026–27: Projection Mapping at Tsuruga-jo Castle, Osaka City Central Public Hall and Hiroshima Castle, plus Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU — Dates, Hours and Admission at a Glance

From November 2026 to January 2027, four events in Fukushima, Gifu, Osaka and Hiroshima turn castles and modern architecture into stages for projection mapping and immersive ukiyo-e art: “Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026” in Aizuwakamatsu, “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” in Gifu, “OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping” in Osaka and “Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026” in Hiroshima. HITOHATA, INC. is involved in producing or planning all four. The three projection mapping shows are free to watch and need no reservation. This guide sums up the dates, hours and admission, with answers to frequently asked questions.

*Disclosure: All the events in this article are produced, or planned and produced, by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

Dates, hours and admission at a glance (as of November 9, 2026)

• Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU (Gifu City Museum of History, Gifu): on now until Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday); 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); paid (adults ¥1,500 on the day, etc.)

• Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026 (Tsuruga-jo Castle Park, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima): Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22, 2026; 17:30–21:00; free

• OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping (Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka): Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, 2026; 17:30–21:30; free

• Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026 (Hiroshima Castle, Naka-ku, Hiroshima): Friday, December 18, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday); 17:30–21:00 (closed December 31 to January 3); free

November centres on Gifu and Aizuwakamatsu, December on Osaka and Hiroshima. For eight days from December 18 to 25, the night events in Osaka and Hiroshima run at the same time.

Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026: a sea of clouds for three nights only

The show runs for three days, from November 20 to 22, at Tsuruga-jo Castle in Aizuwakamatsu. Digital animation based on local traditions such as Aizu lacquerware, Aizu painted candles and Aizu cotton, along with digital art depicting famous cherry blossom spots, is projected onto the keep and stone walls. A sea-of-clouds effect is added for the first time in 2026. For the Fukushima Museum, Oyakuen Garden, Sazaedo and other sights to visit during the day, see our Aizuwakamatsu art guide.

An approx. 8-minute video alternates with an approx. 3-minute break, and the content is the same whenever you visit between 17:30 and 21:00. Parking is limited: the only free option is the temporary car park on the former prefectural hospital site (140 spaces; unavailable on the 22nd), and the city asks visitors to use public transport or share rides. See our Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026 article for the full list of car parks and details of the show.

Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU: marking the renewal of the Gifu City Museum of History

The exhibition is on until January 11, 2027 at the Gifu City Museum of History in Gifu Park. It turns ukiyo-e by artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro into 3DCG animation and projection mapping, presented in three-dimensional video spaces. It is a special exhibition marking the museum's renewal and the 145th anniversary of the Gifu Shimbun newspaper, and includes Gifu-only scenes featuring Nobunaga and cormorant fishing.

Same-day tickets cost ¥1,500 for adults (high school students and older) and ¥700 for elementary and junior high school students; preschool children are free (advance tickets were ¥1,300 and ¥500). The museum is closed on Mondays (open on November 23 and January 11), on November 24 and from December 28 to January 4. See our Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU article for venue details and our collaboration article for the tie-up with Gifu Castle Rakuichi in Gifu Park.

Osaka City Central Public Hall: snow, stars and Santa Claus on an Important Cultural Property

The show runs for 15 days, from December 11 to 25, at Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima, Osaka. As the core content of OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026, under the theme “Osaka, a Festive Night of Light”, it projects glittering windows of light, falling snow and stars, and Santa Claus racing across the night sky onto the east façade of the hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.

An approx. 10-minute programme is scheduled to be shown every 12 minutes, with the last show starting at 21:20. The hall is about a one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line. During the event, a “Light Marché” is also held around Naniwabashi Station. More in our Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping article.

Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026: the first projection mapping on the keep

The event runs from December 18 to January 11, 2027 at Hiroshima Castle. Motifs linked to “Rijo” (Carp Castle), such as the rivers flowing through Hiroshima, nishikigoi carp and carp streamers, as well as ukiyo-e depicting the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine, are projected onto the keep, the Omote Gomon gate and stone walls within the castle grounds, while Gomon Bridge and the Honmaru (main enclosure) are lit up. According to Hiroshima City (as of October 2026), this is the first projection mapping on the keep. Hiroshima Dreamination and museum exhibitions in the city this winter are covered in our Hiroshima art guide.

The keep closed its interior to the public on March 22, 2026, and the event turns its exterior into a stage for night-time imagery. The show is the same whenever you visit, and the event is closed from December 31 to January 3. Background and highlights are in our Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026 article.

Gifu Light Story 2027 from January 30, 2027

After Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU closes, “Gifu Light Story 2027” (Gifu Akari Monogatari) takes place at Gifu Park and Shohoji Temple from Saturday, January 30 to Sunday, February 28, 2027. Produced by HITOHATA, INC., it features light-ups with Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, and projection mapping on the rock face of the garden at the site of Oda Nobunaga's residence and elsewhere. Hours are 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30), and admission is charged (adults ¥1,200 on the day on weekdays, etc.). Advance tickets are on sale until January 29, 2027. See our Gifu Light Story 2027 article for details.

Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA set to open in spring 2027

The Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition is set to open its first permanent venue, Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA, in Ginza, Tokyo, in spring 2027. According to HITOHATA's announcement in September 2026, the exhibition has drawn more than 700,000 visitors in total across 11 cities in Japan and abroad. See our Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA article for an overview.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free? Do I need to book?

The three projection mapping shows at Tsuruga-jo Castle, Osaka City Central Public Hall and Hiroshima Castle are free to watch and need no advance registration. Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU charges admission (adults ¥1,500 on the day, etc.).

Can I watch on rainy days?

All three projection mapping shows go ahead in the rain, but may be paused or cancelled in stormy weather. Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU takes place indoors at a museum.

How long is each show?

At Tsuruga-jo Castle, an approx. 8-minute video repeats with approx. 3-minute breaks. At Osaka City Central Public Hall, an approx. 10-minute programme is scheduled every 12 minutes. Hiroshima Castle has not announced the length of each show, but the same show can be seen at any time.

Are they open over the New Year holidays?

Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander is closed from December 31 to January 3, and Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU is closed from December 28 to January 4. The Osaka City Central Public Hall show ends on December 25 and the Tsuruga-jo Castle show on November 22.

Which one runs the latest?

Osaka City Central Public Hall, with shows until 21:30 (the last show starts at 21:20). Tsuruga-jo Castle and Hiroshima Castle run until 21:00.

For night events at castles across Japan, see our guide to castle projection mapping and night events; for winter projection mapping in general, see our nationwide projection mapping guide.

Event overview

【Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026】Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22, 2026, 17:30–21:00 / Tsuruga-jo Castle Park (1-1 Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima) / Free / Official website
【Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU】Friday, November 6, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) / Gifu City Museum of History (2-18-1 Omiya-cho, Gifu) / Paid / Official website
【OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping】Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, 2026, 17:30–21:30 / East façade of Osaka City Central Public Hall (1-1-27 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka) / Free / Official website
【Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026】Friday, December 18, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), 17:30–21:00 (closed December 31 to January 3) / Hiroshima Castle (21-1 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima) / Free / Official website
*Information as of November 9, 2026. Please check each official website for the latest information.

For highlights and admission at each venue, see our guides to Tsuruga-jo Castle, Osaka City Central Public Hall and Hiroshima Castle; for shooting tips, see our guide to photographing projection mapping.

HITOHATA, INC.’s company profile, history and awards are summarized in our profile of HITOHATA, INC..

Projection mapping shows you can see over Christmas (December 24–25) are listed with dates, times and admission in our guide to projection mapping at Christmas 2026.

*Top image: Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026 (from a HITOHATA, INC. press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team based on HITOHATA, INC. press materials, each event's official website and materials published by the host municipalities.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: All the events in this article are produced, or planned and produced, by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).