[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in Kyushu and Okinawa: Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki Lantern Festival and More

From November 2026 to February 2027, light events continue across the eight prefectures of Kyushu and Okinawa. At the Fukuoka Castle ruins in Maizuru Park, Fukuoka, “teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027” is held for the first time in seven years, and Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, launches “The Starlight Million,” its illumination substantially renewed for the first time in 16 years, on Friday, November 6. From Friday, February 5, 2027, the “2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival” is held, and in Oita Prefecture bamboo lantern events continue over three weekends in November. Based on official announcements by organizers, facilities and local governments, this article sorts out the dates, times, prices, reservation requirements and highlights of 16 items (18 events), by prefecture.

Winter light events in Kyushu and Okinawa fall broadly into illuminations decorating station fronts and downtown streets, events that open castle ruins, gardens, temples and shrines at night, and illuminations at theme parks, resorts and botanical gardens. In 2026–27, in addition to the renewal at Huis Ten Bosch, Kanucha Resort in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, has ended its “Stardust Fantasia,” which ran for 26 years, and is starting a new event, while “Hakata City of Lights” in front of JR Hakata Station installs a new symbol object for its 15th anniversary. Durations range from the two-day Usuki Takeyoi to the Southeast Botanical Gardens’ illumination running until Sunday, May 23, 2027, and SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden: Chapter Four,” running until Sunday, May 30. Major events nationwide are covered in our roundup of winter illuminations across Japan.

List: Dates of 16 items by prefecture

• Fukuoka Prefecture: “teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027,” Friday, October 30, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)

• Fukuoka Prefecture: “Hakata City of Lights 2026,” Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday) – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)

• Fukuoka Prefecture: “Hakata Old Town Light-Up Walk 2026 ‘Sennen Koya,’” Saturday, October 31 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday)

• Fukuoka Prefecture: Tenjin Central Park “Forest of Light,” Thursday, November 12 – Friday, December 25, 2026

• Fukuoka Prefecture: “Kokura Illumination 2026,” Friday, November 20, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)

• Saga Prefecture: “2026 Saga Light Fantasy,” Thursday, October 29, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027

• Nagasaki Prefecture: Huis Ten Bosch “The Starlight Million,” Friday, November 6, 2026 – Thursday, February 25, 2027

• Nagasaki Prefecture: “2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival,” Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 21, 2027

• Kumamoto Prefecture: “Lux Night KUMAMOTO 2026,” Friday, November 6 – Sunday, December 6, 2026

• Kumamoto Prefecture: SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden: Chapter Four,” Saturday, September 5, 2026 – Sunday, May 30, 2027 (temporarily closed since Friday, October 23)

• Oita Prefecture: “Oita Light Fantasy 2026,” Friday, October 30, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027

• Oita Prefecture: Oita’s three great bamboo light festivals (“Usuki Takeyoi,” Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8; “Sennen Akari,” Friday, November 13 – Sunday, November 15; “Chikuraku,” Friday, November 20 – Sunday, November 22)

• Miyazaki Prefecture: Florante Miyazaki “Illumination Flower Garden 2026,” Thursday, December 3, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)

• Kagoshima Prefecture: Flower Park Kagoshima “Flower Park Illumination 2026,” Friday, November 27, 2026 – Sunday, January 3, 2027

• Okinawa Prefecture: Southeast Botanical Gardens “Okinawa Tropical Illumination 2026–2027,” Saturday, October 24, 2026 – Sunday, May 23, 2027

• Okinawa Prefecture: Kanucha Resort “Adventure Museum in Kanucha,” Sunday, November 1, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027

Fukuoka: teamLab at the Fukuoka Castle ruins and light in front of Hakata Station and in the old town

teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027

This outdoor night art exhibition transforms the heart of the Fukuoka Castle ruins into an art space that changes with people’s presence. It is the third “Light Festival” at the Fukuoka Castle ruins and the first in seven years, organized by an executive committee including The Nishinippon Shimbun. teamLab says it is based on the concept of “Digitized Nature,” which uses digital technology to turn nature and places into art spaces without physically altering them. The organizers describe Fukuoka Castle as “the largest castle in Kyushu in terms of scale.”

There are eight works. The new work “Pillars of Ever-Flowing Life” changes its movement and height under the influence of wind, rain, humidity and other factors. The egg-shaped “Autonomous Resonating Life,” when pushed by people or knocked over by strong rain or wind, rights itself while glowing brightly and sounding a tone. “Stone Steps of Oblivion - Fukuoka Castle Ruins,” which uses stone steps, glows brightly and sounds a tone when people approach.

Dates: Friday, October 30, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 18:30–22:00 (18:15–22:00 from November 7 to December 31; last entry 21:30)
Venue: Fukuoka Castle ruins, Maizuru Park (Jonai, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Admission: Weekdays: adults ¥2,300, junior high and high school students ¥1,300, elementary school students ¥700. Weekends, holidays and December 29–31: adults ¥2,500, junior high and high school students ¥1,500, elementary school students ¥900. Free for preschool children. Same-day tickets at the venue are ¥200 more for adults and ¥100 more for junior high, high school and elementary school students
Reservations: Timed advance reservations required on weekends, holidays and December 29–31. No time designation needed on weekdays
Access: 8-minute walk from Akasaka or Ohorikoen subway station
Organizer: teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027 Executive Committee
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/fukuoka-castle/

Details of the works and ticket types are summarized in our article on the teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival.

Hakata City of Lights 2026

This winter illumination is held at the plaza in front of JR Hakata Station, and for its 15th anniversary in 2026 a new symbol object, “Hakatarium,” is installed. There are 800,000 bulbs. During lighting hours, a “Lighting Show Weaving the Future” is held with music once every 15 minutes. The illumination has been lit since Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday). The event is announced on a special website of JR Hakata City, which does not name an organizer.

In the same plaza, “Christmas Market in Hakata City of Lights” runs from Saturday, November 7 to Friday, December 25. It is open 16:00–23:00 on weekdays and 12:00–23:00 on weekends and holidays, with free admission, and is organized by the Christmas Advent Executive Committee. Events nationwide are covered in our roundup of Christmas markets across Japan.

Dates: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday) – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 17:00–23:00
Venue: JR Hakata Station plaza (Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Sponsors: Kyushu Railway Company and Hakata Station Merchants Association
Official website: https://www.jrhakatacity.com/contents/2026illumination/

[Ended] Hakata Old Town Light-Up Walk 2026 “Sennen Koya”

This event illuminates the buildings and gardens of temples and shrines in Hakata’s old town and offers special nighttime visits to temples and shrines that are rarely open. It began in 2006 as the “Gokusho Light-Up Walk” and took its current name in 2019. According to Fukuoka City, it draws a cumulative total of about 100,000 visitors every year. In 2026 there are 15 temple and shrine venues (10 paid, 5 free), and the lighting theme is “STARS: Constellations of Light That Travel Through Eternal Time and Illuminate the Future.” In 2025 it won in the urban development category of the “International Illumination Award 2025.”

Dates: Saturday, October 31 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday)
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:45; in the Gofukumachi area only, until 21:30 with last entry 21:15)
Venue: 15 temple and shrine venues in Hakata’s old town (Gokusho, Reisen and Gofukumachi areas; Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Admission: E-ticket ¥2,450, paper ticket ¥2,500, pair discount (two tickets) ¥4,000, Express Pass (skip the lines during the event) ¥6,000. Free for junior high school students and younger
Organizer: Hakata Light-Up Walk Executive Committee (secretariat: Planning and Promotion Division, Hakata Ward)
Official website: Information page of Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City

Tenjin Central Park “Forest of Light”

This event decorates the prefectural Tenjin Central Park in Tenjin, Fukuoka, with light and has an adjoining Christmas market. It is one of the venues of the “Christmas Advent” held by the Christmas Advent Executive Committee in Hakata, Tenjin, Nakasu and elsewhere, and the official website describes it as a Christmas forest that wraps the park’s greenery in light. The venue features a large heart, a Santa train, nutcrackers and a flying Santa. The market is open until 22:00, and the illumination stays lit until 24:00.

The same executive committee also holds “TENJIN CHRISTMAS ADVENT” at the Fureai Plaza on the west side of Fukuoka City Hall in Tenjin from Saturday, November 14 to Saturday, December 26 (closed Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29), with a Schwibbogen arch of light. It is open 17:00–23:00 on weekdays and 12:00–23:00 on weekends and holidays (hours differ on some days), with free admission. The official website’s list of venues also includes “Nakasu Hikari no Advent,” an illumination at Fukuhaku Deai Bridge in Nakasu, but its dates and lighting times had not been posted as of October 26. The Hakata Station plaza venue was mentioned in the “Hakata City of Lights 2026” section.

Dates: Thursday, November 12 – Friday, December 25, 2026
Hours: 17:00–22:00 on weekdays, 12:00–22:00 on weekends and holidays (last order 21:45; the illumination stays lit until 24:00)
Venue: Prefectural Tenjin Central Park (Tenjin, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Admission: Free
Access: About a 3-minute walk from Tenjin-minami Station on the Nanakuma subway line and Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line
Organizer: Christmas Advent Executive Committee (planning and operation: Mr.Weihnachtsmann Co.)
Official website: https://christmas-advent.jp/fukuoka-chuo-koen/

Kokura Illumination 2026

This illumination lights up central Kokura Kita Ward in Kitakyushu; according to Kitakyushu City, the venues are areas throughout the city center, such as around Kokura Station and along the riverbanks of the Murasaki River. It is organized by the Kokura Illumination Executive Committee, whose members include the Uomachi Shopping Street Promotion Association, Izutsuya, Kitakyushu Urban Monorail, Nishi-Nippon City Bank, the Bank of Fukuoka, the Kitakyushu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kokura Kita Ward Office. Its secretariat is the Kitakyushu DMO Liaison Council. In 2026, an all-white illumination extending from the center of Ogai Bridge to both banks will be installed. The theme is “KOKURA, a City Overflowing with Light.”

The executive committee says it will coordinate with “KOKURA CHRISTMAS MARKET & CASTLE,” held during the same period, and the “Murasaki River Night Spectacle,” which stages light effects at the Murasaki River waterside plaza. The Christmas market is held around the Murasaki River from Friday, November 20 to Friday, December 25, with free admission. The market’s organizer says it drew 1.53 million visitors during the 2025 period.

Dates: Friday, November 20, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 17:00–23:00 (as stated on the official website; Kitakyushu City’s information gives 17:00–22:00, with some areas until 23:00)
Venue: Central Kokura Kita Ward (around Kokura Station, the riverbanks of the Murasaki River and elsewhere; Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Organizer: Kokura Illumination Executive Committee (secretariat: Kitakyushu DMO Liaison Council)
Official website: https://kokura-illumination.jp/

Saga and Nagasaki: From bulbs in front of Saga Station to Huis Ten Bosch and lanterns

2026 Saga Light Fantasy

This illumination lights up Chuo-odori and other streets extending from the south exit of JR Saga Station with large orange bulbs and reaches its 38th edition in 2026. From 18:00 on Thursday, October 29, a ceremony and parade will be held as the eve festival of the Saga International Balloon Fiesta (Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3, national holiday). It runs for about three and a half months, until Sunday, February 14, 2027.

Dates: Thursday, October 29, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027
Hours: 17:00–22:30 (subject to change during events)
Venue: Chuo-odori (from the south exit of Saga Station to Saga Central Post Office), Esplatz and other locations (Saga, Saga Prefecture)
Inquiries: Saga Light Fantasy Executive Committee Secretariat
Announcement: Saga City’s Balloon Fiesta guide (PDF)

Huis Ten Bosch “The Starlight Million”

Huis Ten Bosch is substantially renewing, for the first time in 16 years, an illumination it says has been rated number one in Japan for 13 consecutive years. As grounds for the rating, it cites having placed first in the comprehensive entertainment category of the Night View Tourism Convention Bureau’s “Illumination Award” from 2013 to 2022, among other things. In Amsterdam City at the heart of the park, more than 100 star objects will be placed on building walls and at visitors’ feet, along with a moon object large enough to sit on and effects using smoke and the waterside. The canal will be filled with light along its entire 500-meter length, and the roughly 66-meter-wide “Waterfall of Light” and the “Aurora Garden of Light” will also be renewed.

From Friday, November 6 to Friday, December 25, the Christmas event “European Holy Christmas” is held at the same time. A “Grand Chandelier Tree” sparkling with about 9,000 crystals will also appear, which Huis Ten Bosch says is the only one in Japan based on its own research. The images in the press release are described as illustrative, and lighting times were not stated in the press release or on the official website as of October 26. Details of the production are introduced in our article on The Starlight Million.

Dates: Friday, November 6, 2026 – Thursday, February 25, 2027
Hours: Lighting times not stated in the press release as of October 26
Venue: Huis Ten Bosch (Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Admission: Park tickets from ¥7,600 for an adult 1DAY Passport and from ¥5,900 for an adult After 3 Passport (prices vary on certain dates; free for ages 3 and under)
Organizer: Huis Ten Bosch Co., Ltd.
Official website: https://www.huistenbosch.co.jp/event/illumination/

2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival

This festival decorates central Nagasaki with about 15,000 lanterns (Chinese lanterns) and objets at each venue. The 2027 festival runs for 17 days, from Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 21, as announced on the official website. The venues have been spread across the city center, including Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown (Minato Park), Chuo Park, Nakashimagawa Park, Hamanmachi, the Tojin Yashiki (former Chinese Quarter) and the Confucius Shrine. Lighting times and the 2027 dates of the Emperor’s Parade and Mazu Procession were not included in the official materials we could confirm as of October 26 (in 2026, the Emperor’s Parade was held on February 14 and 21, and the Mazu Procession on February 8 and 15). Highlights of the festival are covered in our article on the 2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival.

Dates: Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 21, 2027
Hours: Not stated in the official materials we could confirm as of October 26
Venue: Central Nagasaki
Organizer: Nagasaki Lantern Festival Executive Committee
Official website: https://www.at-nagasaki.jp/lantern-festival

Kumamoto: Lux Night at Suizenji Jojuen, and Kumamoto Castle’s Shiro Akari until November 1

Lux Night KUMAMOTO 2026

This event illuminates Suizenji Jojuen in Kumamoto at night, and 2026 is its third edition. According to Kumamoto City’s tourism website, this year’s theme is the history and pride of the Hosokawa family, expressing in light the culture and aesthetics passed down from Tadaoki to Tsunatoshi. There are bamboo lights incorporating Swarovski crystals, shown for the first time, and effects using flowers and mirrors.

Dates: Friday, November 6 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: 18:00–21:00
Venue: Suizenji Jojuen (Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture)
Admission: General ¥2,000 (¥1,800 online), high school students ¥1,000 (¥900 online), free for junior high school students and younger
Organizer: Kumamoto International Convention and Tourism Bureau
Official website: https://lux-night.kumamoto-icb.or.jp/

At Kumamoto Castle, the “Autumn Kumamoto Castle Festival: Shiro Akari,” organized by Kumamoto City, ran until Sunday, November 1. With light-ups and projection mapping, it expresses Kumamoto’s nature, scenery and culture through light, video, mist and music, and moving lights shine into the night sky. Hours are 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00). Admission to the Kumamoto Castle special public area (¥800 for high school students and older, ¥300 for elementary and junior high school students) is required for some areas.

SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden: Chapter Four”

This night event began on September 5, 2026, in the rooftop garden of SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto in Sakuramachi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, with the subtitle “Corridor of Clouds and Light.” It combines an immersive production in which visitors walk along a “water corridor” built over the pond, with a “smoke sea of clouds” spreading across the entire pond, with bamboo lights and light effects. The Kumamoto Prefecture Tourism Federation’s tourism website introduces it as an event planned by “CHIKAKEN,” a Kumamoto-based group producing bamboo light installations. It runs until Sunday, May 30, 2027, but has been temporarily closed for the time being since Friday, October 23, due to an approaching typhoon. The reopening will be announced on SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s social media and other channels.

Dates: Saturday, September 5, 2026 – Sunday, May 30, 2027 (temporarily closed since Friday, October 23, due to an approaching typhoon; may be closed over the year-end and New Year holidays)
Hours: 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:45)
Venue: Rooftop garden, SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto (Sakuramachi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture)
Admission: Admission-only tickets ¥1,500 for adults and ¥750 for high school students (with the “Kyushu Discount” for people living, working or studying in Kyushu or Okinawa, ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for high school students). Free for junior high school students and younger (must be accompanied by a guardian). Free on your birthday
Official website: https://sakuramachi-kumamoto.jp/event/kaguya4

Oita: About 550,000 lights around Oita Station and three great bamboo light festivals

Oita Light Fantasy 2026

This illumination decorates the area from around JR Oita Station to Chuo-dori, Funai Aqua Park and elsewhere with about 550,000 lights. The Oita Downtown Development Committee has held it since 2009, jointly with JR Oita City since 2015. The 2026 subtitle is “Stars Bridging to Tomorrow.” The illumination has been lit since Friday, October 30.

Dates: Friday, October 30, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027
Hours: 17:00–24:00
Venue: Chuo-dori, Funai Aqua Park, around JR Oita Station, Galleria Takemachi Dome Plaza, Wakakusa Park, Funai Sansan-dori and the south side of the Showa-dori intersection plaza (Oita, Oita Prefecture)
Held by: Oita Downtown Development Committee (secretariat: Oita Machinaka Club Co.)
Official website: https://hikarioita.net/

Oita’s three great bamboo light festivals: Usuki Takeyoi, Sennen Akari and Chikuraku

“Usuki Takeyoi” in Usuki, “Sennen Akari” in Hita and “Taketa Bamboo Lanterns ‘Chikuraku’” in Taketa are known as “Oita’s three great bamboo lights,” and in 2026 they are held over three separate weekends in November. Usuki Takeyoi, in its 30th edition, recreates the legend of Mana Choja, said to have built the Usuki Stone Buddhas, and features the “Princess Hannya Procession,” which recreates the homecoming of the spirit of the choja’s only daughter, Princess Hannya. Sennen Akari is in its 22nd edition and Chikuraku its 27th. Tourism Oita, the prefecture’s tourism organization, gives the number of bamboo lanterns as about 20,000 at Usuki Takeyoi, about 30,000 at Sennen Akari and about 20,000 at Chikuraku.

Event: 30th Usuki Takeyoi
Dates: Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026
Venue: Around Niouza (central Usuki, Oita Prefecture)
Organizer: Usuki Takeyoi Executive Committee
Official website: https://www.takeyoi.com/

Event: 22nd Sennen Akari
Dates: Friday, November 13 – Sunday, November 15, 2026
Hours: From around 16:30 to around 21:00
Venue: Mameda district, Maruyama district and the riverbank of the Kagetsu River (Hita, Oita Prefecture)
Inquiries: Sennen Akari Executive Committee; Hita City Tourism Association
Official website: Information page of Hita City

Event: 27th Taketa Bamboo Lanterns “Chikuraku”
Dates: Friday, November 20 – Sunday, November 22, 2026
Hours: 16:00–21:30 (until 21:00 on the final day)
Venue: Castle town area of Taketa (Taketa, Oita Prefecture)
Transportation: Shuttle buses run from 16:00 to 21:30 (¥500 for high school students and older, ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students)
Organizer: NPO Satoyama Conservation and Bamboo Utilization Hundred Members’ Association
Official website: Information page of the Taketa City Tourism Association

Miyazaki and Kagoshima: Winter illuminations at flower parks

Florante Miyazaki “Illumination Flower Garden 2026”

This winter illumination is held by Florante Miyazaki, a flower park in Miyazaki, and the 2026 title is “LOVE GARDEN: Connected Feelings.” On the theme of “caring feelings” for lovers, family, friends and hometowns, it combines illuminations with flowers. There is also a program combining music with the illumination, and during the event one group a day is invited to press the illumination’s “lighting button.”

Dates: Thursday, December 3, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday) (closed December 31)
Hours: 17:00–21:30
Venue: Florante Miyazaki (Yamasakicho, Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture)
Admission: Adults ¥700, children ¥400, free for preschool children (including special program fees)
Official website: https://www.florante.or.jp/pickup/2026illumination/

Flower Park Kagoshima “Flower Park Illumination 2026”

This illumination is held by Flower Park Kagoshima in Ibusuki as its winter event, the “Winter Festival,” under the theme “30th Anniversary: With Gratitude.” The official announcement gives the end of the event as “Sunday, January 3, 2026,” but judging by the day of the week, it appears to run until Sunday, January 3, 2027. Evening lighting times were not stated in the official announcement as of October 26.

Dates: Friday, November 27, 2026 – Sunday, January 3, 2027 (closed December 30 and 31)
Hours: Evening hours not stated in the official announcement as of October 26 (regular hours 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30)
Venue: Flower Park Kagoshima (Okochigamizu, Yamagawa, Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture)
Admission: High school students and older ¥630, elementary and junior high school students ¥310, free for young children
Official website: https://www.fp-k.org/topics/14348/

Okinawa: A tropical illumination at a botanical garden and a new event themed on Shuri Castle

Southeast Botanical Gardens “Okinawa Tropical Illumination 2026–2027”

This nighttime illumination is held at the Southeast Botanical Gardens, a botanical garden in Okinawa City. Under the banner “Okinawa’s Sea Shines Even at Night,” it has areas such as the “Sea of Light,” featuring a giant whale shark about 20 m long; the “Lotus of Light,” with a laser show synchronized to music three times an hour (on the hour, at 20 and at 40 minutes past) from 18:00 to 20:40; the 10-meter-tall “Castle of Light”; and “Heart Lake,” viewed from high ground. The start date was moved from October 23 to October 24 due to the approach of Typhoon No. 30. The garden says it won the Outstanding SDGs Award and first place nationwide in the illumination event category of the “International Illumination Award 2025.”

Dates: Saturday, October 24, 2026 – Sunday, May 23, 2027
Hours: 17:00–22:00 (entry from 16:30; last admission 21:30)
Venue: Southeast Botanical Gardens (Chibana, Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture)
Admission: Night session, adults (15 and over) ¥2,500, children (ages 4–14) ¥900, free for ages 3 and under (prices differ from December 19 to January 3 and from January 9 to 11 due to Christmas and New Year events)
Operator: Southeast Botanical Gardens Co., Ltd.
Official website: https://www.southeast-botanical.jp/illumination/

Kanucha Resort “Adventure Museum in Kanucha”

This interactive event is being launched by Kanucha Resort in Nago in winter 2026. “Stardust Fantasia,” which had brightened the resort’s winters for 26 years since 1999, ended in February 2026. The new event’s theme is “Dawn of the Ryukyu Kingdom,” centered on Shuri Castle, which is gradually regaining its form. Using the resort’s grounds as its stage, it promotes a shift from “looking at” light to “going in search of” it. Hotel guests can view it free of charge.

Dates: Sunday, November 1, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (no entry after 21:00)
Venue: Kanucha Resort (Abu, Nago, Okinawa Prefecture)
Admission: ¥3,000 per car, ¥30,000 per microbus (purchase on the ticket sales page of the official website)
Rain: Held even in rain
Official website: https://www.kanucha.jp/adventure-museum/

Elsewhere in Okinawa Prefecture, details for 2026–27 of the “Ryukyu Lantern Festival” in Yomitan Village and “Christmas Fantasy” at Okinawa Zoo & Museum in Okinawa City had not been announced on their official websites as of October 26 (in 2025–26, the former ran from December 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, and the latter from December 20 to 31, 2025).

Before you go: Checking reservations, crowds and rain

• Reservations: The teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival requires timed advance reservations on weekends, holidays and December 29–31; no time designation is needed on weekdays. If advance tickets sell out, no same-day tickets are sold at the venue. Same-day tickets at the venue can be paid for by credit card only.

• Closures: SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden: Chapter Four” has been temporarily closed for the time being since Friday, October 23, due to an approaching typhoon. The reopening will be announced on SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s social media and other channels.

• Reservations: The Southeast Botanical Gardens recommends buying web tickets because the ticket counter is expected to be crowded. Kanucha Resort sells tickets per car on its official website, and cancellations after 17:30 on the day incur a 100% charge.

• Crowds: teamLab says visitors may wait outdoors for a long time to enter when it is crowded. The Hakata Old Town Light-Up Walk has an Express Pass (¥6,000) that allows entry without waiting in line during the event.

• Transportation: Traffic restrictions are in place within the Chikuraku venue from 15:00 to 22:00 (from 17:00 in some areas), and shuttle buses run (16:00–21:30; ¥500 for high school students and older, ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students).

• Rain: teamLab goes ahead in rain but may be canceled or suspended depending on conditions at the venue. When storm warnings, heavy rain warnings or thunderstorm advisories are in effect, opening may be delayed or the event canceled or suspended, with the latest information posted on official social media. Kanucha Resort goes ahead in rain.

• Footing: Much of the teamLab venue is unpaved, and the organizers recommend comfortable sneakers.

Editor’s perspective

Dividing the 16 items by how they are run reveals three lineages. The first is illuminations lighting station fronts and downtown streets: Saga Light Fantasy is in its 38th edition, Oita Light Fantasy has been held by the Oita Downtown Development Committee since 2009, and Hakata City of Lights marks its 15th anniversary. All are held in front of or around JR stations, ending on Monday, January 11 (national holiday) for Hakata City of Lights and on Sunday, February 14 for Saga and Oita. Kitakyushu’s Kokura Illumination also uses areas throughout the city center, such as around Kokura Station and the riverbanks of the Murasaki River, and runs until Monday, January 11 (national holiday), like Hakata City of Lights. Tenjin’s Forest of Light in Fukuoka uses a downtown park as its venue, combining an illumination with a Christmas market, and ends on Friday, December 25. The second is events opening castle ruins, gardens, temples and shrines at night: teamLab says it turns the Fukuoka Castle ruins into an art space without physically altering them, and Lux Night KUMAMOTO says it expresses the history of the Hosokawa family with light at Suizenji Jojuen. The Hakata Old Town Light-Up Walk centers on nighttime visits to temples and shrines rarely open to the public. SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden” presents bamboo lights and smoke effects in a facility’s rooftop garden, running until Sunday, May 30, 2027. Events across Japan staged at cultural properties and historic sites can be compared in our roundup of projection mapping and light events across Japan.

In the third lineage, theme parks, resorts and botanical gardens, two have overhauled their content. Huis Ten Bosch has substantially renewed its illumination for the first time in 16 years, and Kanucha Resort has ended the 26-year run of Stardust Fantasia and switched to a new event promoting the experience of “going in search of” light. As for prices, teamLab (¥2,300–¥2,500 for adults), the Hakata Old Town Light-Up Walk (¥2,450 e-ticket), the Southeast Botanical Gardens’ night session (¥2,500 for adults) and Lux Night KUMAMOTO (¥2,000 general) sit in the ¥2,000 range. SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden” is ¥1,500 for adults, Florante Miyazaki ¥700 for adults and Flower Park Kagoshima’s admission ¥630 for high school students and older, while the Christmas market at Hakata City of Lights and the Forest of Light in Tenjin Central Park are free.

Oita’s bamboo lights are both light events and closely tied to bamboo management. The organizers explain that Chikuraku is an initiative reusing bamboo cut for satoyama conservation, and Hita City says Sennen Akari began in 2005 together with efforts to protect the city’s specialty cedar and cypress from encroaching bamboo. The three events fall on three separate weekends between Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 22, so their dates do not overlap.

Frequently asked questions

Which light events in Kyushu and Okinawa can be seen until February 2027?

Huis Ten Bosch’s “The Starlight Million” continues until Thursday, February 25, 2027, and Saga Light Fantasy, Oita Light Fantasy and Kanucha Resort’s “Adventure Museum in Kanucha” until Sunday, February 14. The Southeast Botanical Gardens’ illumination runs until Sunday, May 23, 2027, and the 2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival is held from Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 21. SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden: Chapter Four” runs until Sunday, May 30, 2027, but has been temporarily closed since Friday, October 23.

Which events require advance reservations?

The teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival requires timed advance reservations on weekends, holidays and December 29–31; no time designation is needed on weekdays. If advance tickets sell out, no same-day tickets are sold at the venue. Kanucha Resort’s event sells tickets at ¥3,000 per car on its official website.

Are events held on rainy days?

The teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival goes ahead in rain, but opening may be delayed or the event canceled or suspended when storm warnings, heavy rain warnings or thunderstorm advisories are in effect. Kanucha Resort’s event goes ahead in rain. The Southeast Botanical Gardens postponed its start by one day, from October 23 to October 24, due to the approach of Typhoon No. 30. SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto’s “Kaguya-hime’s Shining Garden” has been temporarily closed for the time being since Friday, October 23, due to an approaching typhoon, and says the reopening will be announced on social media and other channels.

Night events staged at castles across Japan are summarized in our roundup of castle projection mapping and night events, and light events in Chugoku and Shikoku in our roundup of illuminations and light events in Chugoku and Shikoku.

*Information as of October 26, 2026. Please check the official websites for the latest information.

*Top image: A past installation view of teamLab’s “Stone Steps of Oblivion - Fukuoka Castle Ruins” (from a press release by the teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027 Executive Committee)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by the teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027 Executive Committee, Huis Ten Bosch, JR Hakata City, Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, Saga City, Nagasaki City, Kumamoto City, Hita City and the executive committees and facilities of each event, and materials published by Tourism Oita and the Kumamoto Prefecture Tourism Federation (as of October 26, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

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.