Subsidies for Light-Ups and Projection Mapping: 2026 Calls from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Japan Tourism Agency and Tokyo

National and local government subsidy programs are being used for light events at castles, temples, shrines and in town centers. The announcement for a nighttime event opening on December 4 at the Nara Prison Museum states that it uses a fiscal 2026 subsidy from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Using official materials from the agencies in charge, this article sets out the eligible applicants, eligible expenses, subsidy rates and caps and application periods of programs run by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Japan Tourism Agency, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Why are subsidy programs boosting light at night?

The national government’s Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-Oriented Country (5th edition) was approved by the Cabinet on March 27, 2026, and covers fiscal 2026 to 2030. Its outline lists “promoting early-morning and nighttime experiences at cultural properties and the like” under the item “measures against excessive congestion.” The Japan Tourism Agency’s fiscal 2025 supplementary budget program encourages the supply of tourism content in regional areas, against the backdrop of international visitors concentrating in some areas and “overtourism becoming apparent.”

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ subsidy for the utilization of cultural properties targets projects that add high value to cultural properties and aim for “reinvestment from utilization into preservation.” The Tokyo Metropolitan Government positions its grants for light-ups and the like as initiatives based on Strategy 14, “Promotion of Nighttime Tourism,” of the “2050 Tokyo Strategy.” Different policies, namely dispersing congestion, financing the preservation of cultural properties and enhancing the appeal of the city at night, overlap in nighttime light events.

Agency for Cultural Affairs: Subsidy for Cultural Resource Utilization Projects (Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide)

The Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide is the successor to the former Living History Promotion Project. Centered on nationally designated cultural properties (including World Cultural Heritage sites and Japan Heritage), it supports the creation and sale of experiences that make use of cultural properties. It targets projects that aim to continue sales in subsequent years and reinvest the proceeds in preserving the cultural properties.

Program: Subsidy for Cultural Resource Utilization Projects (Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide)
Agency in charge: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Cultural Resources Utilization Division)
Fiscal year: Fiscal 2026
Eligible applicants: Owners, management organizations, local governments, private businesses, or councils and the like composed of these
Eligible expenses and examples: Surveys, content creation, production or purchase of equipment, installation of facilities, preparations for implementation, and sale and implementation of content, including production of AR and other content and purchase of equipment needed to deliver it
Subsidy rate and cap: A fixed amount up to ¥4 million; for the portion above ¥4 million, a subsidy rate of 50% up to a maximum of 65% (depending on additional requirements). There is no subsidy cap, but up to about ¥50 million (excluding tax) is the assumed guideline. The minimum project cost is ¥6 million
Application period: March 2 – 17:00, April 10, 2026 (closed). The subsidized project period runs from the date of the selection notice to February 26, 2027 (planned)
Official page: https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/joseishien/zenkoku_katsuyo/94331001.html

Additions to the subsidy rate depend on factors such as a local government having drawn up a regional plan for cultural properties (5%), the financial scale of the subsidized business (10%), the participation of a registered destination management organization (registered DMO) in the council (5%) and coordination with a plan under the Cultural Tourism Promotion Act (5%).

The list of projects selected for fiscal 2026 includes project names featuring the night and light, such as “Special Night Viewing to Experience Zen in Light at National Treasure Manpuku-ji” by Nihon Shomei Co., Ltd. There is also “Daian-ji: Project to Create High-Value Inbound Content Combining Projection Mapping and Immersive Training Experiences” by Tale Navi Inc., and “Nara Prison Museum Night Museum” by the Former Nara Prison Preservation and Utilization Co., Ltd.

Under the same subsidy name, there is also the “Cultural Resource Utilization Promotion Project,” which supports art festivals and similar events for inbound visitors that make use of local cultural and artistic resources, targeting local governments. Applications for fiscal 2026 were accepted from January 15 to February 4, 2026, and have closed.

Japan Tourism Agency: Project to Promote the Development of Regional Tourism Resources into Content for Dispersing Tourism Demand

This program, funded by the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget, invited applications in 2026. It comprehensively supports the creation of tourism content that helps disperse inbound demand, along with information dissemination and the development of sales channels. It is not limited to light staging, but some selected projects feature nighttime experiences.

Program: Project to Promote the Development of Regional Tourism Resources into Content for Dispersing Tourism Demand
Agency in charge: Japan Tourism Agency (Tourism Resources Division); secretariat: JTB Corp.
Fiscal year: Fiscal 2025 supplementary budget (applications invited in 2026)
Eligible applicants: Local governments, DMOs, private businesses and others
Eligible expenses and examples: New creation type (creation of tourism content for inbound visitors using local resources, information dissemination, development of sales channels, etc.), specialized field type (gastronomy) and quality improvement type (improving existing content toward high-priced content for inbound visitors, etc.)
Subsidy rate and cap: New creation type: a fixed amount up to ¥4 million, and 1/2 of the portion above ¥4 million up to a project cost of ¥21 million (minimum project cost ¥6 million). Quality improvement type: a fixed amount up to ¥8 million, and 1/2 of the portion above that up to a project cost of ¥42 million (minimum ¥12 million). Specialized field type: a fixed amount up to ¥4 million, and 1/2 of the portion above that up to a project cost of ¥25 million (minimum ¥6 million)
Application period: First round, February 27 – noon, April 2, 2026; second round (new creation type only), May 29 – noon, June 18. Both closed
Official page: https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/kobo05_00086.html

The first round selected 373 of 853 applications, and the second round 193 of 525. The second-round selections include “Touch the Legacy of Lord Ieyasu and Become the Shogun Yourself: Project to Add High Value to the Special Night Viewing of Kunozan Toshogu” by The Shizuoka Shimbun. Also selected was “A Satoyama Night Lit by Plant-Generated Electricity: Project to Create the Taka Town Lavender Park Botanical Night Tour” by Taka Town Regional Trading Company RAKU Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau: Grants for projection mapping and light-ups

For light staging in Tokyo, there are grants from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau. As of October 21, 2026, both the program for projection mapping and the program for new light-up and illumination initiatives are in the application period for their third round of fiscal 2026.

Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant

Program: Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant
Agencies in charge: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau
Fiscal year: Fiscal 2026
Eligible applicants: Municipalities, tourism associations and the like, chambers of commerce and the like, area management organizations, private businesses, shopping streets and the like, and other corporations (public interest incorporated foundations, specified nonprofit corporations, etc.). Private businesses and other corporations are limited to joint implementation by two or more parties. Religious corporations, social welfare corporations and the like are not included
Eligible expenses and examples: Events in Tokyo that project images matched to the shape of buildings or other three-dimensional objects at night after sunset (drone shows also eligible). Content production costs, purchase of projectors and lenses (not for private businesses), equipment rental and purchase (purchase not for private businesses), outsourcing costs for venue setup and operation (including security), venue occupancy and rental fees, publicity costs, insurance and more. Light-ups that merely shine light are not eligible
Subsidy rate and cap: New projects up to two-thirds of eligible expenses (cap ¥25 million), second consecutive year up to one-half (cap ¥20 million), third year up to one-third (cap ¥15 million). Purchase of projectors and lenses up to four-fifths if conditions are met (caps of ¥10 million for new projects, ¥7.5 million in the second year and ¥5 million in the third year)
Application period: Submission deadlines are May 29, 2026 (1st round), August 31 (2nd), November 30 (3rd) and January 29, 2027 (4th), each by 17:00. The 3rd round has been accepting applications since September 14, 2026
Official page: https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/news/2026/0914_7879/

The application guidelines set requirements including the prospect of obtaining permits, compliance with the Tokyo Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising Ordinance and the Tokyo Metropolitan Landscape Ordinance, measuring visitor numbers and reporting results, and striving for continuous implementation for five years or more and contribution to the community. Applicants other than municipalities need a letter of recommendation from the head of the municipality. Procedures in Tokyo are set out in our article on projection mapping and outdoor advertising rules.

Comprehensive Light-Up Support Grant

Program: Comprehensive Light-Up Support Grant
Agencies in charge: Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs), Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau
Fiscal year: Fiscal 2026
Eligible applicants: Municipalities, tourism associations, chambers of commerce and the like, area management organizations, private businesses, shopping streets and the like, and other corporations. Category A-2 is limited to owners of the buildings or other structures on which lighting equipment is installed
Eligible expenses and examples: “New initiatives” that illuminate historic buildings, cultural facilities, tourist facilities, bridges, monuments and the like, or natural objects such as trees, in Tokyo after sunset (at locations that have not had light-ups or similar in the past five years, or with content different from the past). Light-ups and the like include light-ups, illuminations, spatial staging using gobo projection or lasers, projection mapping, drone shows and video projection. Expenses include design fees, purchase of equipment, facilities and fixtures, design work, construction, setup and venue operation costs, publicity costs and more. Costs of accompanying events and the like are not eligible
Subsidy rate and cap: Up to two-thirds of eligible expenses. The cap is ¥30 million for Category A (held daily for more than three months, or permanently and daily) and ¥6 million for Category B (held daily for one week to three months)
Application period: 1st round April 23 – May 29, 2026; 2nd round July 27 – August 28; 3rd round September 16 – 17:00, October 30 (pre-entry until noon, October 23)
Official page: https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/news/2026/0916_7832/

For the 3rd round, the eligible period is February 1 to September 30, 2027, for Categories A-1 and B, and until July 31, 2028, for A-2. Projects partly funded by other subsidies, such as national subsidies, are not eligible.

Nighttime and early-morning events, and area-based support

Program: Grant for Promoting Tourism at Night and Other Times (Night and Early Morning)
Agency in charge: Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau
Fiscal year: Fiscal 2026
Eligible applicants: Municipalities, tourism associations, chambers of commerce and the like, area management organizations, private businesses and other corporations (private businesses and other corporations limited to joint implementation by two or more parties)
Eligible expenses and examples: New projects between 18:00 and 8:00 the next morning that make use of local tourism resources, increase visitor circulation and attract international travelers. Category A covers regular nighttime and early-morning events (six or more event days in total), Category B other events and tourism promotion initiatives, and Category C tour creation
Subsidy rate and cap: For new projects, up to two-thirds of eligible expenses, with caps of ¥30 million for Category A and ¥5 million for Categories B and C (up to one-half in the second year and one-third in the third year)
Application period: 2nd round September 9 – 17:00, October 16, 2026 (closed)
Official page: https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/news/2026/0909_7810/

The application guidelines state that if light-ups, projection mapping or other staging is funded by the bureau’s other subsidies, events held as one with that staging are not eligible. For area-based initiatives, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has set up the following program.

Program: Nighttime Tourism Promotion Area Creation Project
Agency in charge: Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Tourism Division)
Fiscal year: Two years, fiscal 2026 and 2027
Eligible applicants: Regional councils that include municipalities and, as members, area management organizations, tourism associations, chambers of commerce and the like
Eligible expenses and examples: Initiatives incorporating three elements: promotion of nighttime tourism such as tourism resource development, promotion of understanding among residents and businesses, and sustainability including consideration for the living environment. One area is designated through screening
Subsidy rate and cap: Support through contributions, up to a maximum of ¥90 million over the two years (¥20 million in fiscal 2026 and ¥70 million in fiscal 2027)
Application period: April 23 – 17:00, June 1, 2026 (closed)
Official page: https://www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tourism/kakusyu/nighttime-area/

Examples of light events that used subsidies

Events whose announcements explicitly state the use of a subsidy include the following.

• PRISON BY NIGHT : Light & Echoes (Nara Prison Museum, Nara City, December 4, 2026 – January 31, 2027): Uses the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ fiscal 2026 “Subsidy for Cultural Resource Utilization Projects (Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide)” (Hoshino Resorts announcement).

Considerations when using cultural properties as a stage are covered in our article on projection mapping on cultural properties and the care it requires, and the background to the rising number of such events in our article on why illuminations and projection mapping at cultural properties are proliferating.

Editor’s perspective

The national programs are designed to support the creation and continuation of experiences that include light staging, rather than the light staging itself. The Agency for Cultural Affairs targets continued sales in subsequent years and reinvestment in preservation, and the Japan Tourism Agency covers everything from content creation to sales channel development. The fact that “special night viewings” and “night tours” appear in the names of selected projects shows that light is being built in as part of an experience.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau divide their grants by method, projection mapping, light-ups and nighttime and early-morning events, setting detailed categories and caps. On the other hand, there are provisions that do not allow combination with the bureau’s other subsidies, and provisions that exclude projects partly funded by national subsidies and the like. When combining multiple programs, how to divide the scope of a project will be the question in relation to these provisions. How to choose contractors is set out in our article on how local governments commission projection mapping projects, and the flow from planning to the show, with a breakdown of costs, is explained in our article on the process of staging projection mapping.

Frequently asked questions

Can national subsidies and Tokyo grants be combined?

Each program has its own rules. Both the Comprehensive Light-Up Support Grant and the Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant exclude projects partly funded by subsidies other than the bureau’s, such as national subsidies. The Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant also does not allow the combined use of the bureau’s other subsidies for projects with the same period and location whose content is deemed to be integrated.

Can religious corporations apply?

The Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant states that religious corporations, social welfare corporations and the like are not among eligible applicants. The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ subsidy defines subsidized businesses as owners, management organizations, local governments, private businesses, or councils and the like composed of these.

Which programs are open now?

As of October 21, 2026, the programs accepting applications are the 3rd round of the Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant (until November 30; the 4th round deadline is January 29, 2027) and the 3rd round of the Comprehensive Light-Up Support Grant (until 17:00, October 30; pre-entry until noon, October 23). The Agency for Cultural Affairs and Japan Tourism Agency calls covered in this article have closed.

Articles organized by each stage of planning are gathered in our guide for those planning projection mapping and light events.

The costs and procedures for drone shows, which are eligible for Tokyo’s grants, are set out in our article on drone show costs, permits and approvals.

*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check the official websites for the latest information.

Please confirm specific procedures and requirements with the office in charge of each program or ordinance.

The system that lets local governments procure from certified businesses through negotiated contracts without bidding is explained in our article on policy-purpose negotiated contracts.

*Top image: “The red-brick architecture stands out vividly,” Nara Prison Museum (from Hoshino Resorts’ press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements and public materials from each institution and organizer (as of October 21, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Among the examples featured in this article, HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, is involved in the Digital Art Nights at Takada Honzan Senju-ji and Daiju-ji, and in Senso-ji’s “ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026” and the special viewing of the Denboin Garden and Emado (About us).

Examples of events that used subsidy programs (involving HITOHATA, INC.)

• Takada Honzan Senju-ji National Treasure Miedo and National Treasure Nyoraido Digital Art Night 2024 (Tsu, Mie Prefecture, November 15–17, 2024): Held with a subsidy from the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ fiscal 2024 “Subsidy for Cultural Resource Utilization Projects (Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide),” drawing about 13,000 visitors over three days (HITOHATA, INC. announcement).

• Tokugawa Shogun Family Temple Jodosan Daiju-ji Digital Art Night 2025 (Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, January 17–19, 2025): Held with a subsidy from the same fiscal 2024 program (same source).

• ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026 (Senso-ji, Taito City, Tokyo, October 30 – November 3, 2026): Uses the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau’s “Projection Mapping Promotion Support Project Grant” and also receives a subsidy from the same Agency for Cultural Affairs program for fiscal 2026 (same source). The project selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs is the creation of the special viewing of the Denboin Garden and Emado and a special night viewing.

HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, plans, directs, produces and operates projection mapping at National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, World Heritage Sites and urban landmarks, as well as immersive exhibitions. The company offers consultations for those at the stage of applying the processes, costs and procedures outlined in this article to a specific venue and budget. Inquiries, including those at the stage before a budget is set, are accepted through HITOHATA, INC.’s contact form (which has an option for local government and public projects). The company’s past work is introduced on HITOHATA, INC.’s project portfolio page.