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

“OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping” will be held at Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima, Osaka, for 15 days, from Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25. Under the theme “Osaka, Hikari no Shukuyasai” (Osaka, a Festive Night of Light), images of glittering windows of light, falling snow and stars, and Santa Claus racing across the night sky will be projected onto the east facade of the hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Screenings run from 17:30 to 21:30; viewing is free and no advance registration is required. The event is produced and created by HITOHATA, INC.

*Disclosure: “OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping” is an event produced and created by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

“Osaka, a Festive Night of Light”: windows of light, snow and stars, and Santa Claus

According to HITOHATA, INC.’s announcement on October 26, the images depict jewel-like glittering windows of light and a fantastical world of falling snow and stars on the walls of the Neo-Renaissance building, with a scene of Santa Claus racing across the night sky. Osaka City’s press materials say the hall will show a variety of expressions over about seven minutes, inviting visitors to enjoy a special winter night in which light and people resonate.

About 10 minutes of content is scheduled to repeat every 12 minutes, with the last screening starting at 21:20. Projection will go ahead in the rain, but may be suspended or canceled in stormy weather. Osaka City’s press materials note that the published image is a planned rendering for this year and that the actual design may differ.

The centerpiece of OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance, which drew about 4.35 million visitors last year

OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance is a light event held since 2003 in Nakanoshima, the symbol of Osaka as a “water city,” and together with the Midosuji Illumination it forms the core programs of the Osaka Festival of the Lights. According to HITOHATA, INC., about 4.35 million people visited in the previous year. The 2026 edition runs from December 11 to 25 in the area from around Osaka City Hall to Nakanoshima Park, with the projection mapping on the Central Public Hall positioned as its centerpiece.

The “Osaka City Hall Front Illumination Facade” in front of Osaka City Hall and the “Nakanoshima Illumination Street” along the Miotsukushi Promenade are lit from 17:00 to 25:00 between November 3 and December 31. The Midosuji Illumination is also lit until December 31, so visitors coming between December 11 and 25 can see both core programs on the same night. The schedule and highlights of the whole festival are introduced in our article on the Osaka Festival of the Lights 2026.

A concert, markets and a BIG Snowman: other events in Nakanoshima during the same period

According to the official website, a variety of other events will take place around the hall from December 11 to 25. The “Hikari no Marche” (light market) around Naniwabashi Station (16:00–22:00) is a food market where you can watch the projection mapping up close while you eat. In front of the main entrance on the first floor of Osaka City Hall, the “Concert of Light” will be held four times daily, at 17:30, 18:30, 19:30 and 20:30, with choirs, gospel and other performances by children and students changing from day to day and an FM802 DJ as MC. During the event, the Osaka City Hall Front Illumination Facade will also screen a special program, a video of about two minutes shown every 10 minutes until around 21:50.

On the riverside of Nakanoshima Park, the “Christmas Handmade Marche” (16:00–22:00) brings together handmade accessories and goods, and the “Riverside Illumination” (17:00–22:00) lights the banks of the Tosabori River, once busy with water transport, leading visitors to the rose garden. Around Naniwabashi Station, “BIG Snowman in Nakanoshima,” in which a parent-and-child pair of snowmen comes over from Umeda in collaboration with “UMEDA MEETS HEART 2026,” and “Riverside Full Moon,” a full moon rising in the night sky over Nakanoshima, will appear (both 17:00–22:00). West of the rose garden stands “OSAKA Baikingu,” a work by Osaka University of Arts students featuring a giant octopus, a leopard-print whale and takoyaki balloons (17:00–21:30; until 20:00 on December 25). Some events, including the Concert of Light and the Christmas Handmade Marche, may be canceled in whole or in part in strong wind or rain.

2025 theme “Shining Osaka Night”; HITOHATA, INC. produces the show for a second year

HITOHATA, INC. also produced the projection mapping on the Central Public Hall in 2025. The edition from December 14 to 25, 2025 projected the colors and sparkle of stained glass and crystal light rippling like the surface of water under the theme “Shining Osaka Night.” A special program with Disney’s “Zootopia 2” was also screened at the first-screening ceremony on the opening day (according to HITOHATA, INC.).

For 2026, the Osaka Festival of the Lights Executive Committee selected the contractor for the production work through a public proposal process. Three companies submitted proposals, and HITOHATA, INC. was chosen as the best proposer (prospective contractor). The maximum contract amount was 18.7 million yen; the procurement process is explained in our article on municipal procurement guidelines.

Access and viewing tips

The images are projected onto the east facade of the hall. The nearest station is Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line, about a one-minute walk from Exit 1. It is about five minutes from Exit 1 of Yodoyabashi Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and the Keihan Main Line, and about 10 minutes from Exit 26 of Kitahama Station on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line. By Osaka City Bus, get off at “Yodoyabashi (Shiyakusho-mae)” on routes 8, 62 or 88 and walk about five minutes. Vehicle traffic will be closed around the venue from 16:00 to 22:00 during the event.

Because screenings repeat every 12 minutes, the wait for the next one is at most about 12 minutes. At the Hikari no Marche around Naniwabashi Station, you can watch the projection up close while you eat. Nakanoshima is also home to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Museum of Art, Osaka, so you can visit museums by day and the light event by night (our guide to museums in Nakanoshima).

Editor’s perspective

While the 2025 edition highlighted the building’s ornamentation with stained glass and crystal light, the 2026 edition puts snow, stars and Santa Claus at the forefront, promoting a show tailored to the Christmas season. The opening date has moved up from December 14 to December 11, and screening hours have shifted from 17:00–21:00 to 17:30–21:30. Winter light events in the Kansai region are introduced in our Kansai illuminations roundup, and projection events nationwide in our nationwide projection mapping roundup.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a charge? Do I need to book?

It is free to watch and needs no advance registration.

What are the show times?

From 17:30 to 21:30. An approx. 10-minute programme is scheduled every 12 minutes, with the last show starting at 21:20.

Where is it projected?

On the east façade of Osaka City Central Public Hall, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.

What is the nearest station?

About 1 minute on foot from Exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station (Keihan Nakanoshima Line), or about 5 minutes from Exit 1 of Yodoyabashi Station (Osaka Metro Midosuji Line / Keihan Main Line).

What if it rains?

The show goes ahead in the rain, but may be paused or cancelled in stormy weather.

Are there traffic restrictions?

From December 11 to 25, vehicle traffic will be closed around the venue from 16:00 to 22:00. Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line is about a one-minute walk away, so coming by train is convenient.

What kind of imagery is shown, and what is the theme?

The theme is “Osaka, Hikari no Shukuyasai” (Osaka, a Festive Night of Light). Glittering, jewel-like windows of light and falling snow and stars are drawn on the walls of the Neo-Renaissance building, and there is also a scene of Santa Claus racing across the night sky.

How is it different from 2025?

In 2025, under the theme “Shining Osaka Night,” the show highlighted the building’s ornamentation with the colors of stained glass and crystal light. In 2026, the show is geared to the Christmas season with snow, stars and Santa Claus at the forefront; the start of the run moves from December 14 to December 11, and screening hours change from 17:00–21:00 to 17:30–21:30.

What else can I enjoy nearby?

During the event, you can also enjoy the “Hikari no Marche” around Naniwabashi Station (16:00–22:00), the “Concert of Light” in front of the main entrance of Osaka City Hall (17:30, 18:30, 19:30 and 20:30), the “Christmas Handmade Marche” on the riverside of Nakanoshima Park (16:00–22:00) and “BIG Snowman in Nakanoshima” (17:00–22:00), among others. The Osaka City Hall Front Illumination Facade and the Nakanoshima Illumination Street are lit from 17:00 to 25:00 until December 31, and the Midosuji Illumination can also be enjoyed until December 31. In the daytime, you can visit the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Overview

Name: OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping
Dates: Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, 2026
Hours: 17:30–21:30 (about 10 minutes of content scheduled to be projected every 12 minutes; last screening from 21:20)
Venue: East facade of Osaka City Central Public Hall
Address: 1-1-27 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
Admission: Free; no advance registration required
Rain: Held in the rain (may be suspended or canceled in stormy weather)
Access: About a one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station (Keihan Nakanoshima Line); about five minutes from Exit 1 of Yodoyabashi Station (Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, Keihan Main Line)
Traffic restrictions: Vehicle traffic closed around the venue from 16:00 to 22:00, December 11–25
Organizer: Osaka Festival of the Lights Executive Committee (members: Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, business organizations, etc.)
Produced and created by: HITOHATA, INC.
Official website: https://www.hikari-kyoen.com/

*Information as of November 13, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

For the hall’s history and the areas you can visit free of charge, see our Osaka City Central Public Hall guide; for related events at Tsuruga-jo Castle, Hiroshima Castle and in Gifu this winter, see our winter 2026–27 events guide.

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: A rendering of OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping (from a press release by HITOHATA, INC.)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from HITOHATA, INC. (October 26, 2026), press releases from Osaka City and Osaka Prefecture, and information on the Osaka Festival of the Lights official website (as of November 13, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: “OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026 Osaka City Central Public Hall Projection Mapping” is an event produced and created 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.