[2026–2027] Projection Mapping and Light Events Across Japan: Nijo-jo Castle, Fukuoka Castle Ruins, YORUNOYO and More

From autumn 2026 into winter 2027, projection mapping and light events will be held at castles, temples, shrines, government buildings and other sites across Japan. At Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto, “NAKED meets Nijo-jo Castle 2026” began on October 23, and at the Fukuoka Castle ruins, “teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival” began on October 30. Based on official announcements by each organizer, this article summarizes the dates, hours, venues and prices of 18 events by region.

Light on cultural properties and cities: this autumn and winter’s trends

Many of this season’s events use historic buildings themselves as their stage. At Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto, light is cast on the Karamon Gate and the gardens to mark 400 years since the Kan’ei Imperial Visit.

Local governments are also heavily involved. TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and others. The Osaka Festival of the Lights makes use of accommodation tax revenue, and YORUNOYO in Yokohama is co-organized by Yokohama City. Light shows are also positioned as measures to encourage nighttime tourism. The background is also explored in our feature “Why Have Nighttime Light Shows at Cultural Properties Increased?”.

Hokkaido and Tohoku

NAKED Matsushima, National Treasure Zuiganji: Autumn Night Visit (Matsushima, Miyagi)

A night visit in which worshippers can visit the temple amid light and sound effects. NAKED’s paid interactive art includes the “NAKED Distance Lantern” (300 yen), in which light projected on the ground becomes part of the show as visitors walk around the grounds carrying lanterns. It is also introduced in our article on Zuiganji’s night visits.

Dates: Friday, October 30 – Monday, November 23, 2026
Hours: 17:00–21:00 (tickets sold until 20:30)
Venue: Zuiganji (Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture)
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) 1,300 yen (1,200 yen online in advance); junior high school students and younger free (when accompanied by a guardian)

Sapporo White Illumination (Sapporo, Hokkaido)

It began in 1981 with about 1,000 light bulbs in a square in Odori Park, and this is its 46th edition. As of October 19, the works for the Odori venue in 2026 had not been announced (last year, objects such as “Wish Birds” and “Cosmic Square” were lined up from 1-chome to 5-chome). This year, a Nakajima Park venue is newly added. For details, see our article on the Sapporo White Illumination.

Dates: Odori venue Friday, November 20 – Friday, December 25, 2026
Hours: 16:30–22:00 (until 24:00 from December 23 to 25)
Venues: Odori venue and others (Sapporo)

Kanto

TOKYO Night & Light (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Tokyo)

Year-round projection mapping onto the east wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building, recognized by Guinness World Records as the “largest architectural projection-mapping display (permanent).” Since August, a new work using songs by ATARASHII GAKKO! has been screened. A guide to the works is gathered in our article on TOKYO Night & Light.

Dates: Year-round (screened daily except in stormy weather and the like)
Hours: In November and December, eight screenings between 17:30 and 21:30
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building (viewed from the Citizens’ Plaza, 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Admission: Free (no advance application required)

YORUNOYO 2026 (Yokohama, Kanagawa)

At “Kujiland,” which uses the entire rooftop of Osanbashi Pier, a 25-meter whale of light appears in an interactive outdoor projection mapping that the organizer bills as one of the largest in Japan. A five-minute show in which 47 facilities from Minato Mirai to Yamashita Park are synchronized with light and music is also held nine times a day. Illuminations in the Kanto region are introduced in our roundup of illuminations in Tokyo and the Kanto region.

Dates: Friday, December 4 – Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Hours: 17:00–21:05
Venue: Yokohama’s central waterfront area (Osanbashi Pier, Yamashita Park and elsewhere)
Admission: Free

Elsewhere in Kanto, “Tokimusubi no Mori” at Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine in Saitama is introduced in a separate article.

Tokai

Nabana no Sato Illumination (Kuwana, Mie)

It is known for the 200-meter tunnel of light “Hana Kairo” and the water illumination “Hikari no Taiga” (Great River of Light), which the organizer bills as one of the largest in Japan. From December 23 to 25, date-specified tickets, limited in number and sold first come, first served, are required, and there is no daytime opening.

Dates: October 17, 2026 – May 31, 2027 (closed January 6 and 7)
Hours: Lit at sunset (varies by season)
Venue: Nabana no Sato (270 Komae Urushibata, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana, Mie Prefecture)

Kinki

NAKED meets Nijo-jo Castle 2026 (Kyoto)

On the 400th anniversary of the Kan’ei Imperial Visit, projection mapping on the buildings of Nijo-jo Castle and spatial effects with light, sound and fragrance take as their theme Tokugawa Masako, who became the empress consort of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. For the first time, junior high school students and younger are admitted free. It is introduced in detail in our article on NAKED meets Nijo-jo Castle.

Dates: Friday, October 23 – Saturday, December 5, 2026
Hours: 18:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00)
Venue: Former Imperial Villa Nijo-jo Castle (Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto)
Admission: Monday–Thursday 2,000 yen, Friday–Sunday and holidays 2,400 yen (early-bird prices until Thursday, October 22: 1,600 yen and 2,000 yen); junior high school students and younger free

Kodaiji Autumn Special Night Viewing (Kyoto)

According to Kodaiji’s official website, its 2026 autumn special night viewing runs from October 23 to December 13. The lights come on at 17:00, and admission is the same day and night. The temple’s projection mapping is introduced in our article on Kodaiji.

Dates: Friday, October 23 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
Hours: Lights on at 17:00, gates close at 22:00 (reception closes at 21:30)
Venue: Kodaiji (Kyoto)
Admission: Adults 800 yen, junior high and high school students 400 yen

WONDER NIGHT JINGU: Gekka (Heian Shrine, Kyoto)

An immersive night walk through the grounds of Heian Shrine with light and music, with eight show spots, including “LUNAR BLOOM.” It is organized by Nexyz.Wonderwall Inc. It is also introduced in our article on WONDER NIGHT JINGU.

Dates: Monday, November 2 – Sunday, November 29, 2026
Hours: 17:30–21:30 (last reception 21:00)
Venue: Heian Shrine (97 Okazaki Nishitennocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto)
Admission: Varies by day of the week and age group (discount for Kyoto Prefecture residents; the inbound price is 3,000 yen on all days)

Kiyomizu-dera Autumn Special Night Viewing (Kyoto)

The autumn edition of the special night viewings held three times a year, in spring, summer and autumn. The official website explains that the single blue beam of light shining from Kiyomizu-dera represents the compassion of Kannon. No reservation is required.

Dates: November 21 – November 30, 2026
Hours: Open until 21:30 (reception closes at 21:00)
Venue: Kiyomizu-dera (Kyoto)

Osaka Festival of the Lights 2026 (Midosuji and Nakanoshima, Osaka)

The Midosuji Illumination commemorates the 90th anniversary of the opening of Midosuji, expressing the eras from the 1940s to the present along its 4-kilometer length. At OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance in Nakanoshima, images on the theme “Osaka, a Festive Night of Light” are projected onto Osaka City Central Public Hall (see our article on the Central Public Hall projection mapping). It is introduced in detail in our article on the Osaka Festival of the Lights 2026.

Dates: Midosuji Illumination Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) – Thursday, December 31, 2026; OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance Friday, December 11 – Friday, December 25
Hours: Midosuji from about 17:00 to 25:00; screenings at the Central Public Hall 17:30–21:30
Venues: Midosuji; from the Osaka City Hall area to Nakanoshima Park
Admission: Free in principle (some area programs are paid)

The 32nd Kobe Luminarie (Kobe, Hyogo)

A festival of light that began in December 1995, the year of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The theme of the works has not been announced, and part of the Meriken Park venue will be a paid area. It is introduced in detail in our article on Kobe Luminarie.

Dates: Friday, January 29 – Sunday, February 7, 2027
Hours: Not yet announced
Venues: Meriken Park, Higashi Yuenchi and the former Foreign Settlement (Kobe)
Admission: Advance tickets for the paid area 500 yen on weekdays and 750 yen on weekends; same-day tickets 1,000 yen on weekdays and 1,500 yen on weekends

Elsewhere in Kinki, the projection mapping “SINFONIA” at Osaka Castle Main Tower, which ended on October 25, is introduced in a separate article.

Kyushu

teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival (Fukuoka)

The stone walls, stone steps and trees of the Fukuoka Castle ruins become works of light. Works include “Enso on the Ancient Stone Walls,” in which calligraphy drawn with light on the stone walls merges with their shadows, and “Forgotten Stone Steps – Ruins of the Small Keep Base of Ishijo,” which shines brightly and emits sounds when people approach. It is also introduced in our article on teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival.

Dates: Friday, October 30, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 18:30–22:00 (from 18:15 from November 7 to December 31; last entry 21:30)
Venue: Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Maizuru Park (Jonai, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka)
Admission: Adults 2,300 yen on weekdays, 2,500 yen on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and December 29–31 (date and time reservation required); preschool children free

The Starlight Million (Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki)

The illumination, which the organizer bills as “No. 1 in Japan for 13 consecutive years,” is being substantially renewed for the first time in 16 years. It consists of more than 100 star objects, a 500-meter tree-lined avenue along a canal and a “Waterfall of Light” about 66 meters wide, and during the Christmas season a tree using about 9,000 crystals also appears. It is also introduced in our article on The Starlight Million.

Dates: Friday, November 6, 2026 – Thursday, February 25, 2027
Venue: Huis Ten Bosch (Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Hours and admission: Check the official website

*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official websites for the latest information.

Frequently asked questions

Which events have short runs and are easy to miss?

Events with short runs include Kiyomizu-dera’s special night viewing (November 21–30).

Which events can be seen for free?

Events announced as free to view include TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and YORUNOYO. The Osaka Festival of the Lights is free in principle, with some area programs charging fees.

Which are easy to visit with children?

NAKED meets Nijo-jo Castle 2026 and the night visits to Zuiganji are free for junior high school students and younger (when accompanied by a guardian at Zuiganji). At teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival, preschool children are free.

Events at castles are summarized in our roundup of castle projection mapping and night events, and winter light events by region in our Tohoku and Hokkaido roundup, our Hokuriku and Koshinetsu roundup, our Tokai roundup, our Chugoku and Shikoku roundup and our Kyushu and Okinawa roundup, and drone shows in our roundup of upcoming drone shows in Japan.

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: From a press release by NAKED, INC.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and venue (as of October 19, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Among the events introduced in this article, HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, is involved in planning, production and other work for the projection mapping at Senso-ji, Tsuruga-jo Castle, Hiroshima Castle, the Aichi Prefectural Government Office and Nagoya City Hall, Gifu Akari Monogatari and Osaka City Central Public Hall, and for “Edo, City of Water: The Outer Moat,” one of the works screened in TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (About us).

[Ended] ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026 (Senso-ji, Tokyo)

Different videos of about six minutes each are projected alternately onto the south faces of Senso-ji’s Main Hall and Hozomon Gate. The theme is the 1,400-year history and culture of Senso-ji, with motifs including large votive paintings, the “Kanbun Engi” scroll and ukiyo-e prints associated with the temple. As crowds are expected right after the start, the organizer recommends arriving later. It is introduced in detail in our article on the Senso-ji projection.

Dates: Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday)
Hours: 18:00–21:30
Venue: Main Hall and Hozomon Gate, Senso-ji (2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Admission: Free (no advance application required)

Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026 (Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima)

Digital animations with motifs such as Aizu lacquerware, Aizu painted candles and Aizu cotton are projected onto the keep and stone walls of Tsuruga-jo Castle, with a sea-of-clouds effect added. A video of about 8 minutes repeats with pauses of about 3 minutes. Last year, about 20,000 people visited over three days. For details, see our article on Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping.

Dates: Friday, November 20 – Sunday, November 22, 2026
Hours: 17:30–21:00
Venue: Tsuruga-jo Castle Park (1-1 Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture)
Admission: Free (no advance application required)

Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026 (Hiroshima; added November 7)

Projection mapping is shown on the keep, the Omote-gomon Gate and the stone walls within the castle grounds of Hiroshima Castle, and the Gomon-bashi Bridge and the Honmaru are illuminated. According to Hiroshima City’s research (as of October 2026), it is the first projection mapping on the keep. It presents digital animations with motifs such as nishikigoi carp and koinobori carp streamers, linked to the castle’s alternative name “Carp Castle,” and Hiroshima’s rivers, along with video of ukiyo-e prints depicting the World Heritage site Itsukushima Shrine. The keep ended public access to its interior on March 22, 2026, and its exterior becomes the stage at night. Details are introduced in our article on Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026.

Dates: Friday, December 18, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday) (closed December 31 – January 3)
Hours: 17:30–21:00
Venue: Hiroshima Castle (21-1 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima)
Admission: Free (no advance application required)

Gifu Akari Monogatari 2027 (Gifu)

Gifu Park and Shohoji are lit up with the light of Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, and images with motifs of cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, clear streams and folding-screen paintings are projected onto the rock walls of the garden at the ruins of Nobunaga’s residence and elsewhere. It is the seventh edition since 2020, and this time it introduces a sea-of-clouds effect for the first time in the event’s history. It is introduced in detail in our article on Gifu Akari Monogatari.

Dates: Saturday, January 30 – Sunday, February 28, 2027
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Venues: Gifu Park (1 Omiya-cho, Gifu), Shohoji (8 Daibutsu-cho, Gifu)
Admission: Adults (18 and over) 1,200 yen on weekdays and 1,400 yen on weekends; junior high and high school students 900 yen on weekdays and 1,100 yen on weekends; elementary school students and younger and people with disabilities (including one caregiver) free. Advance tickets (from 10:00 on Sunday, November 1, 2026) are 100 yen cheaper each

AICHI NAGOYA ART & LIGHTS (Nagoya, Aichi; ended October 24)

Images with motifs of local history and culture, and line animations that highlight the buildings’ outlines, are projected onto the west walls of the Imperial Crown-style main buildings of the Aichi Prefectural Government Office and Nagoya City Hall. Projection of about 5 minutes alternates with about 5 minutes of illumination. It ended on Saturday, October 24. It is also introduced in our article on AICHI NAGOYA ART & LIGHTS.

Dates: Thursday, September 17 – Saturday, October 24, 2026
Hours: 18:30–21:00
Venue: Main buildings of the Aichi Prefectural Government Office and Nagoya City Hall (Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya)
Admission: Free (no advance application required)

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.