Guinness World Records for Projection Mapping: What Was Certified at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and Records Abroad

TOKYO Night & Light, the projection mapping on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building, was certified by Guinness World Records on February 25, 2024. The record title is “Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent),” with an area of 13,904.956 m². Records of this kind exist for categories such as “permanent” and “temporary,” and have also been certified in Dubai, Singapore, Riyadh and elsewhere. Using Guinness World Records’ record pages and announcements by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and others, this article sorts out the record titles, certification dates, scale and what exactly was recognized.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building record: 13,904.956 m², certified February 25, 2024

According to Guinness World Records’ record page, the record holders are the Tokyo Projection Mapping Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It was achieved in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on February 25, 2024, with an area of 13,904.956 m² (149,671 sq ft 101 sq in). The English record title is “Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent).” The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the executive committee render it in Japanese on the official website and elsewhere as “the largest projection mapping display on a building (permanent).”

According to the record page’s description, the images are projected onto the east face of the No. 1 Building, a 48-story building that splits in two from the 33rd floor, over an area about 127 m high and about 110 m wide spanning the 4th to 32nd floors. Shows of about 10–15 minutes run every 30 minutes each night, using mainly solar-generated electricity, the page says.

On February 2, 2024, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced the start of projection mapping at the No. 1 Building, describing the record as “application pending” at that point. Its program for the opening event on Sunday, February 25, 2024, listed a “Guinness World Records™ certification ceremony” along with screenings and live performances. Regular screenings were to begin on Monday, February 26, 2024.

Panasonic Connect’s system was adopted for the screening equipment. According to the company’s announcement of February 26, 2024, it uses 20 each of the 50,000-lumen “PT-RQ50KJ” and the 30,500-lumen “PT-RZ34KJ,” for a total of 40 units. It also features remote operation via the cloud and spatial audio synchronized with the images. The equipment and projection technology are introduced in our explainer on how projection mapping works.

According to the TOKYO Night & Light PR office, cumulative viewers passed 1 million in October 2025 and had reached 1.55 million as of an August 7, 2026 announcement. Showtimes and works are compiled in our guide to TOKYO Night & Light.

What counts as the record: the record page’s definition and measurement

The record page defines “projection mapping” for this record as projecting images onto the side of a building or natural landform. The images must be created specifically for that building or landform, and the three-dimensional shape of the building or landform must be used as an integral element of the projection.

Measurement is in square meters, to 0.001 m². Attempts may be made by an individual or by a team of unlimited size. What the record measures is not a large image on a flat wall, but how much area is covered by imagery made to fit the building’s shape.

The words “architectural” and “(permanent)” in the record title limit the scope of comparison. Even within projection mapping, records that include natural landforms and records for temporary projections are handled under different titles.

How record titles are set: divided by “permanent,” “temporary,” “length” and “interactive”

The main projection mapping records confirmed on Guinness World Records’ record pages are as follows. Record titles are given in the original English. Content is as of October 21, 2026.

• “Largest projection-mapped display”: 92,704 m². Achieved by the government of San Juan Province, Argentina, on February 22, 2014. At the closing ceremony of the three-day festival Fiesta Nacional del Sol, 3D backdrop imagery was projected onto the foothills of the Sierra Chica de Zonda.

• “Largest permanent projection-mapped display”: 32,108 m². Achieved by Al Qiddiya Company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 1, 2019. The projection surface is a cliff known as the “Cliff of Qiddiya,” which also served as the backdrop for the closing ceremony of the 2020 Dakar Rally.

• “Largest architectural projection-mapped display (temporary)”: 30,662 m². Achieved at One Za’abeel in Dubai by One Za’abeel and BUREAU BÉATRICE in February 2024. At a launch event, a seven-minute projection covered the two towers, 235 m and 305 m tall, and “The Link,” which connects them 100 m above the ground. The record page gives the date as February 8, while the text says the 9th.

• “Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent)”: 13,904.956 m². The record at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building (February 25, 2024).

• “Largest permanent concave projection-mapped display”: 12,446.5 m². Achieved by China’s Landsky Technology Group and Beijing Lightrip on July 9, 2020, at Nanjing Tangshan Kuangkeng Park, on the site of a former mine in Nanjing. It covers a permanent projection onto an inwardly curved surface with three faces.

• “Largest architectural projection-mapped game”: 3,916.07 m². Achieved by the UK’s King Ltd at Brookfield Place in New York, US, on October 11, 2018. To celebrate the launch of the game Candy Crush Friends Saga, a playable game was projected onto the facade.

• “Largest interactive projection-mapped display”: 1,039.31 m². Achieved by Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank and VUZ in Riyadh on September 23, 2026, as part of celebrations for Saudi National Day.

• “Longest architectural projection-mapped display (temporary)”: 280.03 m. Achieved by Singapore’s Hexogon Solution and UOB on June 27, 2025, projecting onto UOB Plaza One with 74 projectors, as one of a series of events celebrating 60 years of independence.

The unqualified “Largest projection-mapped display” is the Argentine example projected onto foothills. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building record is the largest within both the “architectural” and “permanent” conditions. There are also records competed on length rather than area, and records for projections in which audiences can participate.

There are earlier examples too. A May 2017 Guinness World Records news item reported the record for the show “IMAGINE” at Dubai Festival City. The record title was “Largest permanent projection mapping,” with an area of 4,857 m². The show projected images such as airplanes, animals and giant dancing robots onto the sides of surrounding buildings.

There is also a projection record achieved in Japan: the “Largest water surface projection,” achieved on June 18, 2018, at APA RESORT JOETSU-MYOKO in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture. The record holder is Motoo Maruta, who projected images of a flower field onto the surface of a pond covering 2,400.29 m². The title is a record for projection, not projection mapping.

Where records are set

Reading the record pages shows a number of attempts timed to national or civic milestones or to the launch of facilities and products. The Singapore record was part of events marking 60 years of independence, and the interactive record in Riyadh part of the National Day celebrations. The Dubai record came at One Za’abeel’s launch event, and the New York record celebrated a game’s release.

In some cases, the projection surface was created as a stage for major events. The Argentine record was achieved at the closing ceremony of a provincial festival. According to the record page, the cliff in Riyadh was created as a permanent canvas to host shows and experiences for years to come; at the Dakar Rally closing ceremony, it became the backdrop for a projection synchronized with lighting, lasers, sound and fireworks.

What distinguishes the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building record is that it was certified in the “permanent” category rather than for a one-off projection. The metropolitan government applied for the record before screenings began and included the certification ceremony in its opening event program.

In November 2024, recruitment also began for advertising slots of up to five minutes before screenings. The announcement’s headline touts “projection mapping certified by Guinness World Records™.” The record has become one of the materials a local government uses to promote its nighttime tourism efforts.

Guinness World Records itself also proposes to businesses and local governments that record attempts be used for tourism and regional promotion. Its Japanese official website explains that attempts can be a means of showcasing a region’s appeal to the world and raising its profile and brand power, and says it has consultants who work with local governments and regions to support attempts.

How Guinness World Records certification works: from application to submitting evidence

Guinness World Records’ Japanese official website lists the following six requirements for a record. It says that although it receives thousands of proposals every year, only a handful become records.

• Measurable: can be measured objectively in seconds, meters, kilograms and so on.

• Breakable: anyone in the world can attempt it, with the possibility of breaking it.

• Standardizable: the same measurement method can be used anywhere in the world.

• Verifiable: there is clear evidence such as witnesses, measurements, photos, videos and documents.

• One variable: there is a single measure, such as fastest or longest.

• The best in the world: it breaks an existing record.

Applications are made by creating an online account, and processing is said to take at least three months. Once an application is approved, or an application for an existing record title is accepted, guidelines (rules) for the attempt are sent. From then, the attempt and submission of evidence must in principle be completed within one year, with evidence uploaded via the website.

Individual applications are reviewed free of charge. However, where an attempt is complex or uses the company’s trademarks, services mainly for businesses and organizations may apply. Those wishing to have an official adjudicator attend and judge also follow the guidance for businesses and organizations. For “size record attempts,” one type of record, it says the creation must be made to a professional standard.

New record titles can be proposed through a dedicated form. How categories such as “(permanent)” in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building’s record title were determined in the proposal and review process could not be ascertained from the public materials we checked. For specific procedures, check Guinness World Records’ official website.

Editor’s perspective

Reading the record titles shows how finely the conditions of comparison are defined: building or natural landform, permanent or temporary, area or length, interactive or not. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building record is the largest under the condition of permanent projection onto a building; remove the conditions, and there are records covering larger areas. Even with drone shows that draw pictures in the night sky with light, the number of drones flown simultaneously and the number launched in a week are competed under separate record titles.

When using a record for promotion, accurately citing the record title is the quickest way to avoid misunderstandings among viewers. And with permanent projection, the question is not only area but also what continues to be shown. In 2026, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building began screening four works made by students and a work created in partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Sogo Geijutsu High School (our article on the Sogo Geijutsu High School work). Beyond the size of the record, how the facade continues to be used is the issue.

Frequently asked questions

Is the projection mapping at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building the largest in the world?

What Guinness World Records certified is the “Largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent),” a record under the condition of permanent projection onto a building. The unqualified “Largest projection-mapped display” is 92,704 m², projected onto foothills in Argentina (2014). For temporary projection onto a building, Dubai’s 30,662 m² (2024) is listed on the record page.

When was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building record certified?

February 25, 2024. Both the achievement date on the record page and the certification date in Panasonic Connect’s announcement are that day. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government had announced plans to hold the certification ceremony at its opening event that day.

What other records are there in Japan?

The one we were able to confirm for this article is the water surface projection record (2,400.29 m²) achieved in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture, in 2018. Its title is a record for projection, not projection mapping.

How do you attempt a record?

Create an account on the official website and apply. Processing is said to take at least three months, and the attempt and submission of evidence must in principle be made within one year of receiving the guidelines. Having an official adjudicator attend is offered as a service for businesses and organizations.

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

*Top image: The scene in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on March 20, 2026, the first day of “Pokémon Trading Card Game TOKYO LUMINOUS NIGHT” (from the TOKYO Night & Light PR Office’s press release)

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

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team