Do You Need a Permit for Projection Mapping? Outdoor Advertising Rules, Tokyo’s Ordinance Revision and the Main Procedures

If projection mapping meets the definition in the Outdoor Advertisements Act, it can be regulated by ordinance as outdoor advertising regardless of what is projected. In March 2018, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) issued the “Projected Advertisement Ordinance Guidelines” for local governments. Through an ordinance revision that took effect on July 1, 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government set display standards, created “Projection Mapping Utilization Districts” and defined requirements under which public-interest events can project without a permit. This article sets out the wording of ordinances, rules and guidelines, examples from other local governments, and the main permits and notifications involved in holding light events outdoors.

Situations in which the wording of the rules matters are increasing. Screenings of “TOKYO Night & Light” continue on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building, and the metropolitan government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau provide grants for projection mapping in Tokyo. Where, what and for how long images can be projected is determined by local government ordinances and rules. The show at the metropolitan government building is introduced in our guide to TOKYO Night & Light.

Is projection mapping outdoor advertising? The law’s four requirements and the national government’s view

Article 2(1) of the Outdoor Advertisements Act defines outdoor advertisements as “things displayed to the public outdoors constantly or continuously for a certain period, which are posted or displayed on signboards, standing signboards, posters and placards, advertising towers, advertising boards, buildings and other structures, and things similar to these.” Images projected with light onto buildings are also covered if they meet these requirements.

MLIT’s “Projection Mapping Implementation Manual” (March 2018) states that anything meeting all four requirements “becomes outdoor advertising regardless of the content or form of what is displayed.” On the other hand, it says that displays aimed at visitors within the grounds of theme parks, parks and the like do not constitute outdoor advertising, so ordinance procedures are not required.

For displays that serve the public interest and are shown for a limited period, it says “the ordinance may not apply.” Public interest is judged by each local government according to criteria such as the share occupied by corporate advertising, the use of proceeds and the involvement of antisocial forces. In an example from Nagasaki introduced in the manual (December 8–10, 2017), the display was deemed not to be outdoor advertising because it was aimed at visitors who had paid admission.

Actual judgments have varied by local government. Material submitted by MLIT’s City Bureau to the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform on December 12, 2017, noted that the judgment of “constantly or for a certain period” is left to local governments and listed the responses of four cities.

• Nagoya (December 3–25, 2016): Names and images of sponsoring companies were projected onto the wall of the Nagoya Port Building. The city judged it to be outdoor advertising and applied the permit standard for urban landscape formation districts, limiting it to one-tenth of the wall area.

• Sendai (January 25–29, 2017): The town’s history and vision of the future were projected within the grounds of a planned condominium site. The city deemed it outdoor advertising but ruled that no permit was needed because the display period did not exceed five days.

• Kitakyushu (August 7, 2016): The names of summer festival sponsors and the like were projected onto the city hall. Because it was a one-day display of about 30 minutes, the city judged that it did not fit the definition of “continuously for a certain period.”

• Shizuoka (December 12 and 13, 2013): For a projection accompanying the opening of a commercial complex, the city deemed it outdoor advertising but interpreted it as “advertising installed at an event venue” and exempted it from regulation.

The national “Projected Advertisement Ordinance Guidelines”: No permit needed for public-interest, time-limited displays

On March 30, 2018, MLIT drew up the “Projected Advertisement Ordinance Guidelines” as a reference for local governments setting out the treatment of projection mapping in their ordinances. It notified local governments of them as technical advice and also published an implementation manual compiling procedures and examples.

The announcement cites two main points of the guidelines. The first is that they make clear that displays serving the public interest and held for a limited period can be carried out without a permit. The second is that they make clear that prohibited areas can be limited to areas requiring consideration, such as residential use districts, and that restrictions such as area requirements can be removed in permitted areas such as commercial districts.

The guidelines take the form of model ordinance provisions and define projected advertisements as “advertisements displayed by the method of projecting light onto buildings and the like (hereinafter simply referred to as ‘projection’).” Article 11(1) exempts projected advertisements and projectors that serve the public interest and are displayed for a limited period for events contributing to the revitalization of the town and the like from provisions on prohibited areas, permitted areas and so on.

The guidelines also give operational benchmarks. As an example of judging public interest, they cite corporate advertising and the like accounting for roughly one-third or less, and suggest that the upper limit on the period should preferably be about one month to several months. In commercial districts and the like, they say it is desirable not to set area limits and to allow display over entire walls of buildings, and they include a provision prohibiting display on road surfaces.

International events were part of the background. The manual states its purpose as clarifying procedures and creating an environment for implementation amid growing demand ahead of Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Tokyo’s ordinance revision (effective July 2020): Utilization districts and four requirements for exemption from permits

Referring to the national guidelines and other sources, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government revised the Tokyo Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising Ordinance, which took effect on July 1, 2020. The bill for the revision was published in February of that year. According to the Bureau of Urban Development, there were three pillars: setting display standards by rule and creating guidelines, establishing “Projection Mapping Utilization Districts,” and exempting public-interest events from permit procedures.

Article 12-2(1) of the ordinance defines projection mapping as “advertising displayed by the method of projecting light onto buildings and other structures and the like.” The same paragraph provides that community development organizations and the like may apply to the governor to designate a certain area as a utilization district. Community development organizations include general incorporated associations and specified nonprofit corporations, and the enforcement regulations added authorized neighborhood associations, shopping street promotion associations and companies under the Companies Act, among others.

Applications must attach written consent from the owners or others of the buildings to be projected onto to the draft utilization plan (Article 11-3 of the enforcement regulations). The metropolitan government’s guidelines state that the opinions of the heads of the relevant wards, cities and towns and of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advertising Council are heard in making a designation. In designated districts, displays may follow the district’s own standards regardless of the area and height standards in the rules.

Article 13(viii) sets out when a permit is not required. It provides that “projection mapping displayed for events, gatherings and the like aimed at the public interest, which has a public-interest character,” may be displayed without a permit even in prohibited and permitted areas. However, it must conform to standards set by rule, which are the four requirements in Article 12(1)(vi) of the enforcement regulations:

• The display period is within three months

• The product of the projection time and projection area of corporate advertising and the like, divided by the product of the total projection time and total projection area, is roughly one-third or less

• The proceeds from corporate advertising and the like are used for public-interest purposes

• An “Outdoor Advertisement Display and Installation Notification” in Form No. 10 has been submitted to the governor

Standards for displays with a permit are set in the enforcement regulations. The metropolitan government’s “Outdoor Advertising Guide” (July 2026) first requires that displays not interfere with the landscape, the surrounding environment or the safety of road traffic. For displays across a road, for example, conditions include not impairing the function of traffic signals, road signs and the like, and posing no risk of dazzling drivers. Area and other limits follow the standards for advertising using advertising towers or building walls.

The guide states that displays meeting the four public-interest requirements with a display period of 14 days or less may be displayed regardless of the standards for advertising towers and walls. In prohibited areas, they are limited to places designated by the governor, such as the grounds of parks, schools, government offices, tourist facilities and historical and cultural facilities. To project above the height limits (33 m or 52 m), one of the following must apply: a display period of seven days or less, a daily display time of three hours or less, or a display area in the portion above the limit of three-tenths or less of that portion’s wall area.

As for the content of images, the metropolitan government’s “Guidelines on the Display of Projection Mapping” (July 1, 2020) set standards such as limiting flashing to, in principle, three times per second. They also call for avoiding late-night displays in areas requiring consideration for the living environment, and for consulting traffic administrators and others about effects on road traffic. The standards on flashing and landscape are also introduced in our article on projection mapping on cultural properties and the care it requires.

Examples from Yokohama and Kamakura: Definitions of “projected advertisements” and special provisions for events

Through a 2021 ordinance revision (Ordinance No. 46), Yokohama added “projected advertisements” to the scope of regulation, effective April 1, 2022. The ordinance defines projected advertisements as “advertisements displayed on the exterior surfaces of buildings and other structures by the method of projecting with projection equipment and the like.” City committee materials explaining the revision (September 22, 2021) said regulations would be equivalent to the standards for video devices, and that such advertisements could not be posted in urbanization control areas or in low-rise and mid-to-high-rise exclusive residential districts.

The special provision for events is in Article 10(3) of the ordinance. In advertising utilization districts designated by the mayor, advertising for events, gatherings and the like that particularly contribute to creating vibrant streetscapes is deemed to have a permit once consultation with the mayor is concluded. In a notice dated March 31, 2022, the city designated the neighborhood commercial and commercial districts within the city as the designated areas and set the standards for concluding consultations:

• Organizers: The national government, local governments, public interest corporations, city-affiliated organizations, executive committees in which these participate as principal members, and others

• Purpose: Regional development, tourism promotion, community development, promotion of culture and the arts, and others

• Period: In principle, within seven days. When displaying again in the same area, an interval of five times the number of days of the previous period is required (there is also a category of up to one year with a daily display time of, in principle, 10 minutes or less)

• Commercial advertising: For projected advertisements, the product of the display time and area of commercial advertising, divided by the product of the total display time and total display area, is in principle one-third or less

• Projected advertisements and the like are not displayed outside commercial districts. Display time is in principle until 10 p.m.

The city’s page on “Procedures for Consultation on Event Advertising” (updated April 1, 2026) asks for advance consultation at least 60 days before display wherever possible, with requests for consultation due 30 days before. Once consultation is concluded, it replaces the usual permit, and no permit fee is charged.

Kamakura sets restrictions on projected advertisements in an appended table of the Kamakura City Outdoor Advertising Ordinance and put into effect its “Guidelines on Projected Advertisements and the Like in Kamakura City” on December 9, 2022. They cover all projected advertisements and the like, including those displayed for five days or less, but exclude those displayed for visitors within the grounds of temples, shrines, parks and the like.

The guidelines call for not using flashing more than three times per second in principle and for avoiding display from 11 p.m. until sunrise. When projecting onto cultural properties, they require that the projection be carried out without harming the cultural property and its surroundings, and that it be coordinated in advance with the department in charge of cultural properties and the property’s manager.

The main permits and notifications involved in holding outdoor light events

Outdoor advertising procedures alone are not enough to hold an event. The national manual states that projecting onto a building you do not own, or placing projectors on someone else’s land, requires permission from the owner or manager, and that holding an event also requires procedures under other laws. The main ones that could be confirmed on the official pages of the agencies in charge are as follows (including examples in Tokyo).

• Outdoor advertising: The Tokyo Projection Mapping General Consultation Desk of the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau advises that the contact points for outdoor advertising permits are at the municipalities.

• Road use permits: According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a permit is required to conduct festivals, location filming and other activities on roads that significantly affect general traffic (Article 77(1)(iv) of the Road Traffic Act). Installing structures on roads (item ii of the same paragraph) is also covered, and a road occupancy permit from the road administrator is also required. Applications go to the police station with jurisdiction over the road (traffic regulation section), and the fee for applications other than construction and work is ¥2,100.

• Prohibited acts on roads: The national manual asks that events not fall under prohibited acts set by the Road Traffic Act and prefectural public safety commission rules. Examples include installing structures that impair the function of traffic signals or road signs, and casting light onto roads indiscriminately in a way that could dazzle drivers. If in doubt, it advises contacting the local police station. It notes that placing projectors without extending onto roads or rivers and projecting onto a building across the way does not require procedures with road or river administrators.

• Urban parks: Article 6(1) of the Urban Park Act requires permission from the park administrator to occupy an urban park by installing structures other than park facilities. Article 7(1) lists among the things that may be permitted “temporary structures installed for competitions, gatherings, exhibitions, expositions and other similar events.”

• Fire prevention: The Tokyo Fire Department advises that those opening stalls and the like using fire-using equipment at events where many people gather, such as festivals, fairs and exhibitions, must notify the chief of the fire station with jurisdiction at least three days in advance. For outdoor events expected to draw 100,000 or more people a day with more than 100 stalls, it requires submission of a plan under Article 55-3-8 of the Fire Prevention Ordinance.

• Landscape: The metropolitan government’s guidelines call for consultation with facility managers and others in landscape guidance areas. The application guidelines for the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau’s grants also make compliance with the Tokyo Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising Ordinance and the Tokyo Metropolitan Landscape Ordinance, and advance coordination with relevant administrative bodies, requirements for applying.

The same consultation desk lists police stations as contacts for effects on traffic and event safety standards. Procedures under the Act on Protection of Cultural Properties for projecting onto cultural properties are covered in the article mentioned above, and grant requirements in our article on subsidies for light-ups and projection mapping.

Editor’s perspective

Laying out the national guidelines and the provisions of Tokyo and Yokohama reveals a shared approach. All of them, on condition that corporate advertising is kept to about one-third, have created mechanisms that either waive permits for public-interest projections of short duration or replace permits with consultation. They allow advertising to be included in the images while drawing lines by purpose, amount and duration.

On the other hand, the details differ from one local government to another. As benchmarks for display hours, Yokohama sets, in principle, until 10 p.m., while Kamakura calls for avoiding 11 p.m. until sunrise. As the differences in the four cities’ judgments shown in the 2017 national material suggest, the same images can require different procedures depending on the location. The national manual states that it is “desirable to consult early, from the planning stage.”

Frequently asked questions

Does projecting a company logo or product make it outdoor advertising?

If it meets the four requirements of the Outdoor Advertisements Act, it can be outdoor advertising regardless of content (national manual). Tokyo’s ordinance and enforcement regulations provide that projections for public-interest events that meet four requirements, including corporate advertising and the like accounting for roughly one-third or less, and for which a notification has been filed, may be displayed without a permit. Others are, in principle, subject to permits in permitted areas.

Are procedures needed when projecting for visitors within one’s own grounds?

The national manual says that displays for visitors within the grounds of theme parks, parks and the like do not constitute outdoor advertising and do not require ordinance procedures. Kamakura’s guidelines likewise exclude displays for visitors within the grounds of temples, shrines, parks and the like. Park occupancy, fire notifications and the like are governed by separate laws and ordinances. Production companies in Japan that handle projection events, and examples of their work, are set out in our article on production companies.

What are Tokyo’s “Projection Mapping Utilization Districts”?

They are districts designated by the governor on application from community development organizations and the like, in which, according to the metropolitan government, displays may follow standards based on local agreement (local rules) regardless of the area, height and other standards in the rules. The metropolitan government’s guidelines state that the opinions of the heads of the relevant wards, cities and towns and of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advertising Council are heard in making a designation.

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

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

*Top image: The Osanbashi venue of Yokohama’s illumination event “YORUNOYO” (2025) (from the THE YOKOHAMA ILLUMINATION / YORUNOYO Executive Committee’s 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

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.