[Autumn/Winter 2026] Art and Light Events in Nagoya, Aichi, Gifu and Mie: Arte Museum and More

In autumn and winter 2026, the Tokai region offers a run of special exhibitions at museums and light events staged at government buildings and parks. At the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, the “Bigelow” exhibition opened on October 30. On November 18, “Arte Museum Nagoya,” an immersive museum from South Korea, opens in Chita. This article introduces nine events in Nagoya, Aichi, Gifu and Mie, along with their dates and prices.

Nabana no Sato in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, stays lit until May 31, 2027. At the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, painter Shigeru Hasegawa, who resumed solo exhibitions in 2019 after a hiatus, is having his first large-scale solo exhibition at a museum.

Another feature of this autumn is that an immersive museum from South Korea is placing its first base in Japan in the Tokai region. Arte Museum Nagoya is the ninth in the world; its building was developed by Meitetsu Urban Development and is leased to the operating company. The international art festival is also moving toward its next edition. In July, “Aichi 2028” announced the appointment of Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, chief curator of the Singapore Art Museum, as its artistic director. From November 14, a contemporary art exhibition will be held in Inuyama as a regional program of the festival.

Exhibitions in Nagoya and Aichi: Bigelow, Shigeru Hasegawa and Sekai no Kotowari

100 Years After His Death: Bigelow, a Lost Collection and the Dawn of Modern Nihonga – A Bostonian Captivated by Japanese Art (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art)

William Bigelow (1850–1926) collected more than 40,000 works of Japanese art and crafts and is said to have laid the foundation of the Japanese art collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The exhibition looks back on his love of and contribution to Japanese art through the former Bigelow Collection and nihonga by Kano Hogai, Hashimoto Gaho and other painters Bigelow supported. About 100 works are shown in each of the first and second periods, about 30 of them only in one period.

Kano Hogai’s Important Cultural Property “Merciful Mother Kannon” (Tokyo University of the Arts) is on display only from December 1 to 13. His “Fudo Myoo,” also an Important Cultural Property, is shown in the first period. Many works by Maeda Kinpu, a woman painter active in Nagoya, are also introduced. Bigelow, who became a devout Buddhist, received the Buddhist precepts together with Fenollosa at Homyoin, a subtemple of Onjoji, and in accordance with his will rests beside Fenollosa in its cemetery. The exhibition is introduced in detail in our article on the Bigelow exhibition.

Dates: Friday, October 30 – Sunday, December 13, 2026 (first period until Sunday, November 15; second period from Tuesday, November 17)
Hours: 10:00–17:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays; last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Monday, November 2; Monday, November 16; Monday, November 30; Monday, December 7
Venue: Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art (Aichi Arts Center 10F, 1-13-2 Higashisakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya)
Admission: Adults 1,900 yen, university students 1,000 yen, high school students 800 yen (same-day). Free for junior high school students and younger. The exhibition ticket also gives access to the collection exhibition

Shigeru Hasegawa: Pain Tengu (Toyota Municipal Museum of Art)

Shigeru Hasegawa (born 1963) moved to Germany in 1989 and to the Netherlands in 1992. He stopped exhibiting in 2013 and resumed solo exhibitions in 2019. The exhibition presents a mix of old and new works, from the early 1990s to recent years. On view are works that treat still-life subjects such as eggplants, cucumbers and fish, and motifs of Western origin such as drapery and chair legs, as forms detached from their meanings.

There is also a room composed of works from the museum’s collection, Hasegawa’s works and the artist’s eclectic personal collection. From 14:00 on Sunday, December 20, Hasegawa will hold a three-way talk with Yoshimi Chinzei (curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo) and Machiko Chiba (curator, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art). Admission is free, first come, first served for 170 people. During the same period, “Shoichi Ida: 20 Years After His Death,” an exhibition of the contemporary printmaker Shoichi Ida, is also held. The exhibition is also introduced in our article on the Shigeru Hasegawa exhibition.

Dates: Saturday, October 24, 2026 – Sunday, January 24, 2027
Hours: 10:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
Closed: Mondays (open on November 23 and January 11), year-end and New Year holidays
Venue: Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (8-5-1 Kozakahonmachi, Toyota, Aichi Prefecture)
Admission: Adults 1,300 yen, high school and university students 1,000 yen (same-day at the window; online: adults 1,100 yen, high school and university students 800 yen). Free for junior high school students and younger

Sekai no Kotowari: Art of Our Time (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, 2027)

This special exhibition introduces the work of 20 Japanese artists, centered on works from the 1990s, when globalization advanced and Japanese artists had more opportunities to show their work abroad, to the present. Its keywords include “identity,” “body,” “history” and “globalized society.” According to the museum, the katakana title signals an attitude of continually updating one’s own thinking while withholding easy interpretations of, or meanings for, the unknown. The exhibition poses the question “Where Do We Stand?”

It is organized by the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art and the Melco Group, with planning cooperation from the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. As of October 19, the names of the participating artists and admission prices had not been posted on the official page. The exhibition is introduced in our article on “Sekai no Kotowari”.

Dates: Friday, January 29 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
Hours: 10:00–17:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: Mondays, Tuesday, March 23 (open on Monday, March 22, a substitute holiday)
Venue: Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
Admission: Not yet announced

Contemporary art around town and an immersive museum: Inuyama and Arte Museum Nagoya

Imagination of Travel: Contemporary Art in Inuyama (Haguro district, Inuyama, and other venues)

This contemporary art exhibition, a regional program of the international art festival “Aichi,” is held in the Haguro district of Inuyama and at Inuyama City Hall. The ten participants include Kei Uruno, Anna Scripcariu Ochiai, Kaoru Saotome, Gaku Nakano, Satoshi Murakami, Ajo Yang and Hatsusaburo Yoshida. In addition to venues such as the Inuyama Civic Cultural Hall and the Inuyama Nanbu Community Center, the exhibition spreads to buildings around town, including the restored former Haguro branch of the Kamo-gun Bank (Koyumi no Sho), Banno Bookstore and a former coffee shop inside Haguro Station.

Admission is free, and guided tours of the works are offered on weekends and holidays during the exhibition. On weekends, the “Traveling Market,” held at temples and lodging facilities, also takes place.

Dates: Saturday, November 14 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: 10:00–17:00
Closed: Mondays (open on Monday, November 23, a national holiday)
Venues: Venues in the Haguro district of Inuyama, Inuyama City Hall (Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture)
Admission: Free (some events charge a fee)
Organizers: International Art Festival “Aichi” Regional Program Executive Committee, Inuyama City

Arte Museum Nagoya (Chita, Aichi Prefecture; opens November 18)

This immersive art space, operated and produced by Seoul-based d’strict, will be the ninth ARTE MUSEUM in the world. The museums have drawn more than 12 million visitors in total, and the announcement describes this as the brand’s first arrival in Japan. The theme is “ETERNAL NATURE.” In a building of about 5,000 square meters, 18 works are shown in 17 spaces.

In the large media art space “GARDEN,” “THE LEGACY OF LIGHT: NAGOYA” traces Nagoya’s climate, culture and history through light. The official website lists five works, including this one, as Nagoya originals, and says it will release details of works such as “CIRCLE” and “LIVE SKETCHBOOK (MATSURI OF SPIRITS)” in turn from November 4 to 15. “ARTE MUSEUM X MUSÉE D’ORSAY,” which reinterprets works in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay, is also on view. Tickets are sold online for a designated date. The museum is introduced in detail in our article on Arte Museum Nagoya.

Opening date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Hours: 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00 according to the official website; 18:30 according to the September 29 press release)
Closed: Open every day
Venue: 8-22 Ose, Shinmaiko, Chita, Aichi Prefecture (address before registration). A 3-minute walk from Shin-Maiko Station on the Meitetsu Tokoname Line
Admission: Adults 3,400 yen on weekdays and 3,800 yen on weekends and holidays; junior high and high school students 2,500 yen on weekdays and 2,800 yen on weekends and holidays; children 1,800 yen on weekdays and 2,000 yen on weekends and holidays. Free for children aged 3 and under

Night light events: Nabana no Sato

Nabana no Sato Illumination (Kuwana, Mie Prefecture)

The 2026–2027 season continues until May 31, 2027. Its signature displays are the 200-meter tunnel of light “Flower Corridor” and the waterborne illumination “River of Light,” which the organizer calls one of the largest in Japan. There are also the “Twin Trees,” which light up at the sound of the chapel bell. Seasonal light-ups are also planned for autumn leaves (around late November to late December), Kawazu cherry blossoms and weeping plum (around late February to late March) and tulips (around late March to late April). The theme area page on the official website introduces “Paradise of the Wild,” new to the main theme area.

Lighting times change with sunset. Admission varies by period. From November 21 to December 22, tickets bought at convenience stores cost 3,000 yen (3,200 yen at the on-site window) and include 1,000 yen in vouchers and admission to the Begonia Garden. From December 23 to 25, there are special hours from 15:00 with no daytime operation, and date-specified tickets are required. Visitors are advised to issue admission tickets in advance at FamilyMart or 7-Eleven. The illumination is also introduced in our article on the Nabana no Sato Illumination.

Dates: October 17, 2026 – May 31, 2027 (closed January 6 and 7)
Hours: Lights come on at sunset (varies by period). Special hours: 15:00–22:00 on December 23 and 15:00–23:00 on December 24 and 25
Venue: Nabana no Sato (270 Urushibata, Komae, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana, Mie Prefecture)
Admission: 2,500–3,200 yen (varies by period and purchase method; includes vouchers). Free for children below elementary school age

Check the schedule in chronological order

• Saturday, October 24 – Sunday, January 24, 2027: Shigeru Hasegawa: Pain Tengu (Toyota)

• Friday, October 30 – Sunday, December 13: Bigelow exhibition (Nagoya; “Merciful Mother Kannon” December 1–13)

• Saturday, November 14 – Sunday, December 6: Imagination of Travel: Contemporary Art in Inuyama (Inuyama)

• Opens Wednesday, November 18: Arte Museum Nagoya (Chita)

• Friday, January 29 – Sunday, April 4, 2027: Sekai no Kotowari (Nagoya)

• Until May 31, 2027: Nabana no Sato Illumination (Kuwana; lit since October 17)

Further ahead, “European Masterpieces from the Cincinnati Art Museum,” now on view at the Ueno Royal Museum, will tour to Nagoya from Friday, April 23 to Sunday, July 4, 2027. The venue is to be announced later.

Winter illuminations and light events in Aichi, Gifu, Mie and Shizuoka are organized into 17 entries in our roundup of illuminations and light events in the Tokai region.

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

Frequently asked questions

What can be enjoyed for free?

“Imagination of Travel: Contemporary Art in Inuyama” is free to view, with only some events charging a fee. The Bigelow and Shigeru Hasegawa exhibitions are free for junior high school students and younger.

Which museums and facilities are open in the evening?

The Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art is open until 20:00 on Fridays (last entry 19:30), so both the Bigelow and Sekai no Kotowari exhibitions can be seen in the evening. Arte Museum Nagoya is open every day of the year until 20:00.

How do I buy tickets for Arte Museum Nagoya?

According to the press release, tickets are sold online only, for a designated date. There is no designated entry time and no timed sessions. Prices differ between weekdays and weekends and holidays; for adults, they are 3,400 yen on weekdays and 3,800 yen on weekends and holidays.

*Top image: from a press release by d’strict

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

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Of the events featured in this article, HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, is involved in the planning, production or producing of “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU,” “Gifu Light Story 2027” and “AICHI NAGOYA ART & LIGHTS” (About us).

Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU (Gifu City Museum of History)

This exhibition turns more than 300 ukiyo-e prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Hiroshige and others into immersive digital art using 3DCG animation and projection mapping. Exclusively at the Gifu venue, it also features footage in which ukiyo-e of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing come to life. It is introduced in detail in our article on the Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU.

Dates: Friday, November 6, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (open on Monday, November 23, a national holiday), Tuesday, November 24, Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4, 2027
Venue: Gifu City Museum of History, 1F Special Exhibition Room (in Gifu Park, 2-18-1 Omiya-cho, Gifu)
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) 1,500 yen on the day (1,300 yen in advance); elementary and junior high school students 700 yen on the day (500 yen in advance). Advance tickets on sale until November 5. Free for preschool children

Gifu Light Story 2027 (Gifu Park and Shoho-ji Temple)

A light event at Gifu Park and Shoho-ji Temple with the theme “A Thousand Years of Light, Unfolding at Night.” The grounds are lit with Gifu wagasa umbrellas and Gifu lanterns, and images inspired by cormorant fishing on the Nagara River and its clear waters are projected onto surfaces such as the rock face of the garden at the site of Lord Nobunaga’s residence. For the first time in the series, a sea-of-clouds effect is also incorporated. It is introduced in detail in our article on Gifu Light Story.

Dates: Saturday, January 30 – Sunday, February 28, 2027
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Venues: Gifu Park (1 Omiya-cho, Gifu), Shoho-ji Temple (8 Daibutsu-cho, Gifu)
Admission: Adults (18 and older) 1,200 yen on weekdays and 1,400 yen on weekends and holidays; junior high and high school students 900 yen on weekdays and 1,100 yen on weekends and holidays (advance tickets 100 yen off each). Free for elementary school students and younger, and for people with disabilities (including one caregiver)

AICHI NAGOYA ART & LIGHTS (Aichi Prefectural Government Office and Nagoya City Hall; ended October 24)

Images were projected onto the west walls of the Aichi Prefectural Government Main Office Building and the Nagoya City Hall Main Building, both Imperial Crown-style buildings designated as national Important Cultural Properties. The show combined images inspired by local history and culture with line animation that highlighted the buildings’ outlines. At each building, about five minutes of projection alternated with about five minutes of light-up. The themes were “wide area and tradition” for the prefectural office and “city, motion and innovation (future)” for city hall.

Dates: Thursday, September 17 – Saturday, October 24, 2026 (open every day)
Hours: 18:30–21:00
Venues: Aichi Prefectural Government Main Office Building and Nagoya City Hall Main Building (Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya)
Admission: Free; no advance registration 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.