“Kogen no Sekai” at Horyuji Tokoin in Ayabe, Kyoto, Ran Until November 3; Bamboo Lanterns × Projection Mapping

At Horyuji Tokoin in Kaminobu-cho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture, the night event “Kogen no Sekai” (World of Light and Illusion) was held for five days, from Friday, October 30 to Tuesday, November 3, 2026. It combined the glow of bamboo lanterns made by students of Kyoto Institute of Technology under the guidance of local residents with projection mapping that made use of the temple buildings and natural surroundings. Hours were 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30). It was organized by Tokoin and the Kogen no Sekai Executive Committee, which announced the event on October 16.

An autumn night out at a temple said to date from the Asuka period

Tokoin is a temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect whose mountain name is Sugaya-san and temple name Horyuji; its formal name is Sugaya-san Horyuji Tokoin. According to its official website, temple tradition holds that it was founded by the hermit Rishu Sennin in the 2nd year of Hakuho (673) and revived by the priest Shoraku Shonin in the 2nd year of Kanko (1005). It is said to have later been burned in the conflicts of the Entoku era and in a fire during the Meireki era. The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha). The press materials describe it as a temple said to have been founded in the Asuka period that has kept the Dharma lamp burning for more than 1,350 years.

The event aims to create opportunities for autumn night tourism and draw visitors to the area. It grew out of contact with the video production company Rextribe Inc., made through project planning at the Tamba branch of the Koyasan Shingon sect, to which Tokoin belongs. The background to the growing number of events showing castles, temples and shrines in night light around Japan is explained in Why Are Light-Ups and Projection Mapping at Cultural Properties on the Rise?.

Highlights: the glow of bamboo lanterns and projection mapping that uses the temple grounds

The bamboo lights use lanterns made in the “Bamboo Light Project” run by Suigen no Sato Kanbara and Kyoto Institute of Technology. In this initiative, students make lanterns under the guidance of local residents, using bamboo cut from neglected groves in the Kanbara district. The number of lanterns has not been announced.

The projection mapping makes use of the temple buildings and natural surroundings, on the theme “a world where the memory of prayers continuing from the past melts together with the light of today.” It is presented together with the bamboo lights in the precincts. The projection locations and screening times had not been given as of October 19.

The staging is by Rextribe, a production company based in Kyoto and Tokyo that handles video production, projection mapping and light-ups. The press materials list among its achievements the “Shine Hat” at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, the light-up of Ueno Toshogu Shrine, and productions at the five-story pagoda of Kaijusenji Temple and at Obakusan Manpukuji Temple.

Lighting ceremony on the first day, October 30: two different start times announced

On the first day, October 30, a lighting ceremony will be held in front of the main hall. According to the press materials of October 16, from 17:15 the chief priest will explain the purpose of the event and guests will give speeches, followed by a countdown to the simultaneous lighting at 17:30. The special page, however, lists the lighting ceremony at 18:00 (planned). Anyone visiting on the first day should check the latest information on the special page or elsewhere.

Tickets, prices and entry times

Entry is divided into three sessions; according to the special page, entry times are 17:30–18:15 for Session 1, 18:30–19:15 for Session 2 and 19:30–20:30 for Session 3. Adult tickets are limited to 120 per session. Advance tickets are sold only as web tickets, through the ticketing site “teket.” Same-day tickets can be bought at the reception desk at the venue.

Admission for adults is 1,500 yen in advance (web ticket) and 1,800 yen on the day. Junior high and high school students pay 1,000 yen and elementary school students 500 yen, both in advance and on the day, and preschool children are free. Visitors who show at the venue a receipt for 1,000 yen or more spent at a restaurant listed in the Ayabe City Tourism Association’s “Ayabe Gourmet Guide” (payments from October 1 to November 3) receive an omikuji fortune slip. Pupils of the local Ayabe Municipal Nakasuji and Higashi-Aya Elementary Schools are invited free of charge.

Access

According to Tokoin’s guidance, the temple is a 7-minute taxi ride from JR Ayabe Station. During the event, Parking Lot 1 (Tokoin’s parking lot) and Parking Lot 2 (Morii Parking) are available, and a free shuttle bus runs between Parking Lot 2 and the venue. Other night temple visits and light-ups in Kyoto Prefecture are gathered in [Autumn 2026] Night Visits, Light-Ups and Projection Mapping in Kyoto.

Overview

Name: Horyuji Tokoin “Kogen no Sekai” (World of Light and Illusion): Bamboo Lights × Projection Mapping
Dates: Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Hours: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30). Entry in three sessions
Venue: Horyuji Tokoin (7 Donooku, Kaminobu-cho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture)
Admission: Advance (web tickets only): adults 1,500 yen, junior high and high school students 1,000 yen, elementary school students 500 yen / Same-day: adults 1,800 yen, junior high and high school students 1,000 yen, elementary school students 500 yen / Preschool children free
Organizers: Horyuji Tokoin, Kogen no Sekai Executive Committee
Sponsors: Rextribe Inc., Takumi Komuten Co., Ltd., Seibu Keibi Hosho Co., Ltd.
Cooperation: Kyoto Institute of Technology, Suigen no Sato Kanbara
Supported by: Ayabe City Tourism Association, Ayabe Shimin Shimbun
Inquiries: Horyuji Tokoin (0773-42-2432)
Official website: https://www.tambatokoin.com/light-illusion
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Promotional visual for “Kogen no Sekai” (from a press release by Tokoin)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from Horyuji Tokoin (October 16, 2026) and information on its official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team