[2026–2027] Projection Mapping and Light Events in Tokyo: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Yoyogi, Takeshiba and More

In Tokyo, the permanent TOKYO Night & Light, which projects images onto the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building, is screened daily except in bad weather and similar conditions, and from November the first show starts at 17:30. Limited-time events begin at Yoyogi Park on November 13, Tokyo Big Sight on the 14th, Takeshiba, Takanawa, Oimachi and Yaesu on the 19th, and the KK Line on the 21st. This article introduces seven events in order of their dates, presenting showtimes, admission, organizers and producers in the same format, and also touches on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s strategy, grants and ordinances.

Quick guide by date (as of October 22, 2026)

• Permanent: TOKYO Night & Light (Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building; free)

• Friday, November 13 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday): Yoyogi Forest of Lights (Yoyogi Park; ticketed)

• Saturday, November 14: Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Vol. 11 Final Screening (Tokyo Big Sight; free)

• Thursday, November 19 – Sunday, January 31, 2027: LIGHTBEATS (Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi; free)

• Thursday, November 19 – Friday, December 25: MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026 (Tokyo Midtown Yaesu; free)

• Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, November 29: Roof Park Art Fes 2026 (KK Line; ticketed)

How the Tokyo Metropolitan Government supports light shows: strategy, an international competition, grants and ordinances

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government positions TOKYO Night & Light at its government building as an initiative to advance “Promoting nighttime tourism” under Strategy 14 (Tourism) of its 2050 Tokyo Strategy. The project began in February 2024; cumulative viewers passed 1 million in October 2025 and reached 1.55 million as of an announcement on August 7, 2026. The official website cites Guinness World Records certification for the “Largest projection mapping display on a building (permanent)” (13,904.956 m²).

At the light festival TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 (Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 31, 2026), an international competition, the 1minute Projection Mapping Competition, was held using the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building as the projection surface. According to the organizers, there were 412 entries from 65 countries and regions, and about 80,000 people attended over the nine days. It was organized by the Projection Mapping International Award TOKYO Executive Committee and co-organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Grants are available for events by municipalities and private organizers. The Projection Mapping Promotion Support Grant from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau covers events that project images matched to the shape of buildings and other three-dimensional objects, as well as drone shows. New projects can receive up to two-thirds of eligible costs (capped at ¥25 million), and the third round of applications for fiscal 2026 is open until Monday, November 30.

The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau also organizes the Projection Mapping Tokyo Award, which honors projection mapping staged in Tokyo. For works from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, three works, including the top-prize “Elder Shibusawa’s Banquet,” were chosen from 45 entries. Each program is summarized in our roundup of subsidies for illuminations and projection mapping.

Rules on display have also been set. Through an amendment that took effect on July 1, 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising Ordinance set out how projection mapping is handled. Displays shown for a limited period, for example at public-interest events, can go ahead without a permit if they meet the standards in the regulations and guidelines. There is also a system under which the governor designates “projection mapping utilization districts.”

Check the specific procedures with the relevant office.

Permanent: TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

TOKYO Night & Light (Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building)

Year-round screenings in which the work changes from show to show. Since August 23, “Otonablue” and “TTTTOKYO,” set to songs by ATARASHII GAKKO!, have been screened. On October 9, “Until It Reaches You” by the Video and Broadcast Production Club of Tokyo Metropolitan Sogo Geijutsu High School was added, and the lineup also includes two works themed on Godzilla. Highlights of the works are compiled in our guide to TOKYO Night & Light.

Dates: Year-round (started February 2024; screened daily except in bad weather, etc.)
Hours: According to the annual screening schedule, shows in November, December and January start at 17:30, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30 and 21:30; in October at 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30 and 21:30
Shows: About 15 minutes each. The showings for each work are published in the timetable “From Sunday, November 1, 2026” on the official website
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
Venue and address: Projected onto the east wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government No. 1 Building and viewed from the Citizens’ Plaza (2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
Access: Directly connected to Tochomae Station on the Toei Oedo Line. About a 10-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Shinjuku Station or from Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Government; Tokyo Projection Mapping Executive Committee
Planning and production: Varies by work. For “Otonablue” and “TTTTOKYO,” overall supervision and planning are by Omnibus Japan and SIGNIF; for the two Godzilla works, planning and supervision are by Toho Co., Ltd.; “Until It Reaches You” was produced by the Video and Broadcast Production Club of Tokyo Metropolitan Sogo Geijutsu High School

Limited-time projection mapping and light events (by date)

Yoyogi Forest of Lights – Forest of Light – (Yoyogi Park)

A ticketed illumination in which visitors walk a course of about 1.8 km laid out in Yoyogi Park’s cycling course area, passing through 17 zones of light. It is a project, backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to encourage nighttime use of Yoyogi Park. At ARTE TOKYO (Tokyo International Culture and Arts Festival), it is positioned as a highlight program for the Yoyogi and Shibuya area.

Dates: Friday, November 13, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 17:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00)
Shows: 17 zones of light along a course of about 1.8 km
Admission: Early-bird (November 13–30): adults (university students and older) ¥2,400, junior high and high school students ¥1,200, elementary school students ¥500. Regular weekdays: adults ¥3,200, junior high and high school students ¥1,600, elementary school students ¥800. For weekends, national holidays and the Christmas period (December 23–25), check the ticket sales page. Preschool children free when accompanied by a guardian
Reservations: Buy date-specified tickets from Lawson Ticket, TBS Ticket or Asoview!. There is no same-day ticket counter
Venue and address: Yoyogi Park (2-1 Yoyogi-Kamizonocho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Access: About a 3-minute walk from Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line, Yoyogi-koen Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line and other stations
Organizer: Yoyogi Forest of Lights Executive Committee (supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government)
Planning and production: Not stated on the official website
In case of rain: Held rain or shine (may be suspended in snow or severe weather)
Parking: None
Photography: Lighting equipment, reflectors and stepladders may not be brought in, and live streaming in the park is prohibited

Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Vol. 11 Final Screening (Tokyo Big Sight)

The final of PMA TOKYO, an international contest in which works are projected onto buildings and spaces with light and video. Works created on the theme “ReBORN” are projected onto the inverted-pyramid exterior wall of Tokyo Big Sight’s Conference Tower (94 m wide × 30 m high), followed by an awards ceremony from 19:30. The finalists had not been announced as of October 22; a June 2 press release said they would be announced on Friday, October 30.

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Hours: Doors open 16:30; opening 17:30; screening 18:00–19:00; awards ceremony and closing 19:30–20:00
Shows: Finalist works projected during the 18:00–19:00 screening
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
Venue and address: Plaza in front of the Conference Tower, Tokyo Big Sight (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo)
Access: 3-minute walk from Tokyo Big Sight Station on the Yurikamome; 7-minute walk from Kokusai-tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line
Organizer: PMA TOKYO Executive Committee
Planning and production: The competition is planned and produced by ULTRA PLANET Inc. Finalist works and their creators had not been announced as of October 22

LIGHTBEATS – Pulse of Light – (Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi)

A light installation by JR East that links the three districts of Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi through light and sound. Sensors capture visitors’ movements, and the three districts send signals to one another. Examples of the announced content include floor projection mapping linked across the three districts and effects that appear when you tap a Suica card.

Dates: Thursday, November 19, 2026 – Sunday, January 31, 2027
Hours: 17:30–23:05 (planned)
Shows: Content that generates light and sound as people pass through, fountains synchronized with light, floor projection mapping linked across the three districts, and more
Admission: Free
Reservations: No reservation information in the press materials
Venue and address: WATERS takeshiba (1-10-30 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo), TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY (2-21-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, and other locations), OIMACHI TRACKS (2-2-9 Hiromachi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
Access: WATERS takeshiba is a 6-minute walk from the North Exit of Hamamatsucho Station; OIMACHI TRACKS is directly connected to Oimachi Station (per each facility’s official website)
Organizer: East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
Planning and production: Not stated in the press materials as of October 22

MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026 (Tokyo Midtown Yaesu)

A Christmas event themed on the canals and boats found around Yaesu in the Edo period. In “MIRAGE VOYAGE: A Winter Voyage Reflecting the Sparkle,” which treats the roughly 40 m galleria as a ship’s route, a special light-and-sound show takes place every 10 minutes. Tokujin Yoshioka’s sculpture “STAR” in front of the main entrance is also lit up.

Dates: Thursday, November 19 – Friday, December 25, 2026 (the curtain-style illumination “YAESU WINTER LIGHTS” runs until Sunday, February 14, 2027)
Hours: 16:00–23:00
Shows: A special light-and-sound show every 10 minutes in MIRAGE VOYAGE
Admission: Free
Reservations: No reservation information in the press materials
Venue and address: Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, 1F Galleria and other areas (Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Access: Directly connected underground via the Yaesu Underground Mall from JR Tokyo Station and Tokyo Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Organizer: Yaesu 2-chome North District Area Management (general incorporated association)
Planning and production: Not stated in the press materials

Roof Park Art Fes 2026 (KK Line)

An art event that opens the elevated space of the former Tokyo Expressway (KK Line) only at night. Part of the “Roof Park Project” promoted by Tokyo Kosoku Doro Co., Ltd., it is positioned as a highlight program of ARTE TOKYO. The main installation is by YOSHIROTTEN. Works on display include “INVISIBLE: A Signal of River,” which converts past photographs and data into video and floats glowing orange orbs in the night sky.

Dates: Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, November 29, 2026
Hours: 17:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00)
Shows: Four main installation works. On Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29, Setouchi Circus Factory performs the contemporary circus piece “SHIODOME SPACE-KK-RAFT” once each day (starting at 19:00, about 50 minutes)
Admission: ¥800 on weekdays, ¥1,000 on weekends and national holidays, ¥1,500 with the special performance (November 28 and 29)
Reservations: Date-and-time-specified tickets (sold on Peatix; also available through the ticket exchange function of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s official app)
Venue and address: KK Line (former Tokyo Expressway). The general entrance is the Nishi-Ginza Entrance (1-2-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Access: About a 1-minute walk from Exit 3 of Ginza-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line
Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Kosoku Doro Co., Ltd. (listed as co-organizers on the official website)
Planning and production: Creative director Seiichi Saito; art director Yoshiaki Irobe
Time required: About one hour to view
In case of rain: Held rain or shine (content may change or the event may be canceled in strong winds or severe weather)
Photography: Tripods, monopods and other camera-support equipment may not be brought in

Illuminations in Tokyo and the Kanto region are introduced in our roundup of illuminations in Tokyo and the Kanto region, and projection mapping across Japan in our roundup of projection mapping and light events nationwide.

Editor’s perspective

In Tokyo’s light shows, the metropolitan government plays several roles. It organizes the permanent screenings at its government building, co-organizes an international competition, offers grants together with the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau, and sets display rules through the outdoor advertising ordinance. Among the limited-time events listed here, too, the metropolitan government backs the Yoyogi event and is listed among the organizers of Roof Park Art Fes.

On the other hand, how creators are credited differs from event to event. The list of works at the government building gives production credits for each work, while the press materials for LIGHTBEATS and the Yoyogi and Yaesu events did not name a production company as of October 22. Alongside showtimes and admission, being able to confirm who planned and produced a show is also part of the information that conveys a light event.

Frequently asked questions

Which events are free?

Events listed as free in official announcements include TOKYO Night & Light, the PMA TOKYO Vol. 11 Final Screening, LIGHTBEATS and MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026. Yoyogi Forest of Lights and Roof Park Art Fes 2026 are ticketed, and tickets are bought for a specific entry date (for Roof Park, a specific date and time).

From November, what time do the screenings at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building start?

According to the annual screening schedule on the official website, in November, December and January the first show is at 17:30 and the last at 21:30. Each show lasts about 15 minutes, and the showings for each work can be checked in the timetable from Sunday, November 1.

What happens on rainy days?

TOKYO Night & Light is screened daily except in bad weather and similar conditions. Yoyogi Forest of Lights and Roof Park Art Fes 2026 are held rain or shine, but may be suspended or canceled in severe weather and similar conditions.

*Information as of October 22, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

How “City of Water: Edo Outer Moat” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building ties in with the regeneration of the Edo Castle outer moat (the Sotobori Purification Project) is explained in our article on the work and the Sotobori Purification Project.

*Top image: The projection mapping TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (from the TOKYO Night & Light PR Office’s press release announcing the release of the work “Until It Reaches You”)

*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 22, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Among the events introduced in this article, “Edo, City of Water: The Outer Moat,” one of the works screened at TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026 at Senso-ji are produced, and planned and produced, respectively, by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

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

Two videos of about six minutes each, themed on Senso-ji’s 1,400 years of history and culture, are projected in alternation onto the south sides of the temple’s Main Hall and Hozomon Gate. During the same period, the paid “Senso-ji Place of Scenic Beauty Denboin Garden / Emado Special Viewing” is also held. Details are in our article on the Senso-ji projection mapping.

Dates: Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday)
Hours: 18:00–21:30
Shows: Different videos of about six minutes each projected in alternation onto the Main Hall and Hozomon Gate
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
Venue and address: Senso-ji Main Hall and Hozomon Gate (2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Access: About a 5-minute walk from Asakusa Station on the Tobu Skytree Line, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tsukuba Express and Toei Asakusa Line (Exit A4)
Organizer: Asakusa Culture & Lights Executive Committee

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 city architecture are accepted through the company’s contact form.