Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU from November 6 at the Gifu City Museum of History; Venue-Exclusive Scenes of Nobunaga and Cormorant Fishing

The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” will be held from Friday, November 6, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday) in the 1st-floor Special Exhibition Room of the Gifu City Museum of History (in Gifu Park). The exhibition turns more than 300 ukiyo-e prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and others into immersive digital art using 3DCG animation and projection mapping. Exclusive to the Gifu venue, it also presents original content in which ukiyo-e of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing come to life. Same-day tickets cost 1,500 yen for adults (high school age and over) and 700 yen for elementary and junior high school students (advance ticket sales ended on November 5), and the same ticket also covers the General Exhibition Room (permanent exhibition) on the 2nd floor.

*Disclosure: The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” is an event in which HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, participates as a member of the organizing executive committee and handles planning and production together with TV Aichi (About us).

An immersive ukiyo-e exhibition that has toured 11 cities in Japan and abroad comes to Gifu

The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” began in Nagoya in summer 2023, and HITOHATA, INC. has announced that it has drawn more than 700,000 visitors in total across 11 cities in Japan and abroad. The Paris exhibition, held from March to August 2026, reportedly recorded 150,000 visitors. The series has also received an Excellence Award in the Project category of the “CJPF Award 2025” and a Gold Award at the “MUSE Creative Awards 2026.”

The Gifu exhibition is billed as a “Special Exhibition Commemorating the Renewal of the Gifu City Museum of History and the 145th Anniversary of the Gifu Shimbun.” It is organized by the Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU Executive Committee, made up of Gifu City, the Gifu Shimbun, Gifu Broadcasting System, HITOHATA, INC. and TV Aichi. Planning and production are by HITOHATA, INC. and TV Aichi, and Masumi Horiguchi serves as ukiyo-e adviser.

In spring 2027, the series plans to open its first permanent venue, the “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA,” in Ginza, Tokyo.

What can be seen? Video spaces and venue-exclusive scenes of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing

The exhibition draws on more than 300 works by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku, Utagawa Kunisada and others. The official website introduces “The World of Indigo” (about 8 minutes), in which visitors experience the depiction of water, and the “Space of Flowers, Birds, Wind and Moon” (about 7 minutes), colored by the changing seasons. Other video spaces include “Heroes Together” (about 4 minutes) and “Edo Pop Culture” (about 9 minutes), and each space loops footage of about 3 to 10 minutes.

The ukiyo-e used in the footage are also introduced, so visitors can compare them as they view. There are also displays with commentary of ukiyo-e printed in the Edo period and of reproductions, some with easy-to-understand explanations for children in the second grade of elementary school and older. The route is one-way, and once you move on to the next room you cannot go back.

As original content exclusive to the Gifu venue, the exhibition presents scenes in which ukiyo-e of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing come to life. Other details are to be announced later.

Almost everything in the venue, including the Edo-period ukiyo-e and reproductions, may be photographed or filmed, and posting on social media is unrestricted. Some content shown on monitors cannot be photographed, and visitors are asked to refrain from using flash or tripods. As a rough guide, the video spaces alone take about 30 minutes, about 1 hour 30 minutes including the commentary, and about 2 hours to enjoy everything while taking photos.

As a related event, a lecture, “Ukiyo-e Dyed in Japan Blue: Focusing on Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi,” will be held in the museum’s 1st-floor auditorium on Saturday, November 28, from 14:00 to 15:30. The lecturer is Mayumi Sugawara, professor at Osaka Metropolitan University. Admission is free, but an exhibition ticket (valid for that day only) must be shown; capacity is 170 (first come, first served). Applications are accepted through the form on the Gifu City Museum of History website or by phone (058-265-0010) until 17:00 on Friday, November 27.

Tickets, prices and who is admitted free

Admission is 1,300 yen in advance and 1,500 yen on the day for adults (high school students and older), and 500 yen in advance and 700 yen on the day for elementary and junior high school students; preschool children are free. The same ticket also covers the General Exhibition Room (permanent exhibition) on the 2nd floor of the Gifu City Museum of History. Groups of 20 or more pay the advance price, and group discount tickets are sold only at the venue.

Holders of a physical disability certificate, a mental disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate or similar, and one caregiver, are admitted free (Mirairo ID accepted). On the Family Days, Sunday, November 15 and Sunday, December 20, junior high school students and younger are admitted free, and elementary and junior high school students in Gifu City (grades 1–9 of compulsory education schools) are also free. Proof is required in all cases.

Advance tickets are on sale from 10:00 on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 to 23:59 on Thursday, November 5, and same-day tickets from 0:00 on Friday, November 6 to 16:30 on Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday). Online, tickets are available through asoview!, Lawson Ticket, e+, Rakuten Travel, Ticket Pia, Boo-Woo Ticket and CLOUD PASS. Tickets bought anywhere other than CLOUD PASS must be exchanged at the venue reception for an admission ticket with a QR code. Tickets can also be bought at 7-Eleven (P-code 996-255), Lawson and Ministop (L-code 41429) and FamilyMart, and at ticket machines at the venue.

Two discounts are also available during the exhibition. Visitors who come in Japanese clothing, such as kimono, furisode, hakama, yukata or jinbei, and visitors who show the JAF app coupon at the venue (up to four people, including the holder) get 200 yen off same-day tickets bought at the venue. In both cases, discounted tickets are bought from the ticket machines at the venue and cannot be combined with other offers or coupons. Details are introduced in our article on the collaboration with Gifu Park’s Gifu Castle Rakuichi.

Opening hours, closing days and access

Opening hours are 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). The museum is closed on Mondays (open on Monday, November 23 and Monday, January 11, both national holidays), on Tuesday, November 24 and from Monday, December 28 to Monday, January 4. Depending on crowds, visitors may have to wait to enter.

From JR Gifu Station or Meitetsu Gifu Station, take a Gifu Bus N-line bus (via Nagarabashi) and get off at “Gifu Koen / Gifu-jo,” a 3- to 5-minute walk away. By car, it is about 15 minutes from JR Gifu Station and Meitetsu Gifu Station; use the Gifu Park parking lot or nearby parking.

The venue, the Gifu City Museum of History, had been closed since October 23, 2025 for the renewal of its General Exhibition Room and reopened on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday). During the exhibition, Gifu Castle Rakuichi next door and other shops sell collaboration products with ukiyo-e motifs, and according to the official website, buyers of eligible products receive a “discount flyer” for reduced admission. Facilities and winter events in Gifu Park, as well as the closing days of Gifu Castle and the ropeway, are compiled in our Gifu Park art guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a visit take?

According to the official website, allow about 30 minutes for the video spaces alone, about 1 hour 30 minutes if you also read the commentary, and about 2 hours to enjoy everything while taking photos.

Can I take photos and videos?

Yes. Almost everything in the venue, including Edo-period ukiyo-e and reproductions, may be photographed, and posting on social media is unrestricted. Some content shown on monitors cannot be photographed, and visitors are asked to refrain from using flash and tripods.

Is there a discount for coming in kimono?

Yes. Visitors who come in Japanese clothing get 200 yen off same-day tickets bought at the venue’s ticket machines. Like the JAF app coupon discount, it cannot be combined with other discounts.

Can I also see the permanent exhibition?

Yes. The admission fee also covers the General Exhibition Room (permanent exhibition) on the 2nd floor. Depending on crowds, visitors may have to wait to enter the General Exhibition Room.

What are the opening hours and closed days?

9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). The exhibition is closed on Mondays (but open on the national holidays of Monday, November 23 and Monday, January 11), as well as on Tuesday, November 24 and from Monday, December 28 to Monday, January 4.

How much are tickets, and where can I buy them?

Advance ticket sales ended on November 5, and same-day tickets are now on sale: 1,500 yen for adults (high school age and over) and 700 yen for elementary and junior high school students, with free admission for preschoolers. Besides the ticket machines at the venue, tickets are sold online through asoview!, Lawson Ticket, e+, Ticket Pia and others, and at convenience stores.

Can I go by car? Is there parking?

It is about 15 minutes by car from JR Gifu Station and Meitetsu Gifu Station; use the Gifu Park parking lot or nearby parking. By bus, take a Gifu Bus N-line bus (via Nagarabashi) from either station and get off at “Gifu Koen / Gifu-jo,” a 3- to 5-minute walk away.

Editor’s perspective

As an attempt to add local subject matter to a touring exhibition, Nobunaga and cormorant fishing were chosen for Gifu. Gifu Park, where the venue is located, contains the site of Oda Nobunaga’s residence, the “Lord Nobunaga’s Residence Ruins.” From January 30, 2027, “Gifu Light Story 2027,” which includes projections inspired by cormorant fishing on the Nagara River and other motifs, will be held in Gifu Park and nearby. Both events are planned and produced by HITOHATA, INC., so from November through February, the subjects of Nobunaga and cormorant fishing will be taken up one after the other in Gifu Park.

Another distinctive feature is that the same ticket also covers the General Exhibition Room (permanent exhibition) on the museum’s 2nd floor. A digitally staged exhibition can prompt visitors to go on to the museum’s permanent exhibition. Together with free admission for elementary and junior high school students in Gifu City, the question is whether it will work as a gateway that draws local visitors into the museum.

Overview

Name: Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU (Special Exhibition Commemorating the Renewal of the Gifu City Museum of History and the 145th Anniversary of the Gifu Shimbun)
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 and Monday, January 11, national holidays), Tuesday, November 24, Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4
Venue: Gifu City Museum of History, 1F Special Exhibition Room (in Gifu Park)
Address: 2-18-1 Omiya-cho, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) 1,300 yen in advance, 1,500 yen on the day; elementary and junior high school students 500 yen in advance, 700 yen on the day; free for preschool children (includes the 2F General Exhibition Room)
Discounts: 200 yen off same-day tickets for visitors in Japanese clothing and for those showing the JAF app coupon (up to four people, including the holder) (purchase at the venue’s ticket machines; cannot be combined with other discounts)
Organizer: Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU Executive Committee (Gifu City, Gifu Shimbun, Gifu Broadcasting System, HITOHATA, INC., TV Aichi)
Planning and production: HITOHATA, INC., TV Aichi
Official website: https://www.ukiyoeimmersiveart.com/gifu
*Information as of October 31, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

For the projection mapping shows at Tsuruga-jo Castle, Osaka City Central Public Hall and Hiroshima Castle this winter, see the dates and admission in our winter 2026–27 events guide.

*Top image: from a press release by TV Aichi Broadcasting Co., Ltd.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press releases from HITOHATA, INC. (September 23, October 21 and October 28, 2026), the official website and the website of the Gifu City Museum of History (viewed October 31, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” is an event in which HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, participates as a member of the organizing executive committee and handles planning and production together with TV Aichi (About us).

The latest information on events produced by HITOHATA, INC. is available at HITOHATA, INC.’s event information. Inquiries about hosting or co-organizing the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” and the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” are accepted through the company’s contact form.