“Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” Wins a 2026 Good Design Award; More Than 300 Yokai from the Edo and Meiji Periods Brought to Life in Video and Sculpture

The immersive exhibition “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition,” which presents yokai drawn by painters of the Edo and Meiji periods through video and three-dimensional sculpture, has won a “2026 Good Design Award” from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. HITOHATA, INC., the award-winning company, announced this on October 15, 2026. The exhibition was held at three venues, in Nagoya, Tokyo and Kagoshima, from 2025 to 2026, drawing a cumulative total of more than 300,000 visitors.

*Disclosure: The “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” is an event for which HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, serves as a project organizer together with TV Aichi (About us).

What kind of exhibition? More than 300 yokai come to life

According to the press materials, the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” is an immersive art museum that animates more than 300 yokai drawn by Edo- and Meiji-period painters through video and three-dimensional sculpture. The award was given to “Exhibition [Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition ~imagination of japan~].” The project organizers are HITOHATA, INC. and TV Aichi, and the representative of the award recipients is Takeaki Higashiyama, CEO of HITOHATA, INC..

The techniques used include 3DCG, Live2D, holographic screens, projection mapping, spatial audio and three-dimensional sculpture. As the exhibition’s Japanese title (literally “Yokai That Start to Move”) suggests, its distinctive feature is bringing yokai to life through both video and three-dimensional sculpture.

What did the judges praise?

The judges’ evaluation comment first points out that since the huge success of immersive experiences of famous paintings about 15 years ago, many similar works of immersive art have been created.

On that basis, the judges praised this exhibition for choosing the lens of “yokai” rather than a specific artist and for curating yokai art drawn by multiple painters from the Edo to the Meiji period, thereby retelling Japan’s yokai culture to people today. They also cited the way it skillfully uses a variety of techniques to create a new, three-dimensional immersive experience.

Dates and visitor numbers at the three venues

• Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition NAGOYA: Saturday, July 19 – Tuesday, September 23, 2025 (national holiday), Kanayama Minami Building Museum Wing (former Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts). More than 120,000 visitors

• Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition TOKYO: Friday, March 27 – Sunday, June 28, 2026, Terrada Warehouse G1 Building. More than 110,000 visitors

• Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition KAGOSHIMA: Friday, July 3 – Monday, August 31, 2026, Special Exhibition Room 1, Reimeikan, Kagoshima Prefectural Center for Historical Material. More than 80,000 visitors

All three venues have closed, and the next edition had not been announced as of October 19.

From ukiyo-e to yokai: the spread of immersive exhibitions

HITOHATA, INC. also produces the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” series, based on ukiyo-e. The company says the series has drawn a cumulative total of more than 700,000 visitors in 11 cities in Japan and abroad (announced September 23, 2026). From November 6, “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” will be held at the Gifu City Museum of History, and in spring 2027 the permanent facility “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA” is scheduled to open in Ginza, Tokyo. Among HITOHATA, INC.’s other works, the Senso-ji projection received an Excellence Award at the Projection Mapping Tokyo Award, and its awards in 2025–2026 are summarized in our article on the awards for the Senso-ji projection.

Editor’s perspective

As the judges point out, many similar immersive works have been created since immersive exhibitions of famous paintings spread. Taking that situation as a premise, this evaluation comment sheds light on the curatorial aspect of “what to choose and how to weave it together,” along with the skillful use of technology.

The approach of cutting across the works of multiple painters through the theme of yokai, rather than through an artist, is also close to the thinking behind a museum’s special exhibition. It offers a clue for paying attention, when viewing an immersive exhibition, to which works it uses as material and how it is structured. The history of the series is introduced in our explainer on the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition”.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of exhibition is the YOKAI Immersive Experience Exhibition?

It is an immersive art museum that brings to life more than 300 yokai painted by Edo- and Meiji-period artists through video and sculptural works. It uses techniques including 3DCG, Live2D, holographic screens, projection mapping, spatial audio and three-dimensional sculpture. It is run by HITOHATA, INC. and TV Aichi.

Where has it been held, and how many people have visited?

It has been held at three venues: Nagoya (July 19 to September 23, 2025; more than 120,000 visitors), Tokyo (March 27 to June 28, 2026; more than 110,000) and Kagoshima (July 3 to August 31, 2026; more than 80,000), drawing more than 300,000 visitors in total.

What did the Good Design Award judges praise?

The judges praised the choice of “yokai,” rather than a single artist, as its theme, curating yokai art by multiple artists from the Edo to Meiji periods to convey Japan’s yokai culture anew to people today, and its use of a variety of techniques to create a new, three-dimensional immersive experience.

Award overview

Award: 2026 Good Design Award (organized by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion)
Award-winning entry: Exhibition [Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition ~imagination of japan~]
Award number: 26G171224
Award-winning company: HITOHATA, INC.
Project organizers: HITOHATA, INC., TV Aichi
Announced: October 15, 2026
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

HITOHATA, INC.’s company profile, history and awards are summarized in our profile of HITOHATA, INC..

For Japan’s representative yokai and yokai art by the Night Parade scrolls, Toriyama Sekien, Hokusai, Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi, see Famous Japanese Yokai and Masterpieces of Yokai Art.

*Top image: From a press release by HITOHATA, INC.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from HITOHATA, INC. (October 15 and September 23, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” is an event for which HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, serves as a project organizer 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.