“Yoyogi Forest of Lights” Opens November 13 with 17 Light Zones Along 1.8 km of Yoyogi Park

On October 1, 2026, the Yoyogi Forest of Lights Executive Committee announced that it will hold the immersive illumination event “ACN presents Yoyogi Forest of Lights: Hikari no Mori” in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo. It runs from Friday, November 13 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), open 17:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00). A course of about 1.8 km is set up in the park’s cycling course area, where visitors walk through 17 light zones. The event is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

A first for Yoyogi Park, inspired by European winter illuminations

According to the announcement, many countries in Europe hold illuminations in parks and other natural spaces as a way of enjoying the long winter nights, bringing locals and tourists together. This event was planned with that European illumination culture as its motif.

The first illumination to be held in Yoyogi Park, it is also a new project, supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to encourage nighttime use of the park. At “ARTE TOKYO (Tokyo International Culture and Arts Festival),” held from October to December, it has been designated a highlight program for the Yoyogi and Shibuya area. The organizers say they aim for it to become a new seasonal tradition that brightens Tokyo’s winters. The special partner is ACN Group, and the official card is Mastercard.

Also in Yoyogi Park, the outdoor exhibition of MEET YOUR ART FESTIVAL Annex will be held at Panorama Square from December 4 to 27. It too is listed as an ARTE TOKYO highlight program, so during the festival two programs will run in different parts of the park.

What can visitors see? 17 zones and features for the “five senses”

According to the official website, walking the roughly 1.8 km course reveals 17 light zones (“hero pieces”), each with a different character. “Rainbow Road” is a path lit underfoot in seven colors, “Laser Lane” is a space of blue lasers that envelops the whole body, and “Tree Spirals” are rings of light wrapping the trees in spirals. There is also “Avenue of Planets,” where a fantastical journey unfolds at your feet, “Mystic Path,” a forest trail lit with blue lines, and “Yoyogi Illuminated,” where visitors can take commemorative photos with a light-up “YOYOGI” sign.

Some zones are combined with music. In “Twinkly Light House,” houses of light sparkle as if dancing to the melody of “Bicycle Race,” and in “Floral Fantasia,” trees are decorated with flowers to the “Waltz of the Flowers.” Other zones include “London Skyline,” recreating London’s cityscape, “Bubble Path,” where soap bubbles dance beyond a mist, and “Lumière Dome,” a dome of light. “Cathedral of Lights” is reportedly designed so that singing voices ring out as visitors pass through layers of arches of light.

The announcement highlights interactive effects that let visitors feel the light with their whole bodies and lists elements that appeal to the five senses: gradations of light coloring the trees (sight), music and ambient sounds echoing through the forest (hearing), the scent of trees carried on the winter air (smell), lights that change in step with visitors’ movements (touch) and a food and drink area (taste). According to the official website, the food area will feature food trucks and food booths, with Malins and NarraTive introduced as vendors. Vendors and menus will be announced as they are decided.

Tickets and prices: No same-day ticket booth

Tickets are sold through ticket agencies such as Lawson Ticket and TBS Ticket, and there is no same-day ticket booth at the venue. Tickets for November admission went on sale on Thursday, October 1, and those for December onward on Thursday, October 15. Tickets cannot be used on any date other than the one purchased.

According to the price table on the official website (tax included), early-bird tickets (valid November 13–30) cost ¥2,400 for adults (university students and older), ¥1,200 for junior high and high school students (ages 13–18) and ¥500 for elementary school students (ages 6–12). Regular tickets (valid on regular weekdays) cost ¥3,200 for adults, ¥1,600 for junior high and high school students and ¥800 for elementary school students. Admission in November is offered at early-bird prices. For prices on weekends, holidays and during the Christmas period (December 23–25, 2026), visitors are asked to check the ticket sales page. Preschool children are admitted free when accompanied by a guardian, up to two per guardian.

Access and notes: Held rain or shine, pets welcome

It is about a 3-minute walk from Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line, Meiji-jingumae Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines, and Yoyogi-koen Station on the Chiyoda Line, and about a 6-minute walk from Yoyogi-Hachiman Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line. No parking is provided, and visitors are asked to use public transportation.

The event is held even in the rain but may be suspended in snow or severe weather. Re-entry is not permitted. Pets are allowed, and visitors can enter with wheelchairs or strollers, though there are no rentals or storage. Smoking is prohibited in the park; visitors are asked not to bring bicycles or other vehicles, or certain photographic equipment, into the event area during opening hours, and lighting equipment, reflectors and stepladders are prohibited.

Editor’s perspective

This is an attempt to use the night in a large park in central Tokyo for a paid light event that visitors walk through. Supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and positioned as a project to encourage nighttime use of the park, it differs in origin from the winter decorations of commercial facilities. Prices vary by period and day of the week, with weekend, holiday and Christmas-period prices shown on the sales page. Other light events in Tokyo are compiled in our roundup of illuminations in Tokyo and the Kanto region, and an overview of ARTE TOKYO in our article on ARTE TOKYO.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Yoyogi Forest of Lights run, and what are the hours?

It runs from Friday, November 13, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), open from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. (last entry at 9:00 p.m.). It is held in the cycling course area of Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, with 17 light zones along a course of about 1.8 km.

How much are tickets? Are same-day tickets available?

According to the price list on the official website (tax included), early-bird tickets (November 13–30) cost 2,400 yen for adults, 1,200 yen for junior high and high school students and 500 yen for elementary school students, and regular tickets (regular weekdays) cost 3,200 yen, 1,600 yen and 800 yen respectively. Prices for weekends, holidays and the Christmas period (December 23–25) are shown on the ticket sales pages. Tickets are sold through ticketing services, and there is no same-day ticket booth at the venue.

Is it held in the rain?

Yes, it is held rain or shine, and pets are welcome. It is about a three-minute walk from each of the nearest stations: JR Harajuku Station and Meiji-jingumae and Yoyogi-koen stations on the Tokyo Metro.

Overview

Name: ACN presents Yoyogi Forest of Lights: Hikari no Mori
Dates: Friday, November 13, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 17:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00)
Venue: Yoyogi Park (cycling course area)
Address: 2-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Admission: Early-bird tickets (November 13–30): adults ¥2,400, junior high and high school students ¥1,200, elementary school students ¥500. Regular tickets (regular weekdays): adults ¥3,200, junior high and high school students ¥1,600, elementary school students ¥800 (tax included). For weekends, holidays and the Christmas period, check the ticket sales page. Preschool children free with a guardian
Tickets: Lawson Ticket, TBS Ticket and others (no same-day ticket booth)
Organizer: Yoyogi Forest of Lights Executive Committee
Special partner: ACN Group
Supporter: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Official website: https://www.yoyogiforestoflights.tokyo/
*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: The light zone “Floral Fantasia” (from Yoyogi Forest of Lights Executive Committee’s press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on an announcement by the Yoyogi Forest of Lights Executive Committee (October 1, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team