#Light Art

[Autumn 2026] A Guide to Asakusa at Night: Senso-ji Illuminations, an Observation Terrace, and Important Cultural Property Gates and Shrine Halls

Senso-ji’s Main Hall and Five-Story Pagoda are illuminated every night until around 23:00, and until November 3 video is also projected onto the Main Hall and Hozomon Gate. The observation terrace of the Kengo Kuma–designed tourist center is free until 22:00. We put together a route for exploring Asakusa at night, including gates and shrine halls designated Important Cultural Properties.

[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in the Tokai Region: Nabana no Sato, LAGUNA TEN BOSCH, Shirakawa-go and More

Nabana no Sato’s illumination runs until Monday, May 31, 2027, and the Shirakawa-go Light-Up takes place on four days in January. Including LAGUNA TEN BOSCH, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens and Izu’s Gran Illumi, we have compiled 17 light events across the four Tokai prefectures from official announcements.

[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in Hokuriku and Koshinetsu: Kenrokuen, Gokayama, Zenko-ji, Tsuruga Port and More

The Zenko-ji Omotesando Illumination begins on Saturday, November 14, and the “NIIGATA Pageant of Light” south of Niigata Station on Friday, November 20. Including the winter light-ups at Kenrokuen and Gokayama, we have compiled 16 events across six prefectures in Hokuriku and Koshinetsu from official announcements.

[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in Chugoku and Shikoku: Hiroshima Dreamination, Tottori Hanakairo, Shiromine-ji and More

We have compiled, by prefecture, 15 light events in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions from November to February, including Hiroshima Dreamination, which has moved its start to December 4; Tottori Hanakairo with its one million lights; and the special night viewing at Shiromine-ji Temple. Dates, prices and whether reservations are required were checked against official announcements.

[2026–2027] Winter Illuminations and Snow Lights in Tohoku and Hokkaido: Pageant of Starlight, Kamakura, Snow Festivals and More

Sendai’s “SENDAI Pageant of Starlight” begins on Friday, December 4, and the “Sapporo White Illumination” on Friday, November 20. Including the snow festivals and snow lights of February 2027, we have sorted out the light and snow events of Tohoku and Hokkaido from official announcements.

[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in Kyushu and Okinawa: Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki Lantern Festival and More

We have compiled, by prefecture, 16 light events in Kyushu and Okinawa from November to February, including teamLab at the Fukuoka Castle ruins for the first time in seven years, Huis Ten Bosch’s lights renewed for the first time in 16 years and the Nagasaki Lantern Festival opening on February 5. Dates, prices and whether reservations are required were checked against official announcements.

[2026–2027] Upcoming Drone Shows in Japan: Dates and Fleet Sizes for 11 Shows, Including 1,300 Drones in Nagano, Wakayama and Ueno

We have compiled drone shows in Japan from November 2026 to March 2027 from announcements by organizers and operators, covering 11 shows—including about 1,300 drones in Nagano, 1,000 at Wakayama Castle, Ueno, Tomamu and New Year’s Eve in Kobe—along with the situation in Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka.

How to Hold a Drone Show: Cost Estimates, Civil Aviation Act Permits and Approvals, Local Government Contracts and Grants

Because drone shows fly at night and over event venues, they require national permits and approvals and a budget commensurate with fleet size and number of shows. Based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s review guidelines and local governments’ calls for proposals, we sorted out the procedures, real examples of costs and Tokyo’s grants.

GLOW Eindhoven 2026 Opens November 7 with the Theme “CONNECT” and the City’s First Drone Show

GLOW, the light festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, opened on November 7. The theme is “CONNECT.” The roughly 5 km route is free, and at the Philips Stadion the festival will stage what the organizers call the city’s first drone show.

Drone Show Guinness World Records 2026: 71,207 Drones in a Week in Texas and 33,615 Flown Simultaneously in Sichuan

Drone light shows kept breaking Guinness World Records in 2026. In Texas, the record for “most drones launched in a week” was broken in both spring and autumn, and in Sichuan, China, 33,615 drones flown simultaneously were certified.

Berlin’s Festival of Lights Draws About 3 Million in 10 Nights: Works and Contest Results from the 22nd Edition

The 22nd edition of Berlin’s light festival was held at about 40 locations from October 9 to 18, and the organizers announced that about 3 million people attended. In the video contest at the Brandenburg Gate, Spain’s Sinoca took first place by audience vote.

What Is the Nighttime Economy? Definitions and Policies of the National Government, Tokyo and Kyoto, with Light and Art Examples in Japan

Definitions of night differ: the Japan Tourism Agency uses 18:00 to 6:00 the next morning, while the Tokyo Metropolitan Government uses around sunset to around sunrise. The national government’s new plan treats nighttime cultural-property experiences as a way to disperse demand. We sort out examples from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to Kyoto, Yokohama and Osaka.

[2026–2027] Illuminations and Light Events in the Kansai Region: Osaka Festival of the Lights, Kobe Luminarie and More

From Midosuji, Nakanoshima, Osaka Castle and Umeda in Osaka to Kobe, Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama, we sort out 14 light events officially announced for this season in a consistent format for easy comparison.

Sankeien’s “Yaso” from November 20 Stages a Scenic Garden at Night with Color, Light and Sound; Co-organized by Yokohama City and Selected for a Japan Tourism Agency Program

At Sankeien, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in Yokohama, an event inviting visitors to tour staged color, light and sound will be held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday evenings during the autumn-leaf season. A commemorative project for the garden’s 120th anniversary, it has been selected for a Japan Tourism Agency program.

Light Festivals Around the World 2026–2027: Dates and Open Calls for Lyon, Vivid Sydney and Amsterdam

Amsterdam opens on November 26 and Lyon on December 5. Sydney and Prague have also announced their 2027 dates. We sort out the dates and scale of major light festivals, how their open calls for works operate and their official attendance figures.

What Is Light Art? From Flavin, Turrell and Eliasson to Japanese Artists: Key Works and Where to See Them

How has art that turns fluorescent lamps, skylight and LEDs into artworks spread? We introduce key works by Flavin, Turrell, Eliasson, Tatsuo Miyajima and others, and places in Japan such as Naoshima and Kanazawa where permanent works can be seen.

LIGHTBEATS Links Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi with Light and Sound; First Edition Free from November 19

JR East is holding, for the first time, a light installation that links the three districts of Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi with light and sound. Sensors capture people’s movements, and the districts send signals to one another. Admission is free.

[2026–2027] Winter Illuminations and Light Festivals Across Japan: Sapporo, Sendai, Kobe Luminarie and More

From Sapporo’s White Illumination and Sendai’s Pageant of Starlight to the Kobe Luminarie and the Nagasaki Lantern Festival, here are winter light events around Japan, organized by region with their officially announced dates.

2026 SENDAI Pageant of Starlight from December 4; About 480,000 Lights on 127 Zelkova Trees along Jozenji-dori

Sendai’s winter festival of light reaches its 41st edition. The executive committee regards this year onward as the “entrance” toward the 50th edition and has adopted the theme “A New Step.” The event runs for 24 days.