Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
By month: October 2026, November 2026, December 2026, January 2027
A beach in Ibaraki is lit for three evenings, with the waves drawn in light, mirror tape turning the sea wind visible, and twenty food vans on the sand.
30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026Oarai · IbarakiFive nights of projection mapping on the main hall and gate of Sensoji in Tokyo, with the temple's closed garden and its hall of ema open alongside.
30 Oct – 3 Nov 2026TokyoAn autumn light-up at Happo-en in Tokyo: orange and red lights on the maples, ginkgo trees and pond of a Japanese garden with about 400 years of history.
27 Nov – 6 Dec 2026TokyoAn autumn light-up of the pond garden at Mejiro Garden in Tokyo, with maples, a sukiya teahouse and lanterns lit after dark, plus concerts and food stalls.
21 Nov – 6 Dec 2026TokyoA December light show on the east front of Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima, the centrepiece of OSAKA Hikari no Renaissance. Free to watch.
11–25 Dec 2026OsakaAbout 480,000 LEDs light the 127 zelkova trees of Jozenji-dori in central Sendai each December, and several times a night the lights go out for a minute.
4–27 Dec 2026Sendai · MiyagiA 1.8 km walk-through illumination in Yoyogi Park, with 17 zones of light and music, modeled on the winter illuminations held in European parks.
13 Nov 2026 – 11 Jan 2027TokyoThe first night opening of the Nara Prison Museum, with the Meiji-era red-brick prison lit after dark and light, film and sound inside its cell block.
4 Dec 2026 – 31 Jan 2027NaraA free light and sound installation linking Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi in Tokyo, where visitors' movements set off light, sound and fountains.
19 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027TokyoA winter illumination in the hills of Kobe, with a heart-shaped tunnel of light, glowing palaces, a rainbow maze, bubble shows and an area for dogs.
23 Oct 2026 – 14 Feb 2027Kobe · HyogoA winter festival illuminates Otaru's snow-covered streets, canal, and historic sites with handcrafted candles and lanterns created by the community since 1999.
7–14 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetOtaru · HokkaidoProjection mapping at Matsumoto Castle with ukiyo-e imagery, traditional crafts and seasonal scenes in three phases, plus interactive illuminations in the park.
13 Dec 2026 – 15 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetMatsumoto · NaganoThe winter illumination of central Sapporo, begun in 1981 with about a thousand bulbs in Odori Park and now spread over six venues.
20 Nov 2026 – 14 Mar 2027Sapporo · HokkaidoSpring illumination event at historic garden featuring projection-mapped poetry on bamboo stalks, colored plum groves, and a mystical anime collaboration.
13 Feb – 15 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetMito · IbarakiAn annual winter illumination event transforms the park into a snow fantasy with glowing bell displays, floral light installations, and seasonal sweets.
1 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2027Sapporo · HokkaidoA winter illumination at Yomiuriland in Tokyo, with LEDs in jewel colours, rides running after dark, fountain shows and a view of the city lights.
29 Oct 2026 – 4 Apr 2027Inagi · TokyoHirakata Park in Osaka is lit after dark from late autumn into spring, with music and light shows, rides running under the lights and a Christmas stage show.
31 Oct 2026 – 4 Apr 2027Hirakata · OsakaGiant Chinese-style lanterns on and around the lake at Tokyo German Village in Chiba, among them an 11-metre dragon ship and a peacock on the water.
1 Nov 2026 – 4 Apr 2027Sodegaura · Chiba
