Illumination Events in Japan

Nara Tokae

See Nara's deer in a new light - literally! Made out of candles, this festival is about enormous pieces of art.

teamLab Nemophila Illumination

An outdoor night museum, with nemophila in the spotlight. This seasonal installation by international art collective teamLab is worth checking out.

Hiokayama Cherry Blossom Illuminations

Over 300 lanterns softly light a tunnel of blooming cherry trees at Hiokayama Park.

Kōdai-ji Temple Spring Illuminations

Kyoto's Kōdai-ji Temple features one of the city's most stunning springtime illuminations, complete with projection mapping and Zen vibes.

Osaka Candlelight Concert: Tribute to Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

Warm up a brisk spring night with candlelight and your favorite songs from Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi.

Kōbe Candlelight Concert: Best of Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

Warm up a chilly night with candlelight and your favorite songs from Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi.

Light Cycles Kyoto

Visit Light Cycles Kyoto at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens, Japan's oldest public botanical gardens, for unique installations uniting light, sound, and projection art.

Fukuoka Phantom Castle

See Fukuoka Castle shine in all its glory at this special illumination event happening between March and April.

teamLab: Digitized Fukuyama Castle

teamLab: Digitized Fukuyama Castle is a fantastic exhibition created by light from the international art collective teamLab that will take place in Fukuyama. It coincides with the 400th …

ROHM Illumination

This was Kyoto’s largest illumination with over 860,000 lights and some stunning spaces. Highlights included the well-known pair of Yamamomo trees which mark the entrance to the glowing …

Higashiyama Hanatoro

Update: Higashiyama Hanatoro ended indefinitely on its 20th anniversary in 2022. See the atmospheric streets of Kyoto’s Higashiyama softly illuminated with thousands of lanterns at this …

Kyoto Arashiyama Hanatouro – Illuminations

This event permanently ended in 2021. If you are looking for other illuminations in Kyoto and Japan check out our articles on the ones in autumn and winter. The quiet streets of Arashiyama and …

Illuminight at Banpaku Park

A winter illumination event that makes the most of its surroundings, prepare to see the famous Tower of the Sun sculpture in a whole new light. Held annually and timed to coincide with the Ramen …

Light Up Promenade

A Summer illumination with all the city’s best locations all lit up, this is a great time to explore Nara late into the evening. The five story pagoda of Kofukuji Temple, Yakushiji Temple …

Man-Toro at Kasuga Shrine

Meaning 10,000 lanterns, Man Toro is a traditional festival originally held only in February but now also celebrated in August for two nights. Despite the name, there are actually only around …