The Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Executive Committee is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of TOKYO LIGHTS 2026, a festival of light illuminating Tokyo’s nights, held over nine days from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, Citizens’ Plaza, and across the Nishi-Shinjuku area. During the event period, approximately 80,000 visitors from Japan and abroad attended, showcasing to the world the potential of Tokyo as a new nighttime tourism destination.
On Saturday,
May 30, the awards ceremony for the 1minute Projection Mapping
Competition, one of the world’s largest international projection mapping
competitions, was also held, where the top prize-winning work among entries
gathered from around the world was announced.
In addition, at
the Grand Finale held on the final day, Sunday, May 31,
official ambassador actor, Tao Tsuchiya appeared on stage
alongside special supporters Honoka Tsuchiya and Shimba
Tsuchiya. Their talk session, reflecting on the appeal of TOKYO
LIGHTS 2026 and the excitement generated throughout the event period,
further energized the audience.
Top Prize Chosen
from 412 Entries from 65 Countries and Regions: International Projection
Mapping Competition ”1minute Projection Mapping Competition”
At the 1minute
Projection Mapping Competition, which transformed the vast facade of the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building into the world’s ultimate canvas, the
awards ceremony was held on Saturday, May 30, and the GRAND
PRIZE (Tokyo Governor PRIZE) was selected from a record-breaking 412
entries submitted from 65 countries and regions around
the world.
Symbolizing this
year’s theme, “Dialogue” the works presented brought together
moving image, sound, and the architectural beauty of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government Building into a powerful artistic experience that captivated
audiences.
Appearing at the
awards ceremony, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike commented:
“This was the
first time the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building itself served as the
screen for this international projection mapping competition, and a remarkable
lineup of high-caliber works from around the world gathered here in Tokyo. I
hope this event will give rise to creators who will go on to spread their wings
from Tokyo to the world.”
Governor Koike
also noted that:
“Tokyo ranked
second in the Global Power City Index, and one of the reasons cited was the
richness of its nightlife tourism. The projection mapping presented nightly on
the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has also been recognized by Guinness
World Records as the world’s largest permanent architectural projection mapping
display, and has already welcomed approximately 1.4 million visitors.”
She concluded by
expressing her appreciation to the participating creators and visitors alike
and offered words of encouragement for their continued success.
Signal Bleed (Brazil), winner of the GRAND
PRIZE (Tokyo Governor PRIZE), said in his acceptance speech:
“It is a tremendous honor to be here among such wonderful artists. I
would also like to thank my partners in Brazil and all the people who have
worked alongside me here. I am overwhelmed in a way that words cannot fully
express. Thank you very much.
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Award Results
GRAND PRIZE (Tokyo
Governor PRIZE): Touch Talk / Signal Bleed (Brazil)
SECOND PRIZE: Aporia / VPM (Spain)
THIRD PRIZE: The
Beauty of Collision / Bigcool (Thailand)
Tokyo Tokyo PRIZE: 1Pulse / Anionavision (Romania)
Audience PRIZE: Infinite
Dialogue / Taro Narahara (Japan)
Official Ambassador Tao Tsuchiya Appears at the Grand
Finale Alongside Her Sister Honoka Tsuchiya and Brother Shimba Tsuchiya
At the Grand
Finale held on the final day, Sunday, May 31, official
ambassador, actor, Tao Tsuchiya was joined on stage by her
sister Honoka Tsuchiya and brother Shimba Tsuchiya as
special supporters. The three, all long-time admirers of TOKYO LIGHTS,
appeared together publicly in a special collaboration unique to this event.
The talk stage featured the Tsuchiya siblings, together with Michiyuki
Ishita and Kenji Kohashi, producers of TOKYO LIGHTS 2026. They each spoke from
their own perspectives about the appeal of the event and the impact of art
created through light and moving image, creating a warm and lively atmosphere
at the venue.
Talk Stage
Highlights
Tao Tsuchiya
reflected:
“It was my brother
Shimba who first recommended that I go, telling me that I should make time for
it no matter how busy I was. That was how I first came to know TOKYO LIGHTS,
when it was held at Meijijingu Gaien. Projection mapping made me feel as though
I myself were spinning and leaping inside it, allowing me to experience
something beyond myself.”
Speaking
about Light Art Park, she added:
“My whole family
was deeply moved by how the artworks blended into everyday life—something you
could visit on the way home from the office or while out for a walk.”
She also commented
on GAIA:
“My ‘small family
members’ ran around beneath it, while the adults lay back and looked up at it.
It felt like a work that gave us the opportunity to reflect once again on the
Earth we live on now.”
Honoka Tsuchiya
commented on the projection mapping staged in the urban setting of the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government Building:
“Within the
seemingly inorganic cityscape, I felt the warmth of nature and the vitality of
life.”
She said she was
deeply impressed by the messages embedded in each work. Regarding Light
Art Park, she named Embrace as her favorite, recalling:
“It was a special
experience where the colors changed as people held hands, allowing us to feel a
sense of connection with those around us.”
Shimba Tsuchiya
remarked:
“When I first
experienced TOKYO LIGHTS, I was so moved that I told my family all about it, so
being able to appear here together as a family today feels both surreal and
very joyful.”
Speaking about the
projection mapping, he said:
“It was so
powerful and immersive that it felt as if the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Building itself might come crashing down.”
He also shared his
thoughts on the Light Art Park work Fractal Forest:
“Seeing my own
image projected and becoming part of the artwork, and then watching visitors
begin to respond to one another through their own poses, made me feel the
potential of light art to communicate beyond words.”
The two producers, Mr. Ishita and Mr. Kohashi,
also spoke about the ideas behind this year’s TOKYO LIGHTS concept, “Visible
TOKYO” as well as the appeal of art that can be enjoyed in public
space—an idea with which Tao, Honoka, and Shimba all strongly resonated.
Speakers
Tao Tsuchiya (Official Ambassador)
Honoka Tsuchiya (Special Supporter)
Shimba Tsuchiya (Special Supporter)
Michiyuki Ishita (Executive Producer, 1minute
Projection Mapping Competition)
Kenji Kohashi (Artistic Director, Light
Art Park)
Moderator: Nahomi Inoue
Light Art Park: 12
Works Transform a City Park into a Museum of Light at Night
At Shinjuku
Chuo Park, Light Art Park unfolded under the artistic
direction of Kenji Kohashi, featuring 12 light art
installations throughout the park.
Among them, Yoichi
Ochiai’s new work, the four-meter pillar of light titled Liquid
Universe: Sōbō Chūfu — An Unclassifiable Entomologia of the Luminous Swarm,
drew many visitors eager to capture its dreamlike landscape, where the lights
of nature and the city intersect, in photographs.
Also drawing
significant attention on social media was GAIA by Luke
Jerram, making its Japan debut as a monumental Earth
installation appearing to float above the lawn area.
In addition, INTER-WORLD/Cocooner: Apparent motion of celestial
bodies by Akihito Okunaka, an experiential artwork that
visitors could actually step inside, attracted interest from a broad audience
ranging from children to adults, leaving many with a memorable and immersive
experience.
A Highly
Successful Close Through the Final Day
Held for the first
time in the Nishi-Shinjuku area, TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 also
generated major buzz on social media. Throughout the event period, large
numbers of visitors—including families and inbound travelers—visited Shinjuku
Chuo Park, home to Light Art Park, where they could sit on the
lawn or benches to appreciate the works, as well as see, touch, and experience
them in their own ways.
The venue was
filled with smiles and lively energy until the very end, becoming a space where
people could discover new dimensions of urban appeal through light and art.
Event Overview: TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 – A
Festival of Light Illuminating Tokyo’s Nights
Event Title: TOKYO LIGHTS 2026
Dates: Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 31, 2026
1minute Projection Mapping Competition
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Building No.1, Tokyo Citizens’ Plaza
Screenings:
Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, 2026 / 7:20 p.m.–8:10 p.m. and 8:50
p.m.–9:40 p.m.Screenings / Awards Ceremony:
Saturday, May 30, 2026 / 7:15 p.m.–8:50 p.m.Grand Finale (Award-Winning Works Screening & Stage Program):
Sunday, May 31, 2026 / 7:20 p.m.–8:10 p.m.
Light Art Park
Venue: Shinjuku Chuo Park
Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 31, 2026 /
Daily from 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Organizer: Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award
Executive Committee
Co-host: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Supported by: Shinjuku City
Official Website: https://tokyolights.jp
Social Media:
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/tokyolights_jp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tokyolights_jp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tokyolights.jp
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tokyolightsjp
Inquiries Regarding Event Details
TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 Secretariat
E-mail: tokyolights_2026@jtbcom.co.jp
(Weekdays only, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and public holidays)
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