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<\/p>\nThe Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Executive Committee is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of TOKYO LIGHTS 2026, a festival of light illuminating Tokyo\u2019s nights, held over nine days from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, Citizens\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
On\u00a0Saturday,
\nMay 30<\/b>, the awards ceremony for the\u00a01minute Projection Mapping
\nCompetition<\/b>, one of the world\u2019s largest international projection mapping
\ncompetitions, was also held, where the top prize-winning work among entries
\ngathered from around the world was announced.<\/p>\n
In addition, at
\nthe\u00a0Grand Finale<\/b>\u00a0held on the final day,\u00a0Sunday, May 31<\/b>,
\nofficial ambassador\u00a0actor, Tao Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0appeared on stage
\nalongside special supporters\u00a0Honoka Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Shimba
\nTsuchiya<\/b>. Their talk session, reflecting on the appeal of\u00a0TOKYO
\nLIGHTS 2026<\/b>\u00a0and the excitement generated throughout the event period,
\nfurther energized the audience.<\/p>\n
Top Prize Chosen
\nfrom 412 Entries from 65 Countries and Regions: International Projection
\nMapping Competition \u201d1minute Projection Mapping Competition\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
At the\u00a01minute
\nProjection Mapping Competition<\/b>, which transformed the vast facade of the
\nTokyo Metropolitan Government Building into the world\u2019s ultimate canvas, the
\nawards ceremony was held on\u00a0Saturday, May 30<\/b>, and the\u00a0GRAND
\nPRIZE (Tokyo Governor PRIZE)<\/b>\u00a0was selected from a record-breaking\u00a0412
\nentries<\/b>\u00a0submitted from\u00a065 countries and regions<\/b>\u00a0around
\nthe world.<\/p>\n
Symbolizing this
\nyear\u2019s theme,\u00a0\u201cDialogue\u201d<\/b>\u00a0the works presented brought together
\nmoving image, sound, and the architectural beauty of the Tokyo Metropolitan
\nGovernment Building into a powerful artistic experience that captivated
\naudiences.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Appearing at the
\nawards ceremony,\u00a0Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike<\/b>\u00a0commented:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was the
\nfirst time the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building itself served as the
\nscreen for this international projection mapping competition, and a remarkable
\nlineup of high-caliber works from around the world gathered here in Tokyo. I
\nhope this event will give rise to creators who will go on to spread their wings
\nfrom Tokyo to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Governor Koike
\nalso noted that: <\/p>\n
\u201cTokyo ranked
\nsecond in the Global Power City Index, and one of the reasons cited was the
\nrichness of its nightlife tourism. The projection mapping presented nightly on
\nthe Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has also been recognized by Guinness
\nWorld Records as the world\u2019s largest permanent architectural projection mapping
\ndisplay, and has already welcomed approximately 1.4 million visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
She concluded by
\nexpressing her appreciation to the participating creators and visitors alike
\nand offered words of encouragement for their continued success.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Signal Bleed<\/b>\u00a0(Brazil), winner of the\u00a0GRAND
\nPRIZE (Tokyo Governor PRIZE)<\/b>, said in his acceptance speech:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a tremendous honor to be here among such wonderful artists. I
\nwould also like to thank my partners in Brazil and all the people who have
\nworked alongside me here. I am overwhelmed in a way that words cannot fully
\nexpress. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
” \/><\/p>\n
Award Results<\/b><\/p>\n
GRAND PRIZE (Tokyo
\nGovernor PRIZE):\u00a0Touch Talk<\/i>\u00a0\/\u00a0Signal Bleed\u00a0(Brazil)<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b>SECOND PRIZE:\u00a0Aporia<\/i>\u00a0\/\u00a0VPM\u00a0(Spain)<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b>THIRD PRIZE:\u00a0The
\nBeauty of Collision<\/i>\u00a0\/\u00a0Bigcool\u00a0(Thailand)<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b>Tokyo Tokyo PRIZE:\u00a01Pulse<\/i>\u00a0\/\u00a0Anionavision\u00a0(Romania)<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b>Audience PRIZE:\u00a0Infinite
\n Dialogue<\/i>\u00a0\/\u00a0Taro Narahara\u00a0(Japan)<\/b><\/p>\n
Official Ambassador Tao Tsuchiya Appears at the Grand
\nFinale Alongside Her Sister Honoka Tsuchiya and Brother Shimba Tsuchiya<\/b><\/p>\n
At the\u00a0Grand
\nFinale<\/b>\u00a0held on the final day,\u00a0Sunday, May 31<\/b>, official
\nambassador,\u00a0actor, Tao Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0was joined on stage by her
\nsister\u00a0Honoka Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0and brother\u00a0Shimba Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0as
\nspecial supporters. The three, all long-time admirers of\u00a0TOKYO LIGHTS<\/b>,
\nappeared together publicly in a special collaboration unique to this event.<\/p>\n
The talk stage featured the Tsuchiya siblings, together with Michiyuki
\nIshita and Kenji Kohashi, producers of TOKYO LIGHTS 2026. They each spoke from
\ntheir own perspectives about the appeal of the event and the impact of art
\ncreated through light and moving image, creating a warm and lively atmosphere
\nat the venue.<\/p>\n
Talk Stage
\nHighlights<\/b><\/p>\n
Tao Tsuchiya
\nreflected:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my brother
\nShimba who first recommended that I go, telling me that I should make time for
\nit no matter how busy I was. That was how I first came to know TOKYO LIGHTS,
\nwhen it was held at Meijijingu Gaien. Projection mapping made me feel as though
\nI myself were spinning and leaping inside it, allowing me to experience
\nsomething beyond myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking
\nabout\u00a0Light Art Park<\/b>, she added:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy whole family
\nwas deeply moved by how the artworks blended into everyday life\u2014something you
\ncould visit on the way home from the office or while out for a walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also commented
\non\u00a0GAIA<\/b>:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy \u2018small family
\nmembers\u2019 ran around beneath it, while the adults lay back and looked up at it.
\nIt felt like a work that gave us the opportunity to reflect once again on the
\nEarth we live on now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Honoka Tsuchiya
\ncommented on the projection mapping staged in the urban setting of the Tokyo
\nMetropolitan Government Building:<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the
\nseemingly inorganic cityscape, I felt the warmth of nature and the vitality of
\nlife.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she was
\ndeeply impressed by the messages embedded in each work. Regarding\u00a0Light
\nArt Park<\/b>, she named\u00a0Embrace<\/b>\u00a0as her favorite, recalling:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a special
\nexperience where the colors changed as people held hands, allowing us to feel a
\nsense of connection with those around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shimba Tsuchiya
\nremarked:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first
\nexperienced TOKYO LIGHTS, I was so moved that I told my family all about it, so
\nbeing able to appear here together as a family today feels both surreal and
\nvery joyful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking about the
\nprojection mapping, he said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so
\npowerful and immersive that it felt as if the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
\nBuilding itself might come crashing down.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also shared his
\nthoughts on the Light Art Park work\u00a0Fractal Forest<\/b>:<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing my own
\nimage projected and becoming part of the artwork, and then watching visitors
\nbegin to respond to one another through their own poses, made me feel the
\npotential of light art to communicate beyond words.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two producers,\u00a0Mr. Ishita<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Mr. Kohashi<\/b>,
\nalso spoke about the ideas behind this year\u2019s\u00a0TOKYO LIGHTS<\/b>\u00a0concept,\u00a0\u201cVisible
\nTOKYO\u201d<\/b>\u00a0as well as the appeal of art that can be enjoyed in public
\nspace\u2014an idea with which Tao, Honoka, and Shimba all strongly resonated.<\/p>\n
Speakers<\/b><\/p>\n
Tao Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0(Official Ambassador)<\/p>\n
Honoka Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0(Special Supporter)<\/p>\n
Shimba Tsuchiya<\/b>\u00a0(Special Supporter)<\/p>\n
Michiyuki Ishita<\/b>\u00a0(Executive Producer, 1minute
\n Projection Mapping Competition)<\/p>\n
Kenji Kohashi<\/b>\u00a0(Artistic Director, Light
\n Art Park)\n<\/p>\n
Moderator:<\/b>\u00a0Nahomi Inoue<\/p>\n
Light Art Park: 12
\nWorks Transform a City Park into a Museum of Light at Night<\/b><\/p>\n
At\u00a0Shinjuku
\nChuo Park<\/b>,\u00a0Light Art Park<\/b>\u00a0unfolded under the artistic
\ndirection of\u00a0Kenji Kohashi<\/b>, featuring\u00a012 light art
\ninstallations<\/b>\u00a0throughout the park.<\/p>\n
Among them,\u00a0Yoichi
\nOchiai\u2019s<\/b>\u00a0new work, the four-meter pillar of light titled\u00a0Liquid
\nUniverse: S\u014db\u014d Ch\u016bfu \u2014 An Unclassifiable Entomologia of the Luminous Swarm<\/i>,
\ndrew many visitors eager to capture its dreamlike landscape, where the lights
\nof nature and the city intersect, in photographs.<\/p>\n
Also drawing
\nsignificant attention on social media was\u00a0GAIA<\/i>\u00a0by\u00a0Luke
\nJerram<\/b>, making its\u00a0Japan debut<\/b>\u00a0as a monumental Earth
\ninstallation appearing to float above the lawn area.<\/p>\n
In addition,\u00a0INTER-WORLD\/Cocooner: Apparent motion of celestial
\nbodies<\/i>\u00a0by\u00a0Akihito Okunaka<\/b>, an experiential artwork that
\nvisitors could actually step inside, attracted interest from a broad audience
\nranging from children to adults, leaving many with a memorable and immersive
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Highly
\nSuccessful Close Through the Final Day<\/b><\/p>\n
Held for the first
\ntime in the\u00a0Nishi-Shinjuku area<\/b>,\u00a0TOKYO LIGHTS 2026<\/b>\u00a0also
\ngenerated major buzz on social media. Throughout the event period, large
\nnumbers of visitors\u2014including families and inbound travelers\u2014visited\u00a0Shinjuku
\nChuo Park<\/b>, home to\u00a0Light Art Park<\/b>, where they could sit on the
\nlawn or benches to appreciate the works, as well as see, touch, and experience
\nthem in their own ways.<\/p>\n
The venue was
\nfilled with smiles and lively energy until the very end, becoming a space where
\npeople could discover new dimensions of urban appeal through light and art.<\/p>\n
Event Overview: TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 \u2013 A
\nFestival of Light Illuminating Tokyo’s Nights<\/b><\/p>\n
Event Title:<\/b>\u00a0TOKYO LIGHTS 2026<\/p>\n
Dates:<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Saturday, May 23 \u2013 Sunday, May 31, 2026<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
1minute Projection Mapping Competition<\/b><\/p>\n
Venue:\u00a0Tokyo Metropolitan Government
\nBuilding No.1, Tokyo Citizens\u2019 Plaza<\/p>\n
Screenings:
\n Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, 2026 \/ 7:20 p.m.\u20138:10 p.m. and 8:50
\n p.m.\u20139:40 p.m.Screenings \/ Awards Ceremony:
\n Saturday, May 30, 2026 \/ 7:15 p.m.\u20138:50 p.m.Grand Finale (Award-Winning Works Screening & Stage Program):
\n Sunday, May 31, 2026 \/ 7:20 p.m.\u20138:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Light Art Park<\/b><\/p>\n
Venue:\u00a0Shinjuku Chuo Park<\/p>\n
Saturday, May 23 \u2013 Sunday, May 31, 2026 \/
\nDaily from 7:00 p.m.\u201310:00 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Organizer:\u00a0<\/b>Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award
\nExecutive Committee<\/p>\n
Co-host:\u00a0<\/b>Tokyo Metropolitan Government
\nSupported by:\u00a0<\/b>Shinjuku City<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Official Website: <\/b>https:\/\/tokyolights.jp<\/a><\/p>\n Social Media:<\/b> Inquiries Regarding Event Details<\/b><\/p>\n TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 Secretariat<\/b>\n<\/p>\n E-mail: tokyolights_2026@jtbcom.co.jp<\/p>\n \n(Weekdays only, 10:00 a.m. \u2013 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and public holidays)<\/p>\n
\nX (formerly Twitter):\u00a0https:\/\/x.com\/tokyolights_jp<\/a>
\nInstagram:\u00a0https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tokyolights_jp\/<\/a>
\nFacebook:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tokyolights.jp<\/a>
\nYouTube:\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@tokyolightsjp<\/a><\/p>\n