Expo Summer Festival 2026

The Expo ’70 Commemorative Park will once again host its cherished summer tradition, the “Expo Summer Festival 2026.” Spanning a total of 27 days—primarily concentrated on weekends from July through September—this fourth edition of the event adopts the evocative theme of “Reiwa Summer, Showa Summer.” By blending contemporary sensibilities with nostalgic echoes of the past, the park is transformed into a space enveloped in fantastical light-ups and illuminations, offering a diverse range of activities designed to be enjoyed by visitors across all generations.

Illumi-Night Expo

The centerpiece of the evening is the Illumi-Night Expo, where sophisticated light-ups and illuminations are concentrated around the iconic Tower of the Sun. Visitors can stroll through the “Path of Wind”—a 50-meter installation featuring streamers, windmills, and wind chimes that provide both a visual and auditory sense of coolness. In a notable addition for this year’s festival, the “Dream Pond”—the site of the original night shows during the 1970 Expo—will be bathed in vivid blue light-ups, bridging the gap between the historical significance of the venue and modern lighting technology.

Expo Night Market with Beer Garden

Located at the Festival Plaza, the Expo Night Market combines traditional festival entertainment with a modern culinary experience. The festival corner features classic amusements, including shooting galleries and Taiwanese large-ring toss, while the adjacent food area offers an array of street food gourmet, sweets, and izakaya-style menus specifically curated to pair with beer. The atmosphere is further energized by daily programming that includes student circle stages, DJ sets, and traditional Bon Odori dancing.

The Night Market operates on the same schedule as the general Expo Summer Festival 2026, with one exception: Sunday, September 13th. On that specific date, the plaza will instead host the paid “Mangeki Summer Festival 2026.”

• Time: 17:00–22:00 (Last Order: 21:30)
• Venue: Festival Plaza
• Admission Fee: 500 yen on the day (450 yen for advance purchase); elementary school students and younger enter for free.
• Note: Reserved seating is available via advance reservation.

Fireworks Plaza

For those seeking a quintessential summer experience, a dedicated Fireworks Plaza will be established in the eastern area of the Dream Pond. This designated zone allows visitors to safely enjoy handheld fireworks. While guests are welcome to bring their own fireworks and buckets at no extra cost, the park also provides on-site sales of fireworks and bucket rentals for those who prefer a more convenient, all-inclusive arrangement.

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Event Overview

• Event Period: July 24, 2026 (Fri) – September 23, 2026 (Wed/Holiday), primarily on weekends (27 days total)
• Event Time: 17:00–22:00 (Final entry at 21:30)
• Event Location: Expo ’70 Commemorative Park (1-1 Senri Banpaku Koen, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture), specifically around the Tower of the Sun, Festival Plaza, and Dream Pond.
• General Admission Fees (Nature and Culture Garden / Japanese Garden):
  • Adults (High school students and above): 450 yen
  • Children (Junior high school students and below): Free
  • Summer Vacation Discount: Until August 31, high school students may receive a discounted admission fee of 250 yen upon presentation of a valid student ID.
• Additional Costs: Please note that certain activities, such as the Expo Night Market (500 yen), require separate admission fees.
• Inquiries: 06-6877-7387 (Expo ’70 Commemorative Park Call Center)
• Website: https://banpakunatsumatsuri.jp/

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What is Expo ’70 Commemorative Park?

Expo ’70 Commemorative Park occupies 260 hectares in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, on the site of the 1970 World Exposition. The Expo opened in March 1970 under the theme “Progress and Harmony for Mankind,” running for six months and drawing approximately 64 million visitors. When the event closed in September, the Osaka Prefectural government retained the site rather than returning it to development, converting the grounds over the following two years into a public park that opened in 1972.

The park divides roughly into northern and southern zones. The northern area contains the National Museum of Ethnology, the National Museum of Art, Osaka, and the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum, the latter relocated from Tokyo in 1974. The southern zone centers on the Natural and Cultural Gardens, where former international pavilion sites now surround three interconnected reservoirs. This section includes sports facilities, forested areas, and the former Expo’s central symbol zone.

Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun remains the site’s most visible structure. The 70-meter concrete tower features three faces on its exterior and a fourth internal “Sun of the Underworld” visible through the base. The structure’s interior exhibits opened to the public in 2018 after decades of closure, displaying surviving elements from Okamoto’s “Tree of Life” installation.

Other surviving Expo structures include the Expo ’70 Pavilion—the former Mitsubishi Future Pavilion designed by Kiyoshi Kawasaki—which now houses exhibits about the original exposition, and the Suita City Museum, occupying the former Expo Museum building. The SORAIRO Aqua Center operates out of the former Australia Pavilion.

The park functions as a working recreational space rather than a preserved historical site. The Natural and Cultural Gardens host amateur sports leagues, seasonal festivals, and cherry blossom viewing in April. Since the 1980s, the Expo Summer Festival has brought fireworks, food vendors, and light installations to the central plaza each August. The grounds contain over 80 hectares of open lawn, providing space for large events while accommodating routine daily use by local residents seeking distance from central Osaka’s congestion.

The Great Illustrated Encyclopedia of Yokai from Nakoyachu Village

Explore the intersection of historical legacy and supernatural mystery with the Nagoya Nakamura Yokai Grand Encyclopedia. This immersive event invites participants to step into the shoes of an investigator to uncover the secrets of the “Nagoya Nakamura Yokai”—strange monsters known as mononoke that have reportedly been appearing in the Nakamura district of Nagoya.

~Hideyoshi and Hidenaga’s “Seven Spears of Shizugatake”~

The event draws its inspiration from a pivotal moment in Japanese history. Next year marks 444 years since the Battle of Shizugatake, a fierce struggle for power over the succession of the Oda family that occurred the year after Nobunaga’s unexpected demise at Honno-ji. It was through this battle that Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Hidenaga emerged victorious, marking a significant step toward the unification of the realm.

In present-day Nagoya, specifically in Nakamura—where Hideyoshi and Hidenaga were born and raised—rumors have circulated regarding the appearance of mononoke. These monsters are said to hold banquets night after night in various locations. While they are not malicious toward humans, the Nagoya Nakamura Yokai Investigation Agency has been established to uncover their true identities. Whether these creatures are celebrating the victory of the Battle of Shizugatake or gathering for another purpose remains a mystery. Because the agency cannot investigate every sighting alone, they are calling for public cooperation to complete the encyclopedia.

Booklet Distribution Locations

To begin your investigation, you must first obtain a game book. Booklets are available at the following locations during their respective operating hours:

• Toyotomi Museum: 9:00–16:30
• Nagoya City Kanayama Tourist Information Center: 9:00–19:00
• Oasis 21 i-Center: 10:00–20:00
• Nagoya City Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center: 8:30–19:00
• Okehazama Ancient Battlefield Tourist Information Center: 10:00–16:00
• Odaka Tourist Information Center: 10:00–16:00 (Saturdays and Sundays only)
• Nagoya Castle Main Gate <Drama Museum Ticket Sales Booth>: 9:30–15:00

Headquarters Where You Can Get Stamps

Once you have progressed through the event, all area stamps can be pressed at any of the designated headquarters. These headquarters are categorized by the historical “camps” they represent:

【Nakamura Lands ~Hideyoshi and Hidenaga’s Camp~】

• Toyotomi Museum: 23-1 Kinoshita-yashiki, Nakamura-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya City (Located inside Nakamura Park). Business hours are 9:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Note that opening hours may be extended during special events.

【Meijo Osu Lands ~Ieyasu’s Camp~】

• Nagoya Castle Main Gate <Drama Museum Ticket Sales Booth>: Main Gate, 1-1 Honmaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya City. Business hours are 9:00–15:00.
• Oasis 21 i-Center: 1-11-1 Higashisakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya City (Oasis 21 B1F). Business hours are 10:00–20:00.

【Odaka Okehazama Lands ~Nobunaga’s Camp~】

• Odaka Tourist Information Center: 33 Azaishinoto, Odaka-cho, Midori-ku, Nagoya City. Open Saturdays and Sundays only, 10:00–16:00.
• Okehazama Ancient Battlefield Tourist Information Center: 2037 Makiyama, Okehazama, Midori-ku, Nagoya City. Business hours are 10:00–16:00.

Find Yokai and Get Prizes!

Participants who clear one or more locations are eligible for original prizes. Please note that all prizes are distributed exclusively at the Toyotomi Museum.

Prize Delivery Guidelines

• Only one item of one type per person will be provided during each distribution period, provided you have obtained one or more achievement stamps.
• Possessing multiple game books does not entitle a person to more than one item of one type.
• For group participation, prizes will be limited to whichever is smaller: the number of game books or the number of participants.
• Prizes are limited in quantity and provided on a first-come, first-served basis; alternative items will be provided once the specific period’s prizes are exhausted.

Prize Distribution Periods
The prizes are released in three distinct waves, each featuring a different historical figure’s hand towel:

• 1st Wave: July 20 (Mon) – August 9 (Sun) — Hand Towel (Hidenaga)
• 2nd Wave: August 10 (Mon) – August 30 (Sun) — Hand Towel (Hideyoshi)
• 3rd Wave: August 31 (Mon) – September 27 (Sun) — Hand Towel (Kiyomasa)

The number of prizes received depends on the number of areas cleared: achieving two or more areas grants two types of prizes, and achieving three or more areas grants three types. However, during any given wave, only the designated type for that period can be received. For example, if you already own the 1st Wave prize and wish to obtain the 2nd Wave prize, you must achieve two or more areas and visit the museum between August 10 and August 30.

How to Apply for Luxury Prizes

Those who successfully clear all designated areas are eligible to enter a lottery for luxury prizes provided by Hotel JAL City Nagoya Nishiki:

• Pair accommodation (including breakfast): 2 pairs available.
• Pair lunch tickets: 5 pairs available.

Application Method

1. Present your completed game book (all areas cleared) at the Toyotomi Museum.
2. Scan the on-site QR code to access the digital application form.
3. Submit the required details, including your name, email address, and physical address.
4. Winners will be selected via lottery.

Winning Notification
Prizes will be shipped directly to the winners, and this shipment serves as the official announcement of the win. No individual notifications will be sent to those who were not selected. Any information acquired during the application process will be used solely for the shipping of products.

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Event Details & Logistics

• Dates: July 20, 2026 (Mon) – September 27 (Sun)
• Time: 9:00–17:00 throughout the period. (Participants are asked to refrain from playing in the early morning or at night outside these hours).
• Closing Days: Please check the specific closing days of each individual location.
• Locations: Nakamura Park, Odaka Okehazama, Meijo Park, Osu, and surrounding areas.
• Fee: Free participation.
• Contact: Nagoya City Tourism, Culture and Exchange Bureau, Tourism Promotion Division (TEL: 052-972-4611 / FAX: 052-972-4200).
• Official Website: https://www.youkaidaizukan.com

Important Precautions
To ensure a smooth experience for all, please observe the following guidelines:

• Staff Assistance: Staff at various locations may not know the answers or content of the riddles; please refrain from asking them for hints or solutions. Hints will be posted on the official website as needed.
• Safety: Solving riddles or using a smartphone while walking is dangerous—please stop in a safe area to avoid inconveniencing others. Due to the potential danger of certain locations and the difficulty of the puzzles, children should participate with an adult.
• Conduct: Please refrain from entering private property or unrelated areas. To preserve the mystery for others, do not post answers or explanations on the internet or social media.
• Health: As the event takes place during a hot season, remember to stay hydrated and take appropriate breaks.
• Liability: The organizers cannot take responsibility for accidents, injuries, or property damage occurring during participation.

Organization Information

• Issued by: Nagoya City Tourism, Culture and Exchange Bureau, Tourism Promotion Division (3-1-1 Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya City 〒460-8508).
• Organizer: Nagoya City.
• Co-organizers: Nagoya City Taiga Drama “Toyotomi Kyodai!” Utilization Promotion Council, Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation).
• Production: Gate Co., Ltd.

Note: This project is a work of fiction and has no relation to actual persons or organizations.

Yokai are supernatural beings from Japanese folklore—spirits, demons, and inexplicable phenomena that exist at the periphery of the everyday world. The Nakamura Ward Encyclopedia project, planned for 2026, treats these figures as the foundation for a public art installation spanning Nagoya’s central district. Rather than preserving them in academic texts or museum cases, the project disperses them through the urban environment, asking participants to locate specific manifestations drawn from Aichi Prefecture legends and broader Japanese mythological traditions.

During the event period, these entities will appear in two forms: as augmented reality overlays visible through a dedicated app, and as physical installations placed in historical sites, shopping arcades, and transit stations. The selection includes regional variants of familiar figures—zashiki-warashi associated with domestic spaces might materialize in traditional cafés, while larger figures such as oni could be positioned near Nagoya Castle’s grounds. Participants use the Encyclopedia App to scan and catalog each encounter, contributing to a cumulative record of sightings across the ward.

The project structures these encounters using a tiered classification system based on rarity, ranging from common spirits to singular legendary figures. Points accumulate according to the difficulty of the find and the complexity of the associated folklore, redeemable for various rewards. More significantly, each verified sighting feeds into a permanent digital archive documenting the distribution and characteristics of these entities throughout Nakamura. The encyclopedia functions simultaneously as a game mechanic and a documentary record, mapping how traditional folklore intersects with contemporary urban geography.

This approach represents a departure from historical yokai narratives, which typically frame these beings as objects of fear, reverence, or moral instruction. Here, they serve as cultural artifacts—temporary vessels for local history and collective imagination. When the event concludes, the physical installations will be removed and the AR elements deactivated, leaving only the compiled archive and participant documentation. The yokai resume their existence as stories and digital traces, having briefly served as waypoints in an exploration of how modern cities might preserve and reinterpret their supernatural heritage.

Title: Ghibli Park Exhibition

The architectural and environmental storytelling of Ghibli Park—Studio Ghibli’s expansive permanent facility in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture—arrives in Osaka this summer in distilled form. Opening at the Osaka Nanko ATC Gallery, this exhibition extracts the essential interactive and visual elements of the distant park and reconfigures them for an urban museum context, offering an alternative for those unable to make the journey to Aichi while introducing several elements exclusive to this Osaka staging.

Central to the exhibition is the “Little Ghibli Park,” a navigable installation that maps the original park’s five thematic zones onto a compact format. Visitors traverse the space following the mechanics of a sugoroku board game—a traditional Japanese racing game format—encountering mechanical gimmicks and interactive elements at each stage without requiring the extensive walking distances necessary at the Aichi location.

The exhibition also imports two specific installations previously housed exclusively within Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse. “‘Drawing Eating’ Expanded and Revised Edition” examines the studio’s gastronomic animation through original storyboards and three-dimensional recreations of eating sequences, offering insight into the technical execution of the studio’s famously detailed culinary scenes. Complementing this, the “Ghibli Role-Play Famous Scenes Exhibition” provides physical sets calibrated for photography, allowing visitors to occupy specific cinematic moments (including those from Porco Rosso, visible in the gallery documentation) rather than merely observing them.

First-time exhibition content includes a newly completed three-dimensional model of Haku in his dragon manifestation from Spirited Away—a piece specifically fabricated for this Osaka showing and not previously displayed at the Aichi park.

■ Complimentary Ticket Giveaway!
Complimentary tickets for this exhibition will be given to 2 pairs (4 people total) via lottery! The application page is here.

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Event Period: 2026/7/18 (Sat) – 9/26 (Sat)
Event Hours: 9:00–17:00 (Final admission is 16:30)
Venue: Osaka Nanko ATC Gallery (2-1-10 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka City)

Fees: [Date and Time Specified Tickets]

• General: 1,900 yen
• Junior High & High School Students: 1,600 yen
• Ages 4 to Elementary School Students: 1,000 yen

Admission Time Slots:
First slot 9:00–9:30, thereafter admission times are specified at 30-minute intervals (Final admission is 16:30).

All tickets for this exhibition are [Date and Time Specified]. Please purchase your tickets in advance before visiting. Tickets will not be sold at the venue.
Tickets for July and August admission (7/18–8/31) are now on sale.
Tickets for September admission (9/1–26) will go on sale 8/1 (Sat) at 10:00.
Children aged 3 and under are free of charge (no advance reservation required), but please enter with a companion holding a date and time specified ticket.
Those entering at the Junior High/High School student rate are requested to present a student ID.
For every person holding a disability certificate, one “caregiver” may enter at half the general price. Please purchase the “Caregiver Discount” ticket type. The person with the disability requires a standard admission ticket.

Inquiries: 06-6136-5766 (10:00–17:00 *Available weekdays only until 7/17 (Fri))
Website: https://ghiblipark-exhibition.jp/

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Ghibli Park opened in November 2022 in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, on the grounds of the former Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. It is not an amusement park. There are no roller coasters, spinning rides, or queue-based attractions. Instead, the park consists of five walk-through areas built at architectural scale, designed to be explored on foot.

The Hill of Youth contains the antique shop and clock tower from Whisper of the Heart, reconstructed to match the film’s exact dimensions. Dondo Forest centers on Satsuki and Mei’s House from My Neighbor Totoro, built among existing camphor trees that predate the construction. Mononoke Village recreates the ironworks and settlement from Princess Mononoke using traditional timber framing and thatching methods. The Valley of Witches combines structures from Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service into a coherent European townscape. The Ghibli Grand Warehouse, the only indoor area, houses exhibition halls with rotating displays of animation cels and production materials.

Studio Ghibli designed the park to alter the existing terrain as little as possible. Buildings follow the natural slope of the land, and pathways wind around mature trees rather than cutting through them. This construction approach accounts for the uneven footing, varying elevations, and the way structures seem to settle into the landscape rather than sit on top of it.

Visitors encounter specific, tangible details: the brands of canned goods in Calcifer’s kitchen, the handwriting on desk calendars, the wear patterns on wooden stairs. Without guided tours, character actors, or timed shows, visitors move through these spaces at their own pace. The experience resembles walking through a permanent film set where the props are functional objects and the architecture operates as real built space rather than façade.

TOKYO Rainbow Summer Festival

Experience a festival in a cool indoor setting to avoid the extreme heat! “TOKYO Rainbow Summer Festival,” where digital and Japanese styles fuse, is being held!

Tokyo’s summers have made the idea of an outdoor summer festival increasingly difficult. As record-breaking heatwaves continue year after year, attention is turning toward “indoor outing spots” — places where people can play to their heart’s content while escaping the severe daytime heat. TOKYO Rainbow Summer Festival, planned by LED TOKYO, was created with this exact situation in mind. The goal is straightforward: to let visitors enjoy the excitement unique to a summer festival all day long, in a cool and comfortable environment, without worrying about midsummer heat or sudden weather changes. The event positions itself as an attractive “indoor festival spot” where the beauty of Wa (Japanese harmony), a traditional Japanese sensibility, fuses with modern technology.

Inside the venue, new-sense experiences that blend the real and the digital are everywhere. Giant LED visions surrounding the studio project powerful digital fireworks, stalls such as ring toss and shooting galleries have been given diverse digital effects, and immersive games respond to the player’s movements. The audience is deliberately broad: families looking for a cool, comfortable place to play during summer vacation; couples and friends who want to leave with photogenic memories; and visitors from overseas who wish to experience Japan’s “festival culture” as art. Whatever the reason for coming, anyone regardless of age or nationality can forget their daily routine and spend a special, heart-pounding moment. Why not visit the venue and experience these new-sense fusions of the real and digital for yourself?

“TOKYO Rainbow Summer Festival” Content Introduction

① An emotional, cool “Digital Japanese Space” colored by giant LEDs

The centerpiece is a new-sense immersive space in which traditional Japanese festival decorations — yagura towers, lanterns — synchronize with the giant LED visions that line the studio walls. Despite being firmly indoors, the venue is filled with images whose motifs come from Japanese summer: powerful digital fireworks, goldfish, water lilies, taiko drums, and starry skies. These visuals shift and change, giving the whole space the feel of a festival night without the wait, the crowding, or the heat. Every angle is perfectly Instagrammable, and visitors can leave photogenic summer memories in their favorite outing outfit.

② Sparkling stalls, and luxury prizes such as televisions!

The traditional festival fair is updated with digital effects. Cyber ring toss, shooting galleries, and scooping games that emit vibrant light form the core lineup, and these are games that both adults and children can become absorbed in. There are also plenty of thrilling attractions for everyone, including a “Garapon lottery” where visitors can aim for luxury prizes such as televisions. It is the familiar festival atmosphere, rebuilt with a layer of glow and technology on top.

③ Play comfortably in a cool indoor setting! “Immersive Sports Games”

Interactive games let visitors step into the action physically. The visuals synchronize in real time with the player’s actual movements, making each round feel immediate and responsive. At the time of opening, two types will be available: “Bowling” and “Soccer.” Because the venue is a cool indoor space with air conditioning, visitors can play whole-body activities at full intensity, without the fatigue that the summer heat would cause outdoors. It is active play in comfort, suitable for children and adults alike.

④ Cheers with ice-cold Ramune!

Ramune, a must-have item at any Japanese summer festival, will be sold ice-cold at the venue entrance and near the deck. It is perfect as a break while strolling through Odaiba Marine Park, and it brings a familiar taste of festival culture to the indoor setting.

Please check the official website for details on the content.

Basic Information

Item	Details
Location / Nearest Station	decks Tokyo Beach / Odaiba Kaihinkoen Station, Tokyo Teleport Station
Address	〒135-0091, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo (MAP)
Venue	LED DAIBA STUDIO (decks Tokyo Beach Seaside Mall 3F)
Period	2026/07/16 (Thu) – 2026/08/31 (Mon)
Hours	Weekdays 11:00–20:00 / Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays 11:00–21:00
Fees	Free Admission (experiences for each piece of content, food, and drinks cost extra)

The posted content may be subject to change. Please check the official website of the venue or organizer for the latest information.

Official website: https://www.tokyo-odaiba.net/event_tourism/dex_tokyo_rainbow2026/

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What is Odaiba?

Odaiba is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, originally built in the 1850s as a series of fortress batteries to protect the city from sea attack. The land was later redeveloped, and the district now serves as a waterfront commercial and leisure area connected to central Tokyo by the Rainbow Bridge and several rail and subway lines.

The island contains a number of large shopping complexes, including DiverCity and Aqua City. A full-scale Unicorn Gundam statue stands outside DiverCity, and the digital-art collective teamLab has a permanent exhibition on the waterfront. The promenade along the bay offers clear views of the Tokyo skyline and the bridge; on summer evenings it is also noticeably cooler than much of the city.

For the Tokyo Rainbow Summer Festival 2026, Odaiba’s open spaces and existing infrastructure will host a digital-oriented summer program. The event includes digital fireworks, projection-mapped lanterns, and an interactive bon-dance floor, adapting traditional festival activities to the district’s technological character.

[Denki Cultural Hall 40th Anniversary] Aurora and Forest Stories Exhibition: What Hygge and Fairy Tales Taught Us

The pursuit of “fragments of happiness” often requires a shift in perspective, moving away from the noise of modern life toward a philosophy that celebrates the quiet and the mundane. The Aurora and Forest Stories Exhibition offers an experiential journey into this mindset, fusing the historical depth and cultural charm of Northern Europe to explore how the region’s inhabitants find contentment despite a challenging environment. By examining the juxtaposition of enduring harsh winters and maximizing the fleeting vibrancy of short summers, visitors can discover hints for their own pursuit of happiness through the Northern European concept of hygge—the art of cherishing small, everyday joys.

The exhibition blends mystical auroras and forests that nurture diverse life forms with the timeless world of fairy tales, creating an immersive atmosphere that encourages reflection on the balance between nature and human well-being.

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Event Schedule and Visitation Hours

The exhibition runs from July 11, 2026 (Sat) through August 30 (Sun), with no closing days during this period. Standard operating hours are from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with the final admission permitted at 4:30 PM.

To accommodate those who prefer a nocturnal atmosphere or have limited weekday availability, night operations are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and throughout the Obon period. During these extended hours, the venue remains open until 8:00 PM, with the last admission at 7:30 PM. Note that while July 11 (Sat) adheres to normal operating hours, the extended schedule applies to the following dates:

• July: 17 (Fri), 18 (Sat), 24 (Fri), 25 (Sat), 31 (Fri)
• August: 1 (Sat), 7 (Fri) – 15 (Sat), 21 (Fri), 22 (Sat), 28 (Fri), 29 (Sat)

Venue and Access

The exhibition is hosted at the Denki Bunka Kaikan, utilizing the 5th Floor Event Hall as well as the East and West Galleries. The venue is located at 2-2-5 Sakae 2-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.

Access to the hall is convenient via public transit:

• Subway Fushimi Station: Approximately a 2-minute walk.
• Subway Sakae Station: Approximately a 10-minute walk.

Admission and Ticket Pricing

Pricing is structured to provide incentives for early booking, with distinct tiers for various age groups and eligibility requirements.

Category	Advance Ticket	Same-day Ticket
Adults	1,400 yen	1,600 yen
Seniors (65+ years)	1,300 yen	1,500 yen
Students (High School, University, Vocational)	700 yen	900 yen
Children (4 years to Junior High)	500 yen	600 yen

Special Discount Tickets:
Discounted admission is available for persons with disabilities and one accompanying person at a flat rate for both advance and same-day purchases:

• Adults: 800 yen
• Children (4 years to high school/university/vocational): 300 yen

Eligible individuals must present a Physical Disability Certificate, Ai-no-Techo, Rehabilitation Certificate, Mental Disability Health and Welfare Certificate, or Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Health Handbook; the “Mirairo ID” is also accepted as valid identification.

Ticket Sales Periods

• Advance Tickets: Available from May 15 (Fri) at 10:00 AM until July 10 (Fri) at 11:59 PM.
• Same-day Tickets: Available from July 11 (Sat) at 0:00 AM until August 30 (Sun) at 4:00 PM.

Contact and Official Resources

For further inquiries, the Aurora and Forest Story Exhibition Aichi Venue Event Secretariat can be reached via telephone at 090-2989-3459. The secretariat operates from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and Sundays, with extended hours from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and during the Obon period.

Digital Channels:

• Official Website: https://tv-aichi.co.jp/aurora/
• Official X: https://x.com/@aurora_to_mori
• Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurora_to_mori/
• Official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurora_to_mori

What is Denki Cultural Hall?

Denki Cultural Hall (電気文化会館, Denki Bunka Kaikan) is a cultural facility in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, established and operated by Chubu Electric Power Company. Opened in 1986, it sits in Naka Ward near the Sakae district and has functioned since then as a venue for performing arts and cultural programming in central Japan.

The building’s main auditorium was designed with acoustics as a priority, which determined the kinds of events it could host well—classical music, theatre, and lectures chief among them. In the years since opening, the hall has maintained a regular schedule of domestic and international productions and occupies a consistent, if not prominent, position within Nagoya’s broader network of cultural institutions.

The 2026 “Aurora and Forest Stories” exhibition arrives as the hall marks its 40th year of operation. The programming represents a modest expansion of the venue’s usual scope: an immersive exhibition centred on Nordic culture, using sound, light, and spatial design to evoke phenomena particular to northern latitudes. Whether this format succeeds in its aim of fostering “international cultural dialogue” will depend on execution rather than framing. For an institution with four decades of operation behind it, the anniversary offers a reasonable moment to test whether its audience has interest in work outside the performing arts calendar it has maintained since the mid-1980s. The exhibition brings into the hall something the venue has not typically trafficked in—landscape as subject matter, atmosphere as medium—and asks whether a purpose-built auditorium can accommodate a different kind of cultural experience without strain.

1999 Exhibition—Memories of That Day That Never Existed—

The “1999 Exhibition,” which generated significant attention during its run in Roppongi, Tokyo last summer and drew approximately 100,000 visitors, has arrived in Osaka for its first regional showing.

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In 1999, Nostradamus prophesied that “the world would end.”
We are now living in that “future that did not perish.”
But did the world truly not end on “that day”?
You will now witness “that day” of 1999 that never came.

—Won’t you come to see the end of the world?—

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（The above photos are from the Tokyo venue）

What if the world really had ended in July 1999?

This horror experiential exhibition invites visitors to trace the prophesied “end of the world” while immersed in the distinctive atmosphere of anxiety and anticipation that preceded 1999. The narrative unfolds through the guidance of the “Girl of the Apocalypse,” a character created specifically for this exhibition.

The project was developed by Bermuda 3, a three-person creative unit: Sesuji, a horror novelist whose works including “About a Certain Place in the Kinki Region” have sold over 1.5 million copies; Naoko Sato, screenwriter of the cult horror game “SIREN”; and Masaki Nishiyama, an emerging horror film director. The exhibition features a newly illustrated “Girl of the Apocalypse” by the popular illustrator Mai Yumeumi, and visitors will receive an original short story written by Sesuji as a complimentary benefit.

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Exhibition Details

Period	July 11 (Saturday) – September 27 (Sunday), 2026
Weekday Hours	10:00–18:00
Weekend/Holiday Hours	10:00–19:00 （Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and Obon period: August 8–16）
Final Entry	30 minutes before closing
Location	Taniguchi Etsu Second Building, 3-5-26 Kyutaromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City

Admission Fees

Category	Price
General	¥2,500
Junior/Senior High School Students	¥2,000
Elementary School Students	¥1,000
Preschoolers	Free

Important Notes:

• Junior high and high school students must present a student ID
• Elementary school students must present identification or a student ID
• Persons with disabilities require a ticket, though one accompanying caregiver may enter free of charge
• Same-day tickets are available at the venue (Taniguchi Etsu Second Building) via cashless payment only
• Date-and-time reservations are required for Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and the Obon period (August 8–16)

Contact Information

• Inquiries: [email protected] (1999 Exhibition Osaka Secretariat)
• Official Site: www.tv-osaka.co.jp/event/1999ten/
• Official X: x.com/1999_kioku_26

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What was the Y2K problem?

In the late 1990s, a quirk in computer programming drove widespread concern about what would happen when the year 2000 arrived. The issue stemmed from how early systems stored dates. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, programmers routinely abbreviated four-digit years to two digits to conserve limited memory. “1999” became “99.” The worry was that when systems rolled over to “00,” they would interpret it as 1900 rather than 2000—potentially causing errors in calculations, record-keeping, and system operations.

The scope of potential disruption was genuinely significant. Financial institutions relied on date-sensitive interest calculations. Industrial control systems, transportation networks, and government databases all depended on accurate date processing. The fear that these systems might fail simultaneously led to substantial preparation efforts. Governments and corporations worldwide spent between $300 and $600 billion on code remediation, system testing, and contingency planning. Some individuals prepared personally, stocking supplies or reinforcing homes against possible utility failures.

The response was not uniform. Critics questioned whether the expenditure matched the actual risk, pointing out that many systems would simply process incorrect dates without catastrophic failure. Others noted that the problem had been understood and worked on for years before it reached public attention. The alarm itself became a subject of debate—was it prudent preparation or a self-perpetuating panic amplified by media coverage and commercial interests in selling solutions?

When January 1st, 2000 arrived, the transition was largely uneventful. Reported failures were minor: some parking meters, videocassette rental systems, and small business accounting programs showed date errors. The absence of major disruption suggested that preparation had worked, that the risk had been overstated, or both. The debate has never fully resolved.

What remains of Y2K is instructive. It demonstrated how technical debt—compromises made for immediate convenience—can accumulate systemic risk over decades. It showed how information about technical risk spreads unevenly through public and institutional channels, sometimes amplifying and sometimes attenuating accurately. And it established a pattern for how societies respond to predicted technological crises: mobilization, expenditure, and retrospective argument about proportionality. Subsequent events, from pandemic preparation to climate policy, have echoed this dynamic in different forms.

The Y2K incident also preserved a snapshot of computing at its transition from specialized infrastructure to omnipresent utility. The systems being corrected were often decades old, written in languages now obsolete, maintained by programmers who had retired or died. The urgent need to understand them created temporary demand for obsolete expertise and focused attention on how organizations had quietly become dependent on software they no longer fully comprehended. This condition—technological opacity combined with infrastructural dependence—has only intensified in the years since.

Twilight Concert 2026

Osaka City will once again host the “Twilight Concert 2026,” a free wind orchestra series that has remained a staple of the local summer calendar since its inception in 1950. Set against the historic backdrop of Osaka Castle, the event invites attendees to experience the refreshing sounds of wind instrument ensembles during the atmospheric transition of the summer twilight.

The event is distinguished by its diverse range of performers, bridging the gap between aspiring young musicians and seasoned professionals. The lineup features a spectrum of talent, from the wind orchestra clubs of city junior high schools and high schools to prestigious military music bands from the Air and Ground Self-Defense Forces. A primary highlight is the participation of the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra—an ensemble that claims the longest history and deepest tradition of any symphonic wind orchestra in Japan.

Performance Schedule

The concert series takes place over seven consecutive Wednesdays, with each evening featuring a combination of student ensembles and professional orchestras.

Wednesday, July 8
General MC: Saeko Kakudo

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka Prefectural Ichiritsu High School, Osaka Prefectural Yodo Commercial High School, Osaka Prefectural Miyakojima Technical High School, and Osaka Prefectural Hanai High School
• 19:10–20:00: Josho Gakuen High School

Wednesday, July 15
General MC: Saeko Kakudo

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka Gakugei High School
• 19:10–20:00: Japan Air Self-Defense Force Central Air Band

Wednesday, July 22
General MC: Saeko Kakudo

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka City Umeka Junior High School
• 19:10–20:00: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Army 3rd Band

Wednesday, July 29
General MC: Saeko Kakudo

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka City Ibarada Junior High School, Osaka City Imazu Junior High School, Osaka City Yodogawa Junior High School, Osaka City Shinhigashiyodo Junior High School, and Osaka City Yasaka Junior High School
• 19:10–20:00: Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra Mixed 11-piece Ensemble

Wednesday, August 5
General MC: Junko Mizuno

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka City Abeno Junior High School, Osaka City Oike Junior High School, Osaka City Sakuranomiya Junior High School, Osaka City Showa Junior High School, and Osaka City Takakura Junior High School
• 19:10–20:00: Osaka Concert Brass

Wednesday, August 12
General MC: Junko Mizuno

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka City Hirano Junior High School and Osaka City Hirano-kita Junior High School
• 19:10–20:00: Osaka Prefectural Police Band

Wednesday, August 19
General MC: Saeko Kakudo

• 18:30–18:50: Osaka City Higashimago Junior High School, Osaka City Aioy Junior High School, Osaka City Joyo Junior High School, Osaka City Oryo Junior High School, and Osaka City Hanaten Junior High School
• 19:10–20:00: Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra

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Event Details

Category	Information
Event Period	Every Wednesday from July 8, 2026, to August 19, 2026 (7 dates total)
Event Time	Doors open at 18:00; Performances begin at 18:30
Venue	Osaka Castle Music Hall (Inside Osaka Castle Park, 3-11 Osaka-jo, Chuo-ku, Osaka City)
Admission Fee	Free (No advance application required)
Contact	0800-919-5508 (Osaka City Music Association, Public Interest Incorporated Association; Toll-free / 10:00–17:30, excluding weekends, holidays, and August 13–14)
Official Website	https://shion.jp/

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle in 1583 on the site of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, a fortified temple that had resisted his predecessor Oda Nobunaga for ten years. Hideyoshi intended the castle to anchor his new capital, constructing it with unprecedented speed—some stone walls rose fifty feet in months—using materials and labor drafted from across western Japan. The castle fell to Tokugawa forces in 1615, was rebuilt, then struck by lightning and burned in 1665. The concrete reconstruction completed in 1931 restored the exterior to its Momoyama-period appearance: five visible stories with white plaster walls and green copper roofs topped by gold shachi, the tiger-headed carp ornaments intended to ward off fire.

The castle sits on two tiers of massive granite walls, quarried from sites across Japan and fitted without mortar. Moats encircle the inner citadel, with the outer dry moat stretching over a kilometer. Osaka Castle Park encompasses 106 hectares of lawns and groves built atop these defensive earthworks. The Nishinomaru Garden occupies the former western citadel, its sloping landscape preserving the original ramparts while facing the keep across open ground. Over 600 cherry trees line the paths, planted when the military grounds transferred to public control in the early twentieth century. Evening illumination highlights the keep’s gold ornaments against the dark stonework, drawing visitors after sunset when the park extends its summer hours.

The reconstructed keep functions as a museum across seven floors, displaying Edo-period screen paintings of the 1615 siege, replicas of Hideyoshi’s golden tea room, and artifacts recovered from the original foundations. An eighth-floor observation deck looks across the Osaka plain toward the Ikoma and Kongosanchi ranges. The surrounding park remains freely accessible; visitors can examine the intricate masonry, trace the moat segments, or walk the esplanade where Toyotomi and Tokugawa armies clashed. Archaeologists continue excavating beneath the modern pathways, uncovering the original complex’s foundations and artifacts.

“Jujutsu Kaisen,” a dark fantasy unleashed upon the modern era by a singular talent. Since its serialization began in Weekly Shonen Jump, the work has drawn significant attention and generated a substantial response through its TV anime series and theatrical anime films. The fast-paced story, written by Gege Akutami, holds readers through a deliberately structured narrative that shifts between despair and hope. This exhibition reveals the detailed creative process behind Jujutsu Kaisen through digital methods, accompanied by the author’s own explanations.

The exhibition takes a different approach from the standard manga retrospective, where original manuscripts and printed panels dominate the display. Here, the focus falls on process: how the series’ precise paneling, expressive character work, and the escalating conflict between curses and sorcerers are constructed on the page. Akutami’s commentary, presented throughout the exhibition, offers direct insight into the storytelling decisions that have defined the series since its debut. For readers who have followed the manga from the beginning, and for those who arrived through the anime adaptations, the presentation provides a closer look at the machinery behind one of Weekly Shonen Jump‘s defining modern works.

©Gege Akutami / Shueisha

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Event Details

• Dates: Saturday, July 4, 2026 – Sunday, August 30, 2026
• Closed: Open throughout the exhibition period
• Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Entry until 5:30 PM)
• Location: Matsuzakaya Art Museum, Matsuzakaya Nagoya Store, South Building 7th Floor

Admission Fees

Ticket Type	Price
General	2,000 yen
Middle/High School Students	1,500 yen
Age 4 to Elementary School Students	1,000 yen
With goods (limited quantity)	4,200 yen

Visitor Bonus

One “Commemorative Sticker” will be given to customers who enter with a ticket during the exhibition period.

Access

• Directly connected to Yabacho Station on the Subway Meijo Line via underground passage (Exits 5 and 6)
• 5-minute walk south from Exit 16 of Subway Sakae Station

Contact & Links

• Inquiries: Matsuzakaya Art Museum
• TEL: (Main) 050-1782-7000
• Homepage: https://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/nagoya/museum/jujutsuten/
• X: https://x.com/museum_matsu

Notes: Please be sure to check the precautions on the official homepage before visiting.

Gege Akutami and Jujutsu Kaisen

Gege Akutami is the pen name of the manga artist who created Jujutsu Kaisen. Born in Iwate Prefecture in 1992, Akutami grew up with Dragon Ball and Yu Yu Hakusho, and has cited Tite Kubo as a major influence. After the one-shots Kamishiro Sousei and No.9, Akutami started Jujutsu Kaisen in Weekly Shonen Jump in March 2018. The manga ran until 2024 and was adapted into anime and feature films, with a readership spread across Japan and abroad.

Akutami does not appear in public. The artist is represented by a small drawn self-portrait: a compact figure with a sly expression, usually accompanied by dry, offhand captions. Details such as legal name and gender have not been officially confirmed. The pseudonym seems less about building an image than about letting the work stand separately from its creator. In the short author comments that run alongside the manga, Akutami tends to be deadpan and rarely explanatory.

The manga rewards the same attention. Its power system is built around cursed energy, generated from negative emotions and used through techniques with defined conditions and tradeoffs. The rules draw on Buddhist concepts, Japanese folklore, and the idea that power always has a cost. The plot is dense in a similar way. Early scenes and minor details can carry weight hundreds of chapters later, and the series asks readers to keep track of shifting allegiances and layered explanations. It is not a background read.

The art is similarly deliberate. Akutami can draw clean, expressive faces for ordinary scenes and switch to distorted, grotesque bodies during combat. Action sequences are put together with abrupt cuts and changing angles, while quieter moments use uncomfortable framing and pauses. Original pages show dense hatching, irregular panel borders, and hand-drawn sound effects. The result is a graphic style that feels constructed by hand rather than polished into a standard product.

The 2026 exhibition at Matsuzakaya Art Museum in Nagoya will show storyboards, drafts, notes, and sketches from the production of Jujutsu Kaisen. It will not answer the identity question with a face or a name. Instead it will show the process: how a long serialized work takes shape, and how horror, death, and power became the recurring material of Akutami’s manga.

Van Gogh’s Drawbridge and the Impressionists: From the Wallraf-Richartz Museum Collection

Exhibition promotional image

This summer, the Abeno Harukas Art Museum hosts a major survey of French Impressionism and its legacy, drawn from the storied collection of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and the Corboud Foundation (Kolb Foundation) in Cologne, Germany. Housing approximately 70,000 works spanning from medieval panels to Post-Impressionist canvases, the Wallraf-Richartz ranks among Europe’s premier institutions; the Osaka presentation marks a rare opportunity to examine how its holdings trace the theoretical evolution of modern painting.

The Network of Influence

Van Gogh’s The Drawbridge

Rather than isolating individual geniuses, the exhibition emphasizes the dialogues that shaped nineteenth-century French art. Through seventy works by forty-two artists—including Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Paul Signac, Maurice Utrillo, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Henri Matisse—the presentation maps how aesthetic innovations emerged through generational exchange.

The curatorial progression begins with Manet and Corot, artists who negotiated the fraught territory between academic tradition and emergent modernist methodologies. From this foundational tension, the exhibition moves to Monet and Renoir’s empirical investigations of light and atmospheric conditions, then advances to the systematic color theories of Signac and the geometric underpinnings explored by Cézanne. The trajectory culminates with Matisse and Utrillo, who leveraged these technical developments to liberate purely personal sensibilities through color.

Additional exhibition work

Key Works

Additional exhibition work

Among the seventy canvases, two works anchor the historical narrative. Manet’s Bundle of Asparagus (1880) acquires particular significance from its provenance: commissioned by the collector Charles Ephrussi and acquired by the museum during the critical period when German art criticism and practice were entering a new phase, the still life exemplifies the French avant-garde’s influence on pan-European taste.

Equally commanding is Vincent van Gogh’s The Drawbridge (1888), painted during the artist’s residency in Arles. The canvas retains a distinctive presence within the Post-Impressionist movement, demonstrating Van Gogh’s transformation of Impressionist chromatic principles into an expressive, architectonic vision of the Provençal landscape. The work’s inclusion highlights the museum’s strength in the period immediately following Impressionism’s height.

Exhibition caption or detail view

Complimentary Ticket Giveaway

Complimentary tickets for this exhibition will be given to 2 pairs (4 people) via lottery. The application page is here.

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Visitor Information

Exhibition Period: Saturday, July 4, 2026 – Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Closed: Monday, July 6 (note: the museum typically operates on Mondays; however, July 6 is a designated closing date)
Hours:

• Tuesday–Friday: 10:00–20:00
• Monday/Saturday/Sunday/Holidays: 10:00–18:00

Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Location: Abeno Harukas Art Museum (Abeno Harukas 16F, 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka City)

Admission:

• Adults: 2,100 yen (1,900 yen)
• High School Students: 1,700 yen (1,500 yen)
• Elementary/Junior High Students: 500 yen (300 yen)
• Preschool children: Free

*Prices in parentheses indicate advance tickets and group rates for 15 or more persons. Advance tickets are available for purchase until Friday, July 3.

★ Special Invitation for Children:
One elementary or junior high school student receives free admission per one general admission ticket. This offer is limited to simultaneous entry with an adult; additional children pay standard student fares.

*Persons holding a disability certificate and one accompanying person receive half off the same-day fare when purchased at the museum ticket counter.

Inquiries: 06-4399-9050 (Abeno Harukas Art Museum)
Website: https://www.ktv.jp/event/gogh_hanebashi

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The Wallraf-Richartz Museum opened in Cologne in 1861, founded through the combined bequests of Ferdinand Franz Wallraf and Johann Heinrich Richartz. Wallraf, a canon at Cologne Cathedral, spent decades acquiring works during the Napoleonic secularizations, amassing medieval altarpieces and early German paintings that state collections had overlooked. Richartz, a merchant and civic leader, funded the building and endowment. The arrangement created one of Germany’s first civic painting museums independent of royal or ecclesiastical collections.

The museum built its nineteenth-century French collection through early acquisitions of Impressionist work, beginning before World War I when many German institutions still excluded the style. The sequence includes Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Cézanne, and Gauguin, installed to show the progression from Corot and the Barbizon School through the plein-air innovations of the 1870s to the structural experiments of the 1880s. This layout follows the actual chronology of the movement rather than organizing works by school or donor.

Vincent van Gogh painted The Langlois Bridge at Arles (1888) during his fifteen months in Provence. The canvas shows a working drawbridge crossing the canal that linked Arles to the Mediterranean, with a cart moving across the span and a woman operating the chains. Van Gogh adapted the strong outlines and high horizon lines of Japanese woodblock prints, while the yellow roadway against violet shadows demonstrates his adaptation of Impressionist color theory to the light of southern France. The museum acquired the painting in 1955.

The Osaka exhibition will display this work alongside approximately sixty others tracing the technical development of French painting from 1830 to 1900. The loan occurs while the Cologne museum renovates its galleries, offering Japanese audiences direct access to paintings that have defined the Rhine collection for generations.