Midosuji Illumination 2026: 3 Nov – 31 Dec, Lit 5pm–1am (Ceremony 23 Nov)

Midosuji Illumination 2026 at a glance

Midosuji Illumination 2026 runs for 59 nights, from Tuesday 3 November (a public holiday) to Thursday 31 December 2026, lit from about 17:00 until 25:00 (1am). It covers Midosuji from the Hanshin-mae intersection (Umeda) to the Namba Nishiguchi intersection — about 4 km — and is the core programme of the Osaka Festival of Lights 2026 (Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City announcements of 24 September 2026, checked 2026-10-13).

Sources: Osaka Prefecture's press release (https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/hodo/fumin/o070080/prs_51250.html) and Osaka City's press release (https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/hodoshiryo/keizaisenryaku/0000687506.html); both give the same dates, hours and route (checked 2026-10-13).

"17:00–19:00, Yodoyabashi to Senba-Chuo" is the ceremony, not the lights

Some listings show 17:00–19:00 and a short Yodoyabashi-to-Senba-Chuo stretch. That is the lighting ceremony on Monday 23 November. The illumination itself is on every night from 3 November along the whole Umeda–Namba route, about 17:00 to 25:00. On ceremony night part of the avenue opens to pedestrians, so you can walk the roadway under the lights. According to Osaka City, the ceremony starts after the Midosuji Runway 2026 event (checked 2026-10-13). The prefecture says further details will follow, so check nearer the date: https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o070080/toshimiryoku/illumi/index.html

What changed from 2025

• Back to a 3 November start. In 2024 the lights ran for 59 nights from 3 November to 31 December, about 17:00–23:00, with 25:00 only on 31 December (Osaka Prefecture's 2024 page). In 2025, the Expo year, they ran from 9 April to 31 December 2025, "from sunset to 25:00" (Osaka Prefecture's 2025 page). The 2026 run is again the 59 nights from 3 November, and the 25:00 finish that 2024 kept for New Year's Eve now applies every night.
• A new theme, "LINK". Marking Midosuji's 90th anniversary (May 2027), the 4 km is split into five areas, each representing an era from the 1940s to today.

What to see

• Five areas — walk from Kita (Umeda) to Minami (Namba) and the era and the colour of the lights change area by area.
• Interactive digital art at Kita-Mido — at Hongwanji Tsumura Betsuin (Kita-Mido), light and video react to visitors' movement. It runs about 17:00–23:00 and is not held 17–24 November or 11 December (event outline, checked 2026-10-13).
• Umeda ventilation tower and building façades — the tower at the northern start and façades along the avenue are lit too.

At the same time on Nakanoshima: OSAKA Hikari no Renaissance 2026

Just east of Midosuji at Yodoyabashi, Nakanoshima hosts the other core programme of the Festival of Lights.

Between 11 and 25 December, the natural route is down Midosuji to Yodoyabashi, then a short detour onto Nakanoshima for the projection mapping.

Getting there and walking the route

• Train — every Osaka Metro Midosuji Line station from Umeda to Namba sits on the route, and JR Osaka Station is within walking distance.
• Which way to walk — start at the northern end (Hanshin-mae, Umeda) and head south to follow the eras in order. Walking the full 4 km without stopping takes roughly an hour; hopping on the subway for part of it works too.
• Cost — these are street-tree lights on a public avenue, so there is no ticket or entry gate (checked 2026-10-13).

Make a night of it with Osaka After Dark: Nightlife & Street Food, or for another winter light show in the region see Nabana no Sato Winter Illumination.

Message plates on the ginkgo trees

The "My Message Tree" plates on Midosuji's ginkgo trees were open to individuals donating ¥10,000 or more to the Midosuji Illumination Fund; applications for 2026 ran from 14:00 on 1 June to 17:00 on 31 July 2026, with plates displayed 3 November – 31 December (checked 2026-10-13). The prefecture says it will hold an extra round if fewer plates than planned are taken, so check its page (Japanese): https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o070080/toshimiryoku/illumi/my-name-tree.html

Variable facts were checked on 2026-10-13 against Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City announcements. Hours and events can change, so check the official page (https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o070080/toshimiryoku/illumi/index.html) before you go.