With Japan’s illumination season getting underway, a new ranking has revealed 30 of the country’s best destinations for winter light displays, offering plenty of inspiration for travelers planning an evening outing this autumn and winter.
The 2026 Illumination Municipality Ranking was compiled by travel app NEWT, which assessed 1,741 municipalities across Japan using four criteria: the scale and history of their illumination events, accommodation booking trends, online search interest, and their appeal as lesser-known destinations.
Taking first place was Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture, home to the much-loved Kobe Luminarie. Established in memory of the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the annual event uses elaborate light installations to commemorate those lost and pass the lessons of the disaster on to future generations. The next edition will run from January 29 to February 7, 2027.
An unexpected newcomer claimed second place, with Kijimadaira Village in Nagano Prefecture earning recognition for its newly launched Mountain-Loving Illumination (Yama ni Koisuru Illumination). First held in September 2026, the event features approximately 400,000 lights, musical fountain performances, a light-up animal garden, and around 25,000 dahlias.
Kanagawa Prefecture's Kiyokawa Village rounded out the top three, recognized for its popular Miyagase Christmas Festival, featuring a Christmas tree more than 30 meters tall and an illuminated suspension bridge stretching 315 meters.
Other notable entries include Shizukuishi in Iwate Prefecture (fourth), Gotemba in Shizuoka Prefecture (fifth), Osaka City (sixth), Fukuoka City (seventh), Yokohama (eighth), Kuwana in Mie Prefecture (ninth), and Hakodate in Hokkaido (tenth).
Among the highlights are Gotemba's Hikari no Sumika, featuring approximately 5.5 million lights, and Yokohama's YORUNOYO, which transforms more than three kilometers of the waterfront into an illuminated spectacle.
The ranking offers a handy starting point for discovering Japan's winter scenery, with everything from major city displays to smaller rural events making the list.
