Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival – The Largest and Most Dreamlike Limited-Edition Light Display in 22 Years

The “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” begins at the starting point east of Naniwa-chō Intersection and features a 270-meter-long light art installation along Naka-machi-dōri in the former foreign settlement. (Photo by Shi Xin?)

This year’s “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” has, for the first time, set up the “Galleria” light corridor with triple interlocking rings and the “Cassa Armonica” light sanctuary at Tōenchi Park. (Photo by Shi Xin?)

The festival market also offers a variety of souvenirs and local delicacies, including merchandise such as tote bags and bookmarks. (Photo by Shi Xin?)

Numerous Japanese wagashi shops at the festival market are also selling special gift sets. (Photo by Shi Xin?)

The annual dreamlike illumination event in Kobe, Japan — the “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” — has opened once again, running from now until December 17 in Naka-machi-dōri in the former foreign settlement and Tōenchi Park. This year, in celebration of both the 150th anniversary of Kobe’s port opening and the 150th anniversary of Hyogo Prefecture, Italian artists spent a full month creating the designs. A total of 400,000 LED bulbs were used to produce the most spectacular “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” to date.

The main venues of this year’s “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” are Naka-machi-dōri in the former foreign settlement and Tōenchi Park, with the theme “A Gaze Toward the Future.” Starting from the intersection east of Naniwa-chō, the display extends even further than last year to a 270-meter-long light installation. The entrance is composed of a massive tower called “Frontone” and a glowing wall gateway, followed by arched decorations leading into the “Galleria” arcade, kicking off this year’s light art journey in a fairytale castle style.

After walking through the 270-meter light art along Naka-machi-dōri, visitors arrive at the other main venue, Tōenchi Park. For the first time this year, the park features the “Galleria” light corridor with triple interlocking rings and the sprawling “Cassa Armonica” light sanctuary that extends deep inside. The grand, majestic arched corridor gives the impression of being inside a resplendent European church. The market area nearby sells a wide range of souvenirs and local foods, including tote bags, bookmarks, and traditional Japanese gift boxes. There is also a light art installation at the fountain plaza on the south side. The dreamy and magnificent “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” has become a must-visit photo spot for both tourists and locals in Kobe.

The “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” originated after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on January 17, 1995. That 7.3-magnitude quake claimed the lives of more than 6,400 people. To mourn the victims and bring hope to the citizens of Kobe, the light art festival was held for the first time in 1995. Since then, it has become a symbol of hope and an annual highlight in the lead-up to Christmas every December. Last year, the 10-day event attracted over 3.25 million visitors, with peak weekend days seeing up to 700,000 visitors in a single day. Due to the scale of the event each year, volunteers also help with on-site fundraising, aiming to secure enough funding to hold this rebirth-and-hope-themed light display again next year.

The 2017 “Kobe LUMINARIE Winter Light Art Festival” runs from today until December 17 (Sunday). The event begins at the starting point east of Naniwa-chō Intersection in Naka-machi-dōri in the former foreign settlement, and visitors can walk to the main venue at Tōenchi Park. Regular evening light-up ceremonies take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, with adjusted start and end times on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Traffic diversions and road closures will be in effect near the venue, so those planning to attend may consider walking from Sannomiya Station to the starting point in advance. For details, please refer to the official website.