Osaka’s Expo ’70 Commemorative Park planned its winter Illumi-Night on 20 specified dates between November 22 and December 30, 2026. Alongside lights around the Tower of the Sun, projection events were planned. Evening hours were 5–9 p.m., with last admission at 8:30 p.m. The events were free to view, but separate park admission was required.
The cover was based on 663highland’s November 16, 2013 autumn photograph of Shinji Pond in the park’s Japanese Garden. It is not a photograph of the winter night event described and does not imply evening opening of the Japanese Garden.
Starting November 22, but not operating every day
Illumi-Night Banpaku 2026 WINTER’s dates were divided into the six groups below: November 22–23, selected subsequent Fridays through Sundays, and December 25–30. Match your travel date to an actual operating day rather than visiting on a weekday evening within the overall range. November 23 is a Japanese public holiday, and the final week includes Monday–Wednesday, December 28–30.
| Dates | Days of the week | Number of days |
|---|---|---|
| November 22–23 | Sunday–Monday; November 23 is a public holiday | Two days |
| November 27–29 | Friday–Sunday | Three days |
| December 4–6 | Friday–Sunday | Three days |
| December 11–13 | Friday–Sunday | Three days |
| December 18–20 | Friday–Sunday | Three days |
| December 25–30 | Friday–Wednesday | Six days |
Tower of the Sun projections at :05, :15, :30, and :45
The concurrent projection-mapping event “I’m 万博 We are 万博” looked back at the 1970 Osaka Expo and 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in light and video. Five-minute Tower of the Sun projections were planned from 5–9 p.m., beginning at five, 15, 30, and 45 minutes past each hour. Rather than expecting continuous projection from 5 p.m., allow time to wait for a chosen showing.
Last admission to the night event was 8:30 p.m. You still needed to move from the entrance to the viewing area, so avoid arriving at the cutoff solely for a final projection. Operation was limited to specified areas, not every park facility at night.
Visit earlier for the pavilion screening
EXPO’70 Pavilion was to rescreen “Back to EXPO’70,” shown at the 2025 Expo. Its announced hours were 10 a.m.–5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m., different from the Tower of the Sun evening projections. To see both, visit the pavilion first, then move to the tower in the evening.
“Free viewing” in the official event notice referred to this projection program. It did not mean every regular pavilion exhibition was free. General facility fees were separately listed, so check the scope and charge for any additional exhibitions.
Regular park admission: JPY 450 for high-school students and older
Illumi-Night and the projection events were described as free, but required the combined Natural and Cultural Gardens/Japanese Garden park ticket. Standard individual admission was JPY 450 for high-school students and older, with junior-high students and younger free. This did not include transport, meals, or other paid facilities.
One rail route used the Midosuji/Kita-Osaka Kyuko lines to Senri-Chuo, changing to the Osaka Monorail for Banpaku-kinen-koen Station (万博記念公園駅). Allow for travel from the hotel, transfers, and the walk from the station to the event area.
The park said it would update its official event page when additional Illumi-Night details were settled. The announced dates and times could guide a broad plan, but operation changes or cancellations needed another check before a visit. The notice did not establish an unannounced decoration scale or every facility condition.
3 Minute Travel’s advice
First check whether your accommodation dates match one of the 20 event days. For the daytime pavilion screening, allow time before its 4:30 p.m. last entry; even for only the Tower of the Sun at night, arrive comfortably before the 8:30 p.m. park cutoff.
Prepare for cold weather while waiting outdoors and check transport back to your accommodation. Separating park admission from individual facility fees helps avoid underestimating a visit because an event is advertised as free.
Sources and photo information
- Expo ’70 Commemorative Park official: Illumi-Night Banpaku 2026 WINTER · The 20 dates, night hours, location, and separate park admission.
- Expo ’70 Commemorative Park official: I’m 万博 We are 万博 · Tower projection times, pavilion hours, restricted areas, and event-viewing fees.
- Expo ’70 Commemorative Park official admission fees · Standard individual Natural and Cultural Gardens/Japanese Garden admission and separate facility fees.
- Expo ’70 Commemorative Park official access information · Rail access changing at Senri-Chuo to the Osaka Monorail.
Original photograph: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (November 16, 2013), CC BY 2.5 . The original was adapted into a square cover with Korean text and a date. The cover date denotes the original report’s reference date.
Official-source check in the original: October 26, 2026, JST. Times are local to Japan; events could change or be canceled without advance notice.