Editor’s Note (August 2025): This review is based on my visit in March 2024, shortly after “Tokyo Night & Light” first launched. The show’s content, particularly on weekends, has been significantly updated since then. New programs featuring major Japanese icons like Godzilla and Gundam have been added. Please keep this context in mind as you read my original experience. I plan to revisit and post an updated review in the coming months.
The world’s largest projection mapping is in Nishi-Shinjuku. It promised to dazzle, but did it deliver? Nestled against the iconic Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, ‘Tokyo Night & Light’ aimed to capture the city’s pulse and color in a stunning display. I went in with high expectations—but was it enough to leave a lasting impression? Would it be the next big tourist attraction?
It started on February 25, 2024, and aims to play year-round. The venue is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Main Building No.1. That’s city hall, a 48-story twin tower with observatories that Godzilla often destroys in the movies.
There are five shows per night and they start at 7 pm. Each performance takes about ten to fifteen minutes.
The program changes regularly, with a different lineup on weekdays versus weekends and holidays. For the most current schedule, it’s best to check the official “Tokyo Night & Light” website.
Images are projected against the building’s east side from the fourth floor. They go up to the 32nd floor and cover an area 127 meters high by 110 meters wide. That is big! The Governor, Yuriko Koike, said tourists and locals will come to see it.
Tokyoites love big events and turn out for them in huge crowds, so I had high expectations. While over 1,000 people attended the opening, there were only about 200 when I visited. It was a cool, mid-March weekday, which might explain the low numbers, but I feel there was more to it than that.
I talked to people near me while waiting for the event to start. One couple said they had watched Tokyo Night and Light the previous weekend. They said it was awesome. The images were cool. The crowd had clapped and cheered at the end of each performance. Others said the same. Hearing those comments got me excited.
Have you ever been to a big event in Japan? Fireworks and Awa Odori are good examples. When a Japanese crowd is impressed, they let the performers know. They clap and cheer like there is no tomorrow.
What we saw was underwhelming. There were some color patterns on the building. The sound system had problems. Then, there was the ocean scene with a whale and fish. It was random stuff. Then it finished.
Well, there was complete silence. Claps or cheers were absent. The audience wasn’t impressed. After two performances, most of them had left. That was enough for me, too. I packed up my gear and went home. Hardly anyone remained. The couple next to me said I should go on the weekend.
My 2024 visit featured abstract patterns and ocean life. The show’s producers have since added several blockbuster programs that embrace Japanese pop culture.
According to the event schedule, the weekend and holiday lineup now frequently includes:
These additions seem to directly address the desire for more dynamic, culturally specific content that I mentioned in my original review below.
When I first visited, I found the show underwhelming as a live event, and my prediction was that it wouldn’t hold the attention of large crowds in that form. Having said that, when I looked at my photos at home, I was impressed. The Tocho looked spectacular with the projection mapping, and I realized it was a fantastic opportunity for photographers.
Now, based on the new 2025 weekend lineup featuring Godzilla and other icons, it seems “Tokyo Night & Light” may have finally evolved into the major tourist attraction it was meant to be. It has likely become more than just a photo opportunity. I look forward to seeing it for myself soon and will report back.
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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2 Responses
Beautiful!!! Thank you for showing us these photos.
I want to see it there sometime!!! Arigato.
I hope you enjoy it! With the weather warming up, it should be a great way to fill in a night.