Lux Night KUMAMOTO 2026, the nighttime light-art event at Suizenji Jojuen Garden (水前寺成趣園) in Kumamoto, runs from Friday, November 6, to Sunday, December 6, 2026. This is the event's third edition. Hours are 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., with last entry at 8:30.
Tickets are ¥2,000 for adults (¥1,800 online) and ¥1,000 for high school students (¥900 online). Junior high school students and younger children get in free.
Crowds peak right at opening. The garden's official page says things are calmer after 7:30 p.m., and the route takes about 40 minutes, so aim to walk in between 7:30 and 8:20 p.m.
For the ride home, watch the destination sign. To get back to Kumamoto Station, board a tram marked Kumamoto-ekimae (熊本駅前) or Tasakibashi (田崎橋). Trams bound for Kotsukyoku-mae (交通局前) or Kami-Kumamoto (上熊本) won't get you there.
2026 at a glance
As in 2025, the event runs from the first Friday of November to the first Sunday of December (last year's dates were November 7 to December 7). Hours and the adult price are unchanged.
Dates | Friday, November 6 – Sunday, December 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
Hours | 6:00–9:00 p. |
Venue | Suizenji Jojuen, 8-1 Suizenji-koen, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto |
Entrance | Main Gate (正門) |
Admission | Adults ¥2,000 / ¥1,800 online; high school students ¥1,000 / ¥900 online; junior high age and under free |
Weather | Rain or shine; canceled in severe weather |
Organizer | Kumamoto International Convention and Tourism Bureau |
Hotels around Kumamoto: availability and rates
Tickets: online or at the gate
Buying online saves ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for high school students, but online tickets can't be refunded. If your evening is set, buy ahead; if your plans might change, paying at the gate costs only a little more.
Online tickets are sold through the Lux Night KUMAMOTO official site. Just show the code at the entrance.
At the gate, you can pay in cash or by Visa, Mastercard, JCB, or American Express. Visitors with disabilities pay a discounted ¥1,000; eligibility is listed on the official site.
There's also a tram perk. Pick up a flyer on a Kumamoto tram and bring it to the venue for ¥200 off, the price of one fare. Ask at the venue whether it can be combined with an online ticket.
Highlights: seven works on one route
The series' theme is "Meet Higo-Hosokawa culture": the world of the Hosokawa clan, the feudal lords of Higo (today's Kumamoto Prefecture).
Year one focused on Hosokawa Gracia and year two on the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. This year's theme spans the Sengoku (Warring States) era through the age of the Higo-Kumamoto domain.
Seven installations are spread around the garden. They include crystal-accented bamboo lanterns (new this year), pieces built from flowers and mirrors, and a light display at Izumi Shrine (出水神社). The lighting is paired with sound.
The route takes about 40 minutes to walk, so enter by 8:20 p.m. if you want to finish before the 9:00 p.m. close.
The garden's page also notes that the projection-mapping experience may be briefly limited just after opening, one more reason to arrive later.
Getting there and parking
At Kumamoto Station, board the tram at Kumamoto-ekimae (熊本駅前) and ride to Suizenji-koen (水前寺公園), then walk five minutes to the Main Gate. The garden's page puts the trip from the station at about 37 minutes. The adult fare is a flat ¥200.
From downtown, near Kumamoto Castle, board at Kumamotojo/Shiyakusho-mae (熊本城・市役所前); the event flyer puts the trip to the garden at about 22 minutes. From Aso Kumamoto Airport, the airport limousine bus to Suizenji-koen-mae (水前寺公園前) takes about 30 minutes.
On the JR Hohi Line, Shin-Suizenji Station (新水前寺駅) is about a 12-minute walk away.
The garden has no parking lot of its own. A temporary lot is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and Monday, November 23 (a national holiday). It runs 5:00–9:00 p.m. (last car in at 8:00 p.m.) and costs ¥500 per visit.
Spaces are limited, and the garden asks visitors to use public transport where possible. On weekdays, drivers will need a nearby paid lot.
Tram back: which destination to board
Trams keep running after the garden closes. According to the Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau timetable, four trams departing Suizenji-koen between 9:00 and 9:59 p.m. reach Kumamoto Station, on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays alike.
Trams with different destinations use the same stop, so check the sign on the front before you board.
Destination sign | Reaches Kumamoto Station? | Passes through downtown? |
|---|---|---|
Kumamoto-ekimae (熊本駅前) | Yes | Yes |
Tasakibashi (田崎橋) | Yes | Yes |
Kami-Kumamoto (上熊本) | No | Yes |
Kotsukyoku-mae (交通局前) | No | No (ends before downtown) |
"Downtown" here means stops like Torichosuji (通町筋) and Kumamotojo/Shiyakusho-mae.
If you plan to stay until closing or catch a Shinkansen that night, check the timetable before you go: weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and holidays (in Japanese).
Rain, footing, and garden rules
The event goes ahead in rain and is canceled in severe weather. If you're not sure it's on, call Yusuitei (湧水亭), the Suizenji Hosokawa culture center near the garden, at 096-285-8893 (+81-96-285-8893 from a non-Japanese phone; staffed 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. during the event).
Paths are dark, with gravel and slopes, so wear comfortable walking shoes. There are no strollers to borrow, but wheelchairs are available at the Main Gate.
Tripods are allowed as long as you keep out of other visitors' way. You can step out and come back in; just tell the staff at the gate when you leave.
Outside food and drinks are allowed, but take your trash home. There are no food vendors inside, so eat dinner beforehand.
Nearby in early December: Suizenji WhiteXmas
From Friday, December 4, to Sunday, December 6, Suizenji WhiteXmas 2026 takes place at the plaza in front of Janes Residence (ジェーンズ邸), close to the garden.
It runs 4:00–8:30 p.m. on December 4 and noon–8:30 p.m. on December 5 and 6. Entry is free, and the nearest tram stop is Shiritsu-taiikukan-mae (市立体育館前).
Those dates overlap with the final three nights of Lux Night. You could stop by WhiteXmas in the early evening, then head to Suizenji Jojuen around 7:30 p.m.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
