NAGANO JAPAN |

ZENKO-JI OMOTESANDO ILLUMINATION

*The illumination event scheduled for December 2019 has been moved to February 22nd to March 1st 2020. It is expected that the illumination will also held again in December 2020, in-keeping with the normal schedule.

Established in 642, Zenko-ji Temple is the spiritual and physical heart from which Nagano City grew. The road leading to the temple, known as the Omotesando or ‘Pilgrims Path’ now connects the city’s main train station to the temple and from late-November through December will burst into light with the Zenko-ji Omotesando Illumination.

From November 24th until December 15th, the Omotesando will be illuminated by light projections and installations, followed by the temple itself from December 15th until December 25th – transforming the 1.8km road and temple into an imagined Buddhist paradise – an ephemeral world of purple and violet, silver and golden light.

The traditional road of pilgrimage and temple itself will be a place of enchantment, an illumination of the mind reflected in the light. In the crisp air of  late-autumn and early-winter, this vivid awakening of the city’s heart is certain to leave a lasting impression on visitors.

If you would like to experience the event on a tour, our 1-Day Snow Monkeys & Zenko-ji Winter Illumination Tour will be available every day from Feb. 22nd to Mar. 1st 2020.