Tokimusubi no Mori — Omiya’s story,woven in light and mist.
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa-jinja Shrine
2026NOV 7 SAT23 MON / HOLIDAY
MON–THU
FRI–SUN
& HOLIDAYS
FREE ADMISSION
An evening of light,
beginning on the approach.
Follow the glow of bamboo lanterns along the approach to the Third Torii Gate. Beyond it, a series of light installations awaits within the shrine grounds. Take your time and discover Hikawa Shrine transformed by the night.
Follow a spirit of light through Hikawa’s sacred world and Omiya’s history.
A small spirit of light, born of Omiya’s land, guides you through cherry blossoms, the waters of Minuma, Omiya’s railway heritage, festivals, bonsai, sacred groves and prayer. Across the seasons, the presence of Hikawa’s deities intertwines with everyday life. Light carries people’s wishes, connecting the past, the present and the future.
Step into a sea of light.
Softly changing colors and patterns illuminate the mist drifting at your feet. Shaped by the breeze, it creates a new scene at every moment—an enchanting experience of walking through luminous clouds.
Creating tomorrow’s
light with local
high school students.
This year, students from Saitama Prefectural Omiya Science and Technology High School are helping create part of the event. The bamboo lanterns along the approach and within the shrine grounds are also the students’ creations. Their discoveries, ideas and creative process become part of the story, alongside the finished installation.
A Festival of Light, Created with the Community
The grove itself becomes a story.
Projection mapping
on living trees
Before you reach the Romon Gate, projections illuminate two large trees standing on either side of the approach. Wrapped in light, they welcome you onward to the gate.
Projection mapping
at the Rōmon gate
The Romon Gate becomes the stage for a story of light, weaving Omiya’s history, nature and culture through the changing seasons. Here, the spirit of light reaches the heart of the story.
2025 / LAST YEAR
Relive last year’s night on film.
Event information
- Dates
- November 7 (Sat) – November 23 (Mon, national holiday), 2026
- Hours (JST)
- Mon–Thu: 17:30–20:00 (last entry 19:30)
Fri–Sun & holidays: 17:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30) - Venue
- Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa-jinja Shrine
1-407 Takahanacho, Omiya-ku, Saitama City, Saitama - Admission
- Free admission
- Queueing
- Please do not queue before 17:00, while the shrine is open to regular worshippers. Follow staff instructions when joining the queue.
Access
About 15 minutes on foot from the East Exit of JR Omiya Station
Before and after the light-up,
take a walk through Omiya.
Discover shops and places to stop around the shrine approach. Enjoy the city of Omiya with a meal or some shopping before or after the light-up.
Visitor Q&A & Guidelines
Do I need to arrive at a specific time?
You may arrive at any time during opening hours. Short films play on a loop, so you can enjoy the displays whenever you visit.
When can I start queueing?
Please do not queue before 17:00, as the shrine remains open to regular worshippers. From 17:00, follow staff instructions.
Is parking available?
There is no dedicated event parking. Please use public transport. The West Parking Lot closes at 17:00 and is not available for the event.
Where can I park my bicycle?
From 17:00, bicycle parking is available in Parking Lot No. 1 and the temporary bicycle parking area in front of the shrine office.
Is the event suitable for young children?
Yes. Alongside displays to watch, there are immersive installations where children can step into the light.
Can I bring food and drinks?
Drinks are permitted. Please do not bring food or eat within the event grounds, except inside HIKAWA SATEI. Enjoy a meal in Omiya before or after your visit.
Can I take photographs or use a tripod?
Photography is permitted. Please avoid actions that inconvenience others and do not enter restricted areas to take photos. During the Romon Gate projection mapping, do not hold smartphones or other devices high above your head, as this blocks the view of visitors behind you.
Is there a smoking area?
There is no smoking area within the venue.
Where is the event entrance?
Enter the shrine grounds through the Third Torii Gate. The Romon Gate display and other installations share one queue. Please join the end of the queue and do not cut in.
Can I use Yusui Terrace during the event?
From 17:00, Yusui Terrace serves as the event operations headquarters and cannot be used as a rest area. Please visit the headquarters for lost children, lost property or other assistance.
Will entry be restricted when it is crowded?
Entry may be restricted during busy periods. Thank you for your understanding. Please follow staff instructions inside the venue.
Could the event or installations be changed or canceled?
Installations may be changed or canceled without notice due to severe weather, equipment issues or other circumstances. Check our official Instagram for event updates.
Can I bring my pet?
Walking pets or bringing them into the grounds is not permitted. Assistance dogs for people with disabilities are welcome.
Can I bring my bicycle into the shrine grounds?
Cycling beyond the Third Torii Gate is prohibited. Bicycles may not be brought inside the Romon Gate.
Can I walk anywhere in the shrine grounds?
Please stay out of areas closed at night. The grounds include gravel paths and steps, so watch your footing.
How should I treat the plants and animals?
Do not remove or damage plants, or feed animals within the shrine grounds.
Can photographs or illustrations be used commercially?
Commercial use of the shrine’s crest, sacred items, festival names, photographs, illustrations and similar materials requires permission from the shrine.
What other activities are prohibited?
Please refrain from unauthorized sales, solicitation, leafleting, touting or surveys (including signature collection); reselling sacred items or goshuin seals; smoking where no ashtray is provided; shouting or playing loud audio; and any conduct that is offensive, disrespectful to the shrine or disruptive to other visitors.
Contact
- Fax
- +81 48-829-1944
- Office Hours
- Through November 6: 08:30–17:15
November 7–23: 08:30 until the event closes (Japan Standard Time)
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 17:30 until the event closes (Japan Standard Time).
Connecting time, toward the grove’s future.
Toki-musubi
Tokimusubi means connecting time: carrying Omiya’s history, traditions and culture, shaped across generations, into the future.
The sacred grove
Mori, a sacred grove, refers to the grounds of Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa-jinja Shrine. It also symbolizes a place where nature, everyday life and culture take root.
Through light, we give form to the memories inherited by this land, the wishes of people living here today and the moments still to come—connecting past, present and future.
The Title Calligraphy
Calligrapher
Seison Mozumi茂住 菁邨
The title calligraphy for Tokimusubi no Mori was created by Seison Mozumi.
Born in Furukawa, Gifu Prefecture (now Hida City) in 1956, Mozumi worked as a government calligrapher, writing official letters of appointment and calligraphy for the People’s Honor Award. In 2019, he wrote the characters for Japan’s new imperial era name, Reiwa.
Official biography ↗CREDIT
- Organizer
- Saitama City
- Co-organizers
- Saitama Tourism and International Relations Bureau
nigiwainomori - With the Support of
- Musashi Ichinomiya
Hikawa-jinja Shrine - Saitama Prefectural
Omiya Science and
Technology High School - chuoh departmentOmiya Kadomachi EAST/WEST
- East Japan Railway CompanyOmiya regional headquarters
- SAIKAN System Co., Ltd.
- HIKAWA SATEI
- Bibli
- hikawa no tsudoiCentral Pharmacy
- Xero Place Inc.
- ARCHE大宮アルシェ
- NACK5 Stadium Omiya
- AIJAPAN co.,ltd.
- SAITAMA SHINBUN
JIGYOSHA Co.,LTD. - MISONOEN有限会社美園苑
- POLUS Co., Ltd.
- Sekisui House, Ltd.埼玉中央支店
- Sekisui House Construction
Kanto Co., Ltd.埼玉支店 - AZUMA KOGYO CO., LTD
- Mukai Construction向井建設株式会社
- Institute of Technologists
- BIC CAMERA INC.
- Shimizuen株式会社清水園
- Television Saitama Co.,Ltd.
- Musashi Ichinomiya
- Production
- SYMUNITY GROUP
