Aso-Kuju National Park Kikuchi Gorge Light-Up Vol. 5: Forest of the Sleeping Dragon, Night of Encountering the Dragon of Light

About this event

Aso-Kuju National Park Kikuchi Gorge Light-Up Vol. 5 will be held at Kikuchi Gorge in Aso-Kuju National Park, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Celebrating its 5th edition, this year's event will run for a total of 10 days limited to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays between November 20 (Fri) and December 6 (Sun), 2026. The biggest highlight is the series' first-ever Dragon Projection Mapping. Based on the local legend of the Dragon God, a "dragon of light" will appear at famous gorge spots such as Ryugafuchi and Tengu Waterfall, coloring the nighttime gorge with fantastical visual projections. Combining the natural beauty emerging from pitch-black darkness with modern lighting effects allows visitors to enjoy an expression of the gorge entirely different from daytime. During the event period, parking lots at Kikuchi Gorge will be closed, and a full-scale "Park & Ride" system using dedicated shuttle buses departing from the Kikuchi City Furusato Sosei Civic Square in the city center will be implemented. This eases congestion and provides a premium nighttime tourism experience to fully enjoy the mystical autumn night scenery stress-free. The ticket includes admission to the light-up, round-trip shuttle bus fare, a 500-yen shopping voucher usable at the Night Marche, and an onsen hot spring bath ticket to enjoy Kikuchi's hot springs, offering an experience that lets visitors fully savor nighttime Kikuchi.

Venue

Kikuchi Gorge

5026 Hara, Kikuchi, Kumamoto 861-1441