Kobe Luminarie

Hyogo · Lantern festival

Kobe's light festival began in December 1995 to mourn the victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It now runs for ten days from late January, across three sites in central Kobe.

Dates

29 January 2027 to 7 February 2027

The 32nd edition, announced by the organising committee through the City of Kobe in May 2026. Lighting hours and the works had not been announced yet.

Ten days from late January into early February. In 2026 the lights were on from dusk to 21:30.

Dates checked against the official site on October 30, 2026

Kobe Luminarie was first lit in December 1995, the year of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, to mourn the people who died and to stand for the city's hope of rebuilding. Its stated aims today are the same, plus passing on the lessons of the disaster. For most of its history it was held in December. After a pause during the pandemic it returned in January 2024, the month the earthquake struck, and has been held at the start of the year since. The works are large structures of light, and since 2024 they have been spread over three sites. In the Higashi Yuenchi park the 2026 main piece was a wall of light about 50 metres long and up to 22 metres high. In the former Foreign Settlement a smaller work stood in the plaza in front of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation building, and Meriken Park, on the harbour, had a long gallery of light. Meriken Park is the only site that charges for entry, and only for part of the park. Lights in the Settlement and around Shinkomachi link the sites, which are a 10 minute walk and a 6 minute walk apart. The festival is run by a committee chaired by the mayor of Kobe, with Hyogo Prefecture, the city and local business and tourism bodies.

Getting a good spot

There is no parking, and roads around the sites are restricted, so come by train. Toilets are only at Higashi Yuenchi and Meriken Park. Tickets for the paid area cost less on weekdays than at weekends.

Seats and tickets

Higashi Yuenchi, the former Foreign Settlement and the rest of Meriken Park are free. For the paid area in Meriken Park, advance tickets for 2027 cost 500 yen on weekdays and 750 yen at weekends, and tickets on the day 1,000 yen and 1,500 yen. In 2026 tickets on the day went on sale at Meriken Park from 15:00, and the organisers said they might not sell them if advance sales were strong.

Where it happens

Meriken Park Main site Kobe's main waterfront park with the red Kobe Port Tower, BE KOBE monument, and Kobe Maritime Museum. Kobe A cosmopolitan port city celebrated for Kobe beef, mountain-harbor scenery, and multicultural heritage. Kobe Port Tower A red steel observation tower on a Kobe Port pier, first opened in 1963 and reopened in 2024 with a new open-air roof... Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown) One of Japan's three great Chinatowns alongside Yokohama and Nagasaki, famous for its bustling street food stalls and... Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum (DRI) Powerful interactive museum documenting the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake with a realistic disaster...

Access

Common questions

When is Kobe Luminarie in 2027?

From Friday 29 January to Sunday 7 February 2027, ten days in all. The organisers had not announced lighting hours yet. In 2026 the lights were on from dusk to 21:30.

Is Kobe Luminarie free?

Mostly. Higashi Yuenchi and the former Foreign Settlement are free, as is most of Meriken Park. Only the light gallery in part of Meriken Park charges: 500 or 750 yen in advance and 1,000 or 1,500 yen on the day for 2027, with weekends at the higher price.

How do I get to Kobe Luminarie?

By train. JR and Hanshin Motomachi Station is about 7 minutes on foot, and JR Sannomiya and Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya are also close. There is no parking. Higashi Yuenchi to the former Foreign Settlement is about a 10 minute walk, and from there to Meriken Park about 6 minutes.