Namba Parks Illumination 2025–26: Highlights and Access

Namba Parks Illumination 2025-2026 in Osaka

Namba Hikari Tabi is a popular winter illumination event held at Namba Parks in Osaka.

With attractions like the Light Waterfall, shimmering grasslands, and the AR underwater tour Illumination Diving, there is no shortage of highlights, making it a vibrant place visited by many couples and families each year.

In this article, we will explain the highlights and event information for the Namba Parks illumination Namba Hikari Tabi 2025-2026.

Highlights of Namba Parks Illumination Namba Hikari Tabi

Here are some selected highlights of the Namba Parks illumination.

1. Waterfall of Light (Namba Parks)

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The Waterfall of Light is a towering vertical LED installation that spans multiple floors of Namba Parks, creating the impression of a continuous cascade of light flowing from upper levels down into the plaza. Its scale, roughly 18 meters tall,  lets visitors experience the work from many vantage points, from an immersive close-up beneath the cascade to a composed wide shot from the rooftop. 

The display cycles through different color and motion programs, so the atmosphere shifts from serene blues to vibrant golds, giving repeat visitors fresh visual surprises and photographers a variety of moods to capture.

2. Sparkling Meadow (Parks Garden, 8F)

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The Sparkling Meadow turns a garden terrace into a low-level sea of lights designed for walking through rather than just looking at. Thousands of white-and-gold LEDs are arranged to suggest blades of glowing grass, and new pathways this year let visitors step inside the installation for more intimate, portrait-style photos.

The installation’s softer, enveloping light makes it particularly appealing for couples and families seeking atmospheric, quiet moments; its scale and layout also encourage slower exploration rather than a quick photo stop.

3. Illumination Diving — AR Underwater Walk (Parks Garden, 8F)

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Illumination Diving is a timed, ticketed walk-through experience that layers digital marine life onto a physically lit course using rented AR glasses or a shared tablet. Rather than a passive display, it’s structured as a short narrative tour: as you move along the route, virtual fish, dolphins and other luminous creatures appear to swim around you, creating surprise reveals and interactive focal points. 

Picture courtesy of PR Times
This blend of theatrical lighting design and augmented-reality storytelling expands the festival beyond visual spectacle into an immersive attraction that appeals to tech-curious visitors, families, and anyone who enjoys experiential events.

Illumination Diving runs on select evenings in late November and December — sessions typically run 17:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30) and last about 20 minutes including briefing. The AR experience is ticketed (glasses 1,000 yen/person; tablet 1,500 yen/group), equipment is limited, and advance reservations (open from Nov 7) are recommended. Note that sessions may be canceled in heavy rain or storms. Sessions can be booked here: https://nanba-illumidive2025.peatix.com/

4. Shining Tree (2F)

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The Shining Tree is a decorative focal tree equipped with camera markers that trigger smartphone-based animations. When a visitor points a camera at the marker, vines, blossoms, and sparkle effects appear on the screen, enhancing selfies and group photos with layered digital imagery. It’s a simple, accessible interaction that brings a playful, social-media–friendly moment to the festival without requiring bookings or special equipment — just your phone and a sense of curiosity.

5. Parks Moon and Rooftop Projection (Rooftop Garden)

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The Parks Moon is a large-scale projection on the rooftop garden that periodically cycles through animated sequences, from gentle star showers to whimsical scenes like hopping rabbits and faux fireworks. Because it’s placed on an elevated platform, the projection doubles as both a visual centerpiece and a vantage point to view the broader Namba skyline. 

Picture courtesy of PR Times
Scheduled projections create appointment-like moments during the evening, encouraging visitors to time their rooftop visit to coincide with the show and enjoy coordinated lighting effects across the complex.

6. Namba CITY Atrium & South Entrance Installations

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The Namba CITY atrium installation fills the mall’s vertical space with colorful garlands and suspended light elements that read like a giant, inverted tree from the ground floor. These indoor displays provide a vivid contrast to the district’s predominant gold-and-white themes and offer weather-proof viewing for families or shoppers seeking an indoor stop. 

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The South Entrance lighting adds a bright, welcoming frame to arrivals, making the entrance itself part of the visitor experience rather than just a route into the mall.

7. Namba Parks South — Gold-Themed Gateway

Picture courtesy of PR Times
Namba Parks South presents a grand, gold-themed approach to the precinct, featuring an ornamental arch and a dense field of lights that create a luxurious entrance corridor. The warm gold palette and large-scale ornamentation give the area a distinct character from the rest of the trail: it’s designed for evening promenades, special photo backdrops and a more formal, cinematic feel that contrasts with the softer, intimate Sparkling Meadow.

8. Namba SKY O and Carnival Mall Street Sculptures

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Namba SKY O’s entrance decorations and the Carnival Mall’s kinetic light sculptures offer quick, engaging stops along the street route. 

Picture courtesy of PR Times
The champagne-gold motifs at SKY O present a refined, decorative welcome, while the Carnival Mall’s spherical and columnar light objects use motion and programmable sequences to create dynamic streetscape moments. These installations work well for short visits, time-lapse videos, or as transitional sights en route between the larger attractions.

9. Takashimaya Osaka — Gate and Big Star Motif

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Takashimaya Osaka contributes theatrical retail-scale displays: a star trail gate and a large star symbol that frame the department store entrance and rooftop garden. These elements add a classic, elegant holiday aesthetic to the shopping experience, and the rooftop lighting operates year-round so visitors can pair a shopping stop with a quieter illuminated vantage point.

Namba Parks Illumination 2025-2026: Event Details

Event Title	Namba Hikari Tabi
Duration	November 7, 2025 – February 15, 2026 (Closed on December 31 and January 1)
Event Hours	17:00 – 00:00
Admission Fee	Free (general viewing). Illumination Diving event: 1,000 yen per person (AR glasses) or 1,500 yen per group (tablet). Book here: https://nanba-illumidive2025.peatix.com/
Official Website	https://nambamarutto.com/hikaritabi/
Official SNS	https://www.instagram.com/nambaparksofficial/

How to Get to Namba Parks

Photo by Pixta

Namba Parks is directly connected to Namba Station (Nankai Electric Railway) and it is also accessible on foot from the Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and Yotsubashi Line.

Additionally, even on rainy days, you can comfortably access it via the underground shopping area.

However, please note that weekends and public holidays may be crowded, so it is recommended to visit on weekdays or during the evening hours.

Main image by Pixta