TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU (Chuo City, Tokyo) is holding its Christmas event, MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026, from Thursday, November 19 to Friday, December 25, 2026.
This year's centerpiece is MIRAGE VOYAGE ～きらめきを映す、冬の航路～ (a winter route reflecting the sparkle), an illumination inspired by the history of Yaesu, which developed as a hub of logistics and exchange when people and goods traveled along its canals. The roughly 40 m space is treated as a "sea route," and light, decorations, and sound tell the story of ships carrying "cargo" of crafts and handiwork from across Japan as they arrive in Yaesu. At the center of the area stands a Christmas tree about 7 m tall, one of the largest ever. The tree and other parts of the illumination incorporate the traditional Japanese Shippo pattern (七宝文様, shippo monyo), a design of linked circles that carries wishes for connections between people and for harmony.
New this year, the illumination area extends to the sidewalk on the Tokyo Station side (along Sotobori-dori). Tokujin Yoshioka's STAR sculpture is also lit up for a limited time for the first time in two years. Inside the building, a pop photo spot themed on an advent calendar will appear, and music events and workshops are also planned. With a direct connection to Tokyo Station, visitors can enjoy Christmas after work or together with shopping and dining in the building.
Highlights of MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026
NEW: Illumination that treats the roughly 40 m Galleria as a "sea route" — Set against Yaesu's history as a town that prospered with canals and ships, the entire roughly 40 m Galleria becomes a single sea route. Mirrors evoking the water's surface reflect the light, so the scenery changes with every step.
STORY: Ships carrying handiwork from across Japan arrive in Yaesu — Ships that connected regions across Japan in the Edo period arrive in Yaesu carrying "cargo" of crafts and handiwork. The story expresses the history of a town where people, goods, and culture once came and went.
SYMBOL: The Shippo pattern and a Christmas tree about 7 m tall — The Shippo pattern, which symbolizes connections between people and harmony, is scattered throughout the space, including on the tree. A Christmas tree about 7 m tall, one of the largest ever, stands in the center of the area.
Walk a Roughly 40 m "Sea Route" of Christmas Lights: MIRAGE VOYAGE
MIRAGE VOYAGE, set in the 1F Galleria, is an illumination themed on Yaesu's history and the memories of the town. In the Edo period, canals ran throughout the Yaesu area, and the district prospered as a hub of logistics and exchange, with people and goods traveling by boat. This year's installation focuses on that connection between Yaesu and water transport, using "canals" and "ships" as the motifs for the whole space. It tells the story of ships loaded with "cargo" of crafts and handiwork from across Japan arriving in Yaesu.
- Dates: Thursday, November 19 to Friday, December 25, 2026
- Lighting hours: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM (a special show runs every 10 minutes)
- Venue: 1F Galleria
The roughly 40 m Galleria is treated as a single sea route, with ship objects, a bridge over the canal, and the Christmas tree about 7 m tall, one of the largest ever. The canal, expressed with mirror materials, reflects the ceiling illumination and creates a shimmer like water. The light changes its look with every step, creating a dreamlike world across the whole space.
The bridge is a photo spot where visitors can take pictures that feel as if they have stepped into the illuminated world, with the tree and ships in the background. Every 10 minutes, a special show of light and sound runs. The light across the whole space shifts as if voyaging along the sea route, creating a dynamic, immersive Christmas scene that many visitors will want to capture on video.
The tree and other parts of the space also feature the Shippo pattern, a traditional Japanese design of linked, spreading circles that carries wishes for connections between people, harmony, and ties that extend without limit. The continuing pattern is layered with this Christmas's story of connections spreading between people, and between people and culture.
"Cargo" of Handiwork from Across Japan
On site, items related to crafts and handiwork from across Japan are displayed as the "cargo" carried by the ships. The displays introduce a range of handiwork and regional culture, including textiles from HOSOO TOKYO, a tenant in the building, and glass crafts from Tsugaru Vidro (津軽びいどろ). Echoing Yaesu, where goods and culture once traveled by ship, the display offers new encounters with craftsmanship from around Japan.
Crafts from Kumamoto Prefecture also arrive in Yaesu as "cargo"
In response to the Reiwa 8 (2026) Kumamoto Earthquake that struck in July 2026, TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU is incorporating crafts from Kumamoto Prefecture into part of this year's illumination decorations as a disaster-relief effort. A fundraising drive is also being held to widen the circle of support through the event. TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU has introduced the appeal of crafts and handiwork through Christmas in past years, and continues that effort this year, offering a chance to experience the culture of Kumamoto and other parts of Japan.
Yaesu, "Canals," and "Ships"
In the Edo period, canals ran throughout the Yaesu area, and the district developed as a hub of logistics and exchange, with people and goods traveling by boat. The exterior design of TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU also draws on this history of the land. Its concept, "Billowing Sail," refers to a sail filled with wind and evokes ships and sails. MIRAGE VOYAGE likewise focuses on Yaesu's connection to water transport, adopting "canals" and "ships" as motifs for the whole space. The ship objects are inspired by the kaisen (廻船) that connected regions across Japan in the Edo period, reworked in a contemporary form.
Tokujin Yoshioka's STAR, a Sculpture About 10 m Tall, Lit Up for the Christmas Season
The STAR sculpture by Tokujin Yoshioka, about 10 m tall and standing in front of the main entrance of TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU, is lit up for a limited time during the Christmas season. Countless flashlights shine on this single-star sculpture, which carries a wish for peace. The light reflects off its stainless steel mirror rods, so the sparkle differs depending on where and when you look.
- Dates: Thursday, November 19 to Friday, December 25, 2026
- Lighting hours: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Venue: In front of the 1F main entrance
Tokujin Yoshioka (designer and artist)
Born in 1967, Yoshioka studied design under Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake and established Tokujin Yoshioka Design in 2000. He works across design, architecture, and contemporary art. His representative works include the torch for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay, the glass bench "Water Block" permanently exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the crystal chair "VENUS," the "Rainbow Church," and the glass tea house "Kou-an" (光庵). He was selected by the American magazine Newsweek as one of the "100 Japanese People the World Respects."
From the Galleria to Sotobori-dori: YAESU WINTER LIGHTS
In the 1F Galleria, the entrance to TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU, YAESU WINTER LIGHTS is held. In addition to the curtain-style illumination decorating the upper part of the space, street-tree illumination along Sotobori-dori is new for 2026. The lights remain on until Sunday, February 14, 2027, after the Christmas season ends, adding color to the winter streetscape that continues from the Tokyo Station Yaesu Exit.
- Dates: Thursday, November 19, 2026 to Sunday, February 14, 2027
- Lighting hours: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Venue: 1F Galleria and the sidewalk along Sotobori-dori
MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026 Overview
- Dates: Thursday, November 19 to Friday, December 25, 2026 (YAESU WINTER LIGHTS runs until Sunday, February 14, 2027)
- Venue: TOKYO MIDTOWN YAESU, 1F Galleria and Atrium, and other locations
- Main programs: MIRAGE VOYAGE / YAESU WINTER LIGHTS / limited-time lighting of "STAR" / YAESU MUSIC STREET / workshops, and more
- Organizer: Yaesu 2-chome Kita District Area Management Association
- Access: Directly connected underground (via the Yaesu Underground Mall) to Tokyo Station on the JR lines and on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
- Admission: Free
- Official website: https://www.yaesu.tokyo-midtown.com/special/xmas/ (scheduled to open in early November)
MIDTOWN YAESU CHRISTMAS 2026 is a partner program of ARTE TOKYO (東京国際文化芸術祭), which is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the festival's executive committee.
All images shown are illustrative. Listed details are subject to change without notice.
