“ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025,” produced by HITOHATA, INC., won a Gold Award in the “Experiential & Immersive – Interactive Outdoor Event” category at the international creative awards “MUSE Creative Awards 2026.”

The “MUSE Creative Awards” is an international award established in 2015 by the U.S.-based International Awards Association (IAA) to recognize outstanding creative work in the fields of advertising, design, and digital media. The awards receive over 10,000 entries annually from around the world for both the MUSE Creative and Design Awards combined, and "ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025 (Asakusa Culture & Lights 2025)" was selected as a Gold Winner.

“ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025” is the first-ever projection mapping event in the history of Senso-ji Temple, themed around the fusion of the temple’s 1,400-year history and culture. It took place against the backdrop of the Hozo-mon Gate, the Five-Storied Pagoda, and the Niten-mon Gate, making special use of numerous precious cultural assets.

In addition to motifs such as Senso-ji’s “Kinryu-no-Mai (Golden Dragon Dance),” "Nio(Temple Guardians)" and “FUJIN & RAIJIN (Fierce Gods of Wind and Thunder),” the project featured dynamic digital animations projecting Senso-ji’s collection of large votive plaques—which are not normally open to the public.

Alongside the projection mapping, we held special daytime viewings where visitors could explore the Denbion and Its Garden—a scenic spot within the Senso-ji grounds normally closed to the public—and the Ema Hall, which houses large ema painted by historical artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Setsutan, and Ittami (Kano) Kazunobu. We also held special nighttime viewings where visitors could admire the Denbion and Its Garden illuminated by fantastical lights.

As the first-ever grand projection mapping event in Senso-ji’s history and a special opportunity to experience the scenic Denbion and Its Garden and Ema Hall—open to the public for the first time in seven years—the projection mapping attracted over 150,000 visitors, while the special daytime and nighttime viewing sessions drew a combined total of approximately 5,000 visitors.

Winning this international creative award signifies that projection mapping utilizing Japan’s cultural assets has been recognized as world-class creativity. HITOHATA, INC., will continue to showcase the appeal of historical and cultural structures—including castles, temples, and shrines—to audiences both in Japan and abroad through cutting-edge technology and production, contributing to the revitalization of the local nighttime economy and the creation of new value for cultural assets.

*This event was held with the support of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ FY2025 “Grant for Cultural Resource Utilization Projects (Projects to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Nationwide).”

*The next “ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS” is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2026. Details will be announced on the official website and other channels as soon as they are finalized.

MUSE Creative Awards 2026

The “MUSE Creative Awards” is an international award that recognizes outstanding creative work in the fields of advertising, design, and digital media. Open to advertising agencies, brands, and creators worldwide, the awards aim to evaluate works that have enhanced brand value through innovative ideas and exceptional expressiveness, while making a real-world impact, thereby setting new standards for creativity.

Award Details

[Award Details] MUSE Creative Awards 2026 Experiential & Immersive - Interactive Outdoor Event Category: Gold Winner

[Winner] HITOHATA, INC.

[Winning Work] ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025 (Asakusa Culture & Lights 2025) Senso-ji Temple: Hozo-mon Gate / Five-Storied Pagoda / Important Cultural Property Niten-mon Gate Projection Mapping

【Project Description】

“ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025” is the first-ever projection mapping event in the history of Senso-ji Temple. Centered on the theme of blending the temple’s 1,400-year history and culture, it utilized the Hozo-mon Gate, Five-Storied Pagoda, and Niten-mon Gate as stages, making special use of numerous precious cultural assets.

In addition to motifs such as Senso-ji’s “Dance of the Golden Dragon,” “Nio Guardian Statues,” and “Wind and Thunder Gods,” the event projected dynamic digital animations featuring numerous large votive plaques—a source of pride for Senso-ji—that are normally not open to the public.

Alongside the projection mapping, we held special daytime viewings where visitors could specially view the Denbion and Its Garden—a scenic spot within the Senso-ji grounds normally closed to the public—and the Ema Hall, which houses large ema painted by historical artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Setsutan, and Ittami (Kano) Kazunobu. We also held special nighttime viewings where visitors could enjoy the Denbion and Its Garden illuminated by fantastical lights.

As the first-ever grand projection mapping event in Senso-ji’s history and a special opportunity to view the scenic Denbion and Its Garden and the Ema Hall—which had not been open to the public for seven years—the projection mapping attracted over 150,000 visitors, while the special daytime and nighttime viewing sessions drew a combined total of approximately 5,000 visitors.