The cost of projection mapping varies significantly depending on the scale (projection area/distance, projector specifications and number of units), duration (a short event of 1-3 days, a long run of 2 weeks or more, or a permanent installation), the content of the show (complexity of the building's 3D model, volume of 3DCG/2D animation, content length, proportion of original music/sound effects, use of moving lights, lasers, or smoke effects), operations (number and days of video, audio, and lighting engineers), and management (scale of security and operational staff). As a general guide, costs typically range from several million to tens of millions of yen, with large-scale projects reaching hundreds of millions of yen.
For example, the relatively small-scale, short-term "Iwasaki Castle Tenshukaku Projection Mapping" (3 days), which used fewer projectors, cost approximately 20 million yen (tax included). The "National Treasure Matsumoto Castle Tenshu Projection Mapping" (approx. 2 months), which used many projectors over a long period and included an unmanned operation system, cost approximately 58.5 million yen (tax included). "Anabuki Arena Kagawa Projection Mapping" (3 days), which involved building four approximately 10m-high truss towers, using more than 10 ultra-high-brightness projectors weighing over 100kg each, and a large-scale security/operations setup, cost approximately 90 million yen (tax included). The "Edo Castle Outer Moat Waterside Regeneration Project Projection Mapping" (4 days), which used many projectors but had a flat projection surface and a short duration, cost approximately 22 million yen (tax included).
For smaller-scale, shorter-duration projects, there are cases ranging from 5 million to 15 million yen (tax excluded). There are also cases such as "Light Up Macau 2024 Macao Science Center" and "Edo: The City of Water and the Outer Moat," performed within "TOKYO Night & Light"—the Guinness World Record holder for the largest permanent building projection mapping, projected onto the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building—where the organizer separately arranges the equipment and operations, and HITOHATA is responsible only for content production.
There are also many cases where local governments, DMOs, and tourism associations have used subsidies from the Japan Tourism Agency or the Agency for Cultural Affairs to realize their projects, and HITOHATA also provides support in securing such subsidies. Even if a project seems difficult to realize due to budget or location constraints, we may be able to propose a way to bring it to life by making the most of a unique venue. For a detailed quote, we will ask about conditions such as venue, scale, projection area, and duration, and then propose a total package that also includes promotional elements such as poster visuals, media PR, and social media advertising.
