A new baku projection joins Kunozan Toshogu’s autumn night visits, offering a different view of the Shizuoka shrine’s richly decorated buildings.
Kunozan Toshogu in Shizuoka has scheduled another autumn of evening visits, with a new projection based on one of the shrine’s own carved creatures. The 2026 Irodori programme runs on selected nights from 19 September to 29 November, opening the grounds after normal visiting hours. Its latest addition takes the baku, a mythical animal depicted on the Romon gate, as the subject for a display that connects the illumination to the building rather than simply using the shrine as a backdrop.
The event’s organisers associate the baku with peace, drawing on a tradition that the creature eats metal and would have little to consume when that material was being used for weapons. The new work joins the origami-inspired lighting developed by artist YouRuMaru, which became the programme’s theme last year. Japanese travel publication Travel Voice reported the new projection on 18 September, ahead of the first scheduled weekend. For returning visitors, it gives this year’s event a specific addition to look for, while the wider attraction remains the chance to see the shrine’s elaborate surfaces under evening illumination.
There is considerable detail in the architecture to work with. Kunozan Toshogu was built in 1617 on the orders of Tokugawa Hidetada, the second Tokugawa shogun, following the death of his father, Ieyasu, the previous year. Master carpenter Nakai Masakiyo oversaw its construction. The principal shrine buildings, now designated a National Treasure, use the connected arrangement known as gongen-zukuri, linking the main sanctuary and worship hall through a lower stone-floored chamber. Red and black lacquer and carved birds and flowers reflect techniques associated with the preceding Momoyama period. Looking closely at that existing decoration gives the contemporary lighting a more interesting context than treating it as an isolated seasonal spectacle.
The location also belongs to Ieyasu’s final chapter in Shizuoka. The shrine’s own history explains that he spent his later years at Sunpu Castle and requested burial at Kunozan. That connection gives visitors a local historical thread to follow alongside the visual display. It is still a place of worship, and the evening programme is an opportunity to visit within that setting rather than an invitation to regard every part of the complex as an entertainment venue. The shrine museum is closed during the night opening, so anyone interested in its collection will need to plan a separate daytime visit.
The calendar requires attention because the lights are not on every evening. September and October visits are scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; Fridays are added in November. There are no event sessions on 17 October or 22 and 23 November because of shrine ceremonies. Published hours are 6pm to 9pm, with final admission at 8pm. The weekend of 26 and 27 September falls within the advertised operating pattern, subject to the organiser’s latest notices and weather conditions.
Access is exclusively by the Nihondaira Ropeway during the event, with the usual route on foot from below unavailable. Advance adult admission is ¥2,400, including the return ropeway journey and shrine entry, compared with ¥2,700 on the day. The booking system divides arrivals into half-hour windows, and visitors need to allow for the final return ropeway at 9pm. Ordinary public buses do not serve Nihondaira at event hours, so a taxi or car needs to be arranged unless travelling on a separately organised excursion. Severe weather that stops the ropeway can also prevent the evening visit from operating.
These arrangements make Irodori a planned evening outing rather than something to add casually after dinner. The shrine’s access guidance also warns that stone steps remain within the grounds and that the main shrine cannot be reached by wheelchair or pushchair using a ramp. Visitors who are comfortable with those conditions can approach the event with a fairly clear idea of what it offers: time among the lacquered buildings after dark, with an artistic treatment drawn from their own imagery. Keeping the museum and a closer architectural visit for daylight would allow the two experiences to complement one another without expecting the evening ticket to cover everything.