Shinrin Park (aka Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park) have confirmed their dates for the 2026 Halloween night in the Forest. We have visited this event almost every year since it started. It is so much fun for the kids to walk around a park at night. Especially one that has Halloween decorations! I have noticed that the number of visitors increases year by year. It’s not uncommon in recent years to find it difficult to get a parking spot. However, this year, they are planning to open another parking lot if the main one for the event – the central parking lot, is full.
Halloween night in the forest 2026
This year, like last, the Halloween Night in the Forest will be on for three weekends in a row as well as Halloween night itself (which is on a Saturday). In total it is on seven nights, one of the longest in recent years. During the pandemic and right up until last year, 2024, it was on for a shorter period of just two weekends. It is years since it was last on Halloween night. The 2026 Halloween illumination starts on Sunday October 11th with the last on October 31st. (See event details paragraph for all dates). The central gate of the park will open between 5 and 8.30 pm, on dry nights only, for the occasion. They announce on their website by 2 pm if the event will be cancelled due to rain. Because this is mainly an outdoor event.
Halloween Illumination
Approximately 550,000 lights are used in art installations depicting Halloween motifs. The lights are in the area around the central gate and the walkway to the botanical garden house. Both the central gate and botanical garden house have large displays. The central gate has a bubble blowing pirates ship and the botanical garden house / arboretum has a talking tree!
There is no additional charge for the event, but you do need to pay entry into the park. It costs 450 yen per adult, children go free. In addition, parking is charged. It used to be at a reduced rate to day time, but not since 2023. They are planning to charge 700 yen for parking in 2026. There is a charged shuttle bus too – more on that in information section.
Shows and music
A highlight for children is the bubble and light show at the castle – an installation near the central gate. Between 5 pm and 8.15 pm, every 10 minutes, the castle comes alive with laser lights, narration, music, smoke and sometimes they blow bubbles from a machine too. There is also music in the Kaede garden and at the botanical area at intervals too.
Don’t worry if you can’t make the Halloween light up, another special illumination event will start in the park in the middle of November. All the deets here!
Art project / installations
Each year they also have art installations and an art project on display for the whole period of night illumination called “Harmony with Nature”. They have craft workshops on select dates too.
During the period they sell limited edition, Halloween themed food, at the central gate and in the Arboretum restaurant. You can also get fluorescent candy floss, a big hit with kids, at the maple cafe which is located along the walk to the Arboretum.
Before the pandemic they always had a night time tree climbing event on the last Sunday. However, it has not been on since the pandemic began. I have left this information in the post, for future reference! It costs 1000 yen per person and is limited to 10 people per session for children older than four years old.
Halloween Night Illumination Information 2026
There are three night illumination events at Shinrin Park in total: Halloween night illumination, Autumn Leave Illumination and Starlight Christmas illumination. The Halloween night illumination is always the first and is called the first chapter…
Event: Halloween Night, The Story of Forest and Lights Chapter 1 (aka Halloween night in the forest) 光と森のStory 第1章「森のハロウィンナイト」
Dates:
- Sunday October 11th
- Monday October 12th
- Saturday October 17th
- Sunday October 18th
- Saturday October 24th
- Sunday October 25th
- Saturday October 31st
Time: from 5 pm to 8.30 pm, last entry is at 8 pm.
Cost: the Halloween event itself is free, but you do have to pay entry into the park as an adult. It costs 450 yen per adult and 210 yen for anyone over 65 years old (with proof of age). There is no entry charge for children. Also, individual workshops and related events also have a charge.
Venue: Shinrin Park is what everybody calls it, but officially the park is called Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park! Please be careful – only the central gate is open. Shinrin Park Central Gate, 1920 Yamata, Namegawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0802. View on Google Maps.
Access
Only the central gate parking lot is open. Unfortunately, since 2023 they are charging 700 yen for the parking. It was 300 yen between 2017 and 2022. And before 2017 it was free!
During the day there are several different ways to get to Shinrin Park by public transport, but at night there is only one – a shuttle bus from Shinrinkoen station, on the Tobu Tojo line to / from Ikebukuro. The shuttle bus was free in 2022, for the first time in years, but it is being charged again since 2023. This year, the price has gone up again: 370 yen for anyone over 12 years old and 190 yen for children aged between 6 and 11 years old. Timetable – the left shows the times from Shinrinkoen station, the right the times from the center gate of Shinrin Park:
Editor’s note: They had it between 2020 and 2022 too, for the record, despite the pandemic. First published on insaitama.com on September 30th 2016. Republished on September 6th 2023. Last update October 2026 (R20220902)
Updated for 2025