Looking for a place to stop by after a night drive in Okinawa this winter? Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa is hosting a winter-only art exhibition featuring light-based depictions of Yambaru's plants. No reservations are required, admission is free, and visitors are welcome. Let us introduce you to a romantic winter night where you can be soothed by the flowers of light.
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Hotel Management Japan Co., Ltd. is a hotel management company that operates 24 hotels in Japan (total number of rooms: 7,601). In addition to its own brands, "Oriental Hotel" and "Hotel Oriental Express," the company also manages and operates a variety of hotels, including "Hilton," "Sheraton," and "Hotel Nikko."
The "phantom flower" that only blooms on summer nights, in wintery Yambaru. Barringtonia racemosa flowers in full bloom under the light of art.
The Barringtonia racemosa, known as the "phantom flower" because it blooms profusely on summer nights and then crumbles away onto the water or ground the following morning, is the subject of a special art space that will allow visitors to experience this mystical flower, which can only be seen late at night during a limited season, in the pleasantly cool winter of Okinawa .
The setting is the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa in Nago City , in the northern part of Okinawa Hon Island , where a World Natural Heritage forest spreads out. From November 20, 2026 (Friday) to February 28, 2027 (Sunday), a winter-only art exhibition titled "LIGHT ART 2026-2027 YouRuMaru" will be held, featuring plants from Yambaru as its theme.
"Barringtonia light" and night-blooming cereus floating in the darkness
Barringtonia racemosa is sometimes called the "phantom flower" because it blooms on summer nights and wilts the following morning. Similarly, the night-blooming cereus is known for its single-night bloom, meaning that travelers who primarily sightsee during the day have limited opportunities to see it.
Therefore, we expressed the sparkling vitality of "flowers that bloom for only a limited time" as a light art piece that can be felt at any time within the building.
We will install "Barringtonia Lights" in the lounge, using LED fiber lights and artificial flowers. In addition, we will represent the Epiphyllum oxypetalum with a work that captures light and diffuses it in an arc shape. We will create a space where you can enjoy the beauty of the plants that thrive in Yambaru from a new perspective through light.
The atmosphere of the Yambaru forest permeates the lobby.
We will transform the hotel lobby not just into a place for check-in, but into a space where guests can encounter the nature of Yambaru.
Artists visited the island to capture photographs taken during the flowering season, and these images were printed onto fabric to softly envelop the pillars in the lobby. When lit from within, the colors of the plants shine through the fabric, blending seamlessly into the space.
Within the artificial space of the hotel, we have created scenery that evokes the atmosphere of the Yambaru forest, inviting visitors into a world of nature and art.
"Rainy season flowers and summer flowers," which would normally not be able to meet at the same time, are in the same space.
Because the plants of Yambaru bloom in different seasons, it's usually impossible to see them all in a single visit. This exhibition brings together these plants, which would normally not be seen together at the same time, in one space, transcending the differences in seasons.
Lights inspired by the white "Iju" flower that blooms during the rainy season in Yambaru adorn the lounge hedges, and are displayed in the same space as art featuring the summer-blooming Barringtonia racemosa. Plants from different seasons intersect through light, creating a space where you can experience the diverse nature of Yambaru all at once.
Exhibition work “THE FLEETING BLOOM”
[Comment on the artwork]
This artwork expresses the tangible and intangible beauty of Okinawa, which could be called a "hidden gem," using the elusive Barringtonia racemosa flower that blooms in Yambaru as its motif. Focusing on the transience of its limited blooming period and the beauty of how plants and animals interact altruistically with one another to perpetuate life, the piece aims to create a different perspective on everyday life through the experience of light and the rediscovery of Yambaru.
"YouRuMaru" Profile: An art collective by Suguru Funaki and Rie Kaku. Based on the concepts of "connection," "flow," and "circle," they create art pieces that serve as "devices" that gently stir the viewer's perception and awareness, traversing various fields. They are active both domestically and internationally, from interior lighting design to installations.
Free admission, no reservation required. Perfect for a stop during a winter drive.
The exhibition area (club lounge and lobby) is free to view and is open to both hotel guests and non-guests. The lights are on from 5 PM to midnight. As it is an indoor exhibition, you can enjoy art comfortably without worrying about the weather, even on rainy days or chilly nights.
| Project Name | LIGHT ART 2026 - 2027 YouRuMaru |
| period | Friday, November 20, 2026 ~ Sunday, February 28, 2027 |
| place | Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa Club Lounge |
| Lighting time | 17:00 ~ 24:00 |
| Fee | Admission is free (open to non-guests as well). |
Enjoy sightseeing in Okinawa by using northern Okinawa , where nature and culture remain, as your base.
If you're looking for an experience you can only have here, be sure to stop by during your sightseeing.
Furthermore, we highly recommend using the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa as your base for sightseeing in Okinawa . It offers easy access to JUNGLIA Okinawa , which is opening in northern Okinawa , and Yambaru National Park, making it an ideal base for exploring Okinawa. Please consider using it when you visit Okinawa.
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