While most people think of visiting the historic cities of Europe during the holiday season, for some lovely and lively Christmas cheer you may also want to consider a trip to Tokyo, Japan!
Brilliant LED displays, projection mapping, and digital choreography light up Tokyo's trees, buildings, and landmarks light up the nights from mid-November to December to February in a winter wonderland orchestrated with millions of LED displays, projection maps, and digital choreography. Additionally, select locations also enhance the light displays with: seasonal concerts, parades, and European-style Christmas shopping markets – with everything from luxury items to crafts to fir trees, augmented with Yuletide items (there's even an Instagram present campaign).
Experiencing the illuminations in the city center is free of charge, but some locales offer scheduled English-language guided tours for a small fee.
It is just this time of year that Tokyo, shrouded in the darkness of the winter solstice, actually sparkles in brilliant nighttime illuminations.
Tokyo Tower.
Tokyo Skytree
Additionally, theme parks such as Yomiuri Land in western Tokyo offer the chance to view stellar light-ups as part of the regular park admission.
In Japan, Christmas is not so much a religious holiday as a time for romance and good cheer. "The lights amplify this cheer, with every year outdoing the next. The 2017 displays will be the best yet," said Aki Hirai, US East Coast and Midwest representative for the city of Tokyo.
Below are some of the 2017 Illumination highlights. Come to Tokyo and enjoy the light and spirit of the season!
| Name | Place | Date | Time | What's there | URL | |
| Tokyo Christmas Market 2017 | Hibiya Park Around Fountain | Mid December | 1 to 10 pm (food purchase until 9:30 pm) | There will be some vendors serving hot wine, beer, non-alcoholic hot wine, tea, hot cocoa, etc. | https://tokyochristmas.net/https;//www.instagram.com/tokyochristmas/(Japanese only) | |
| Winter Illumination | Yebisu Garden Place | Nov. 3, 2017 - Jan. 8, 2018 | 4 pm to midnight (shops open 12-8 pm) | Winter illumination & Christmas marches. French inspired shops. Baccarat Eternal Lights. Instagram Present Campaign. | https://gardenplace.jp/special/2017christmas/(Japanese only) | |
| Artelligent Christmas 2017 | Roppongi Hills | Nov. 7 - Dec. 25, 2017 | 5 to 11 pm | (1) Keyaki-zaka Illumination (400 meters) (2) 66 Plaza illumination (3) West Walk illumination (4) Christmas concerts by various artists and groups (5) Christmas market (at O Yane Plaza) (6) Fir tree shop (Hill Side, 1F) (7) Wish a wish | http://www.roppongihills.com.e.nt.hp.transer.com/sp/christmas/2017/ | |
| Dream Christmas 2017 | TOKYO SKYTREE Town | Nov. 9 - Dec. 25, 2017 (The event ends on Christmas Day, but some areas remain decorated until March 11, 2018.) | 4 pm to midnight | (1) Lights garden (2 Christmas photo spot (3) Aurora illumination (4) Lighting ceremony (5) Christmas market | http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/pdf/pressreleases/3a9c2a75b4d... (Japanese only) | |
| Midtowm Christmas 2017 | Tokyo Midtown (in Roppongi) | Nov. 15 - Dec. 25, 2017 | 5 to 11 pm | While independent viewing is free, an English-language guided tour (Dec. 6, 10 and 13) of the light-up will be available for 1500 yen per adult, 15 participants max. Apply from Nov. 15. http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/xmas/event/tour.html (Japanese only) | http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/xmas/information/map.html(Japanese only) | |
| Megurogawa Minna no Illumi 2017 | Along the Meguro River, around Gotanda Fureai Hiroba | Nov. 10, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018 | 5 to 10 pm | The Meguro River near Nakameguro Station will be covered in thousands of LED lights over a distance of 500 meters, creating a romantic ambiance for strolling. | http://www.minna-no-illumi.com/ (Japanese only) | |
| Tokyo Tower Winter Fantasy Orange Illumination | Tokyo Tower: In front of main entrance | Nov. 2, 2017 - Feb. 28, 2018 | 4 to 11 pm | (1) 12 meter Christmas rree (2) Tower's 60th anniversary | https://www.tokyotower.co.jp/en.html | |
| Tokyo Michiterasu 2017 | Tokyo Station, Marunouchi Area | Dec. 24-28, 2017 | TBA | Highlights include a flower garden and flower avenue, with flower photo box and a floral art installation | http://www.tokyo-michiterasu.jp/ (Japanese only) | |
| Jewellumination | Yomiuri Land Theme Park, Inagi-shi, Western Tokyo | Oct. 12, 2017-Feb. 18, 2018 | 4 to 8:30 pm | 8 types of LED lighting in 30 gemstone-inspired shades that can't be seen anywhere else in the world. Total of 5.5 million lights! | http://www.yomiuriland.com.e.ym.hp.transer.com/jewellumination/info.html | |
| Odaiba Illumination "YAKEI" | Odaiba (Tokyo Waterfront) | Year-round | Sunset to Midnight | Yakei means "night view," which here consists of 40 trees, each 20 meters high and embellished by 220,000 LED lights, running a 200-meter course against the stunning backdrop of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge, further enhanced by a participatory, motion-sensitive, 360° projection system. | http://www.odaiba-decks.com/en/yakei/ | |
| Shibuya Ao no Dokutsu | Yoyogi Park Keyaki Namiki to Shibuya Koen Dori (800 meters) | Nov. 22– Dec. 31, 2017 | 5 pm to 10 pm | The highlight is a 250-meter-long "blue cave" – a pedestrian street, where zelkova trees, aglow in blue LED lights, shimmer in front of NHK's headquarters. | http://shibuya-aonodokutsu.jp/ ;(Japanese only) |
For more information on seasonal and year-round travel to Tokyo, visit the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau's (TCVB) website at www.gotokyo.org. Also check out the Tokyo city brand site: https://tokyotokyo.jp/.
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