If you like Christmas illuminations, Tokyo is a must see. There are so many places to enjoy during the winter holidays that you can spend every night outside, strolling under wonderful lights. End even if you go to Tokyo after the Christmas, when some of the lights are turned off, there are still enough illuminations to offer you unforgettable evenings.
Here’s a selection of 7 places definitely worth seeing, from my last year’s experience:
1. Tokyo Dome City - the Super Light City
Tokyo Dome City offers the biggest and most diverse light show in Tokyo.
Here you will find many attractions, grouped in several areas:
Near the LaAqua spa…
… you will find the Galaxy Dome, giant light hemisphere, 10 meters tall and 12 meters in diameter…
… and the Milky Way, a 140 meters light passage…
… illuminated in various colors…
Close by, you will find a breathtaking music, light and water show…
… and the alley going towards the Tokyo Dome Hotel, lavishly decorated and brightly illuminated…
Finally, here’s a spectacular rainbow-colored light ship:
Travel tip: The illuminations from Tokyo Dome City will be available until February 14 - the Valentine’s Day - between 5PM and 11PM.
2. Yebisu Garden Place - Baccarat Eternal Lights
At the Yebisu Garden Place, besides the usual winter decorations…
… you will admire one of the largest chandeliers in the world, 5 meters tall and 3 meters wide, made by Baccarat Company from 8472 crystal parts:
Travel tip: The chandelier was lit on November 3 and can be seen until January 9, between 5PM and 11PM.
3. Shinjuku Southern Terrace - Shinjuku Southern Lights
Thousands of lights are lit every year on the terrace near the southern exit of the Shinjuku Station…
… with conifers bathed in blue light…
… and the alley decorated in white, yellow and green…
… this is one of the places favored by couples:
Here’s also view from the other side, towards the Mylord store…
… and another photo with a ghostly view towards the NTT DoCoMo Yoyogi Building:
Travel tip: The lights on Shinjuku Southern Terrace are lit until January 31, between 5PM and 10PM.
4. Akihabara - UDX Winter Illumination
In Ahihabara, the street in front of the UDX building is also decorated for winter holidays…
… the trees are decorated with green and blue lights…
… and the terrace is brightly lit in green:
5. Venus Fort - Night Venus ～Light For Wishing～
The whole Venus Fort mall is decorated for Christmas…
… and the main attractions have special decorations, with symbols from the Roman mythology. Here is the Fountain Plaza, a square with a large fountain supported by six Roman goddesses:
The decoration is called Opening of Venus and symbolizes love and beauty (obviously):
Next to it you will find the “Aurora Curtains", named after Aurora, the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology, who renews herself on every morning and flies across the sky, announcing the sun…
And of course there’s also a Christmas Tree, 8 meters tall, called the Spes’s White Tree (Spes is the goddess of hope in the Roman mythology):
Travel tip: The lights on Venus Fort are lit until March 18, every half-hour from noon to 10PM, according to the Sky Feature Program (which simulates days and nights).
6. Mile Marker Zero Winter Illumination, Shiodome
The Mile Marker Zero from Shimbashi is the place where in April 25, 1870 the first locomotive from Japan started its journey towards Yokohama.
Here you will find a small multicolored locomotive, ready to take off, in a small but beautiful light and sound show…
7. SL Plaza Shimbashi - Space Train
Related to the previous place, near the JR Shimbashi Station you can enjoy the iconic SL Plaza - the “Steam Locomotive” Plaza, featuring a steam locomotive installed here in 1972, during the 100 years celebration of the first train line in Japan.
The locomotive is illuminated during the whole year, but of course during the winter holidays it features a special, multi-colored illumination:
