Vol.14: TOKYO’S HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND DISPLAYS

Welcome to TOKYO BEAT – a special series by your trusty Tokyo Tourism Representative (New York Office) that aims to provide you with story ideas and inspiration. In New York City, checking out holiday displays by everyone from Macy’s to Saks Fifth Avenue is a highly popular activity. So how does Tokyo fare? While Christmas is more of a commercial event in Japan, the dedication being applied to create a festive winter atmosphere is simply unparalleled. From department stores to commercial districts, landmarks and, here are some of the best places to check out holiday lights in 2018.

Wandering Wonderlands During the month of December, simply walking outside can put one smack in the middle of an almost overwhelming array of lights. In fact, some neighborhoods are seemingly trying to one-up each other every year. Just look at Roppongi Hills, which has its ‘LIVE Veil’ of 700,000 LEDs that cast a white and blue glow around the many popular shops and restaurants in the area. But that impressive number even falls short of the close to 1,000,000 LEDs lining the streets of Omotesando, where the path to the city’s finest stores is even more brightly lit than usual. For a change of pace, Marunouchi presents a “Northern European Christmas” theme that is a perfect contrast because of the area’s cobblestone streets and Scandinavian decorations. But lately, the locals have been particularly enamored with Tokyo Midtown, which continues to solidify its reputation as one of the season’s most immersive displays. The “Starlight Garden” display of 500,000 blue LEDs, 100 balloon lights, and 450,000 soap bubbles (a new addition to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary) covering the park square is the closest most people will get to being in space.

Luminescent Landmarks Notable structures like Tokyo Tower also get a winter boost, with a restrained Christmas tree and light display that stays classy in the face of excess. This year, the tree is even the same age as the tower (to commemorate its 60th birthday). Another surefire homerun is Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination, located outside the famed baseball stadium. Nearly 2,000,000 lights blanket both temporary and permanent structures, and this year’s look has been inspired by traditional Japanese shapes and patterns. Every Saturday in December offers a chance to see the Odaiba Rainbow Winter Fireworks, which adds an extra bang with 2,000 fireworks shot up over 10 minutes. Department stores are no strangers to decorations, but Caretta Shiodome Winter Illumination in particular is one of the most popular among fans of holiday light displays. This year will probably be no different since live performances of songs from ‘Tangled’ and ‘Frozen’ are being added into the mix.

For more information about Holiday lights and displays throughout Tokyo, contact press@tokyo-nyc.com or call 917-200-4887. For general information on traveling in Tokyo, head to TokyoTokyo.jp and Gotokyo.org/en/