Stunning and Free: Tokyo’s 5 Must-See Light Corridors – Dreamy Sea of Lights So Beautiful It’ll Move You to Tears

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

As winter arrives, cities across Japan decorate their streets with countless LED lights, and Tokyo – a favorite among Taiwanese travelers – is no exception. Areas such as Shibuya and Roppongi are illuminated with colorful LEDs, creating incredibly dreamy light corridors. ETtoday Travel Cloud has compiled a list of Tokyo’s 5 most breathtaking light corridors that will drain your camera memory this winter. Not only are they stunning enough to bring you to tears, but all these spots are completely free to visit.

1. Marunouchi Light Sea
The annual Marunouchi Light Sea has been a fixture for 16 years now, using over 930,000 LEDs to decorate around 200 roadside trees, forming an ultra-long golden tunnel of lights. This year, the illumination area includes Marunouchi Naka Dori and the area around Tokyo Station. In December, the lighting hours are extended until midnight, making it a must-visit Tokyo spot during the Christmas season.

Dates: Now until February 18, 2018
Lighting Hours: 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM, extended to 5:30 PM to midnight in December

2. Roppongi Hills Zelkova Slope Illuminations
Another annual end-of-year highlight in Tokyo, the Roppongi Hills Zelkova Slope Illuminations have already begun. This year, 1.2 million LEDs light up a 400-meter stretch of street, with blue, white, and red lighting effects transforming Tokyo’s nightscape into something truly unique. Attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, you can even capture a photo of Tokyo Tower standing at the end of the light corridor from certain spots. The illumination runs from now until December 25.

3. Caretta Shiodome
Tokyo’s Caretta Shiodome has used 250,000 lights this year to create a blue galaxy in front of the Caretta Shiodome Plaza. From towering castle spires to candles on the ground, everything is wrapped in dreamy blue LEDs. At the center of the spire is placed the iconic rose from Beauty and the Beast.

To attract more visitors, this year’s theme is Beauty and the Beast, featuring three major themed light shows using dreamy blue lights representing the Beast and warm yellow lights representing Belle, creating a romantic night of love in the plaza. The event runs from now until February 14, 2018.

Caretta Shiodome “Caretta Illumination 2017 ~The Tale of True Love~”
Dates: November 16, 2017 to February 14, 2018
Lighting Hours: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM (Closed on January 1 & 2, 2018; lighting starts at 6:00 PM from January 2018)
Light Show Schedule:

Beauty and the Beast: 5:00 PM / 7:00 PM / 9:00 PM / 10:00 PM, one show every hour lasting 15 minutes
Time Stands Still (December & November only): 6:00 PM / 8:00 PM, one show every hour lasting 15 minutes

▲ Tokyo Blue Cave Light Sea (Photo / Sourced from fashionsnap)

4. Shibuya Blue Cave
Stretching 800 meters from Shibuya Park to Roppongi Zelkova Slope, 600,000 blue LEDs illuminate both sides of the road at night, bringing the classic blue cave onto land and creating a spectacular light tunnel. Since its relaunch in 2016, it has attracted over 1 million visitors and is a must-see highlight at the end of the year in Tokyo.

Lighting Hours: Now until December 31, daily from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

5. Roppongi Midtown Light Sea
The annually returning Midtown Light Sea uses a vast array of blue LEDs to create a fantastical space that feels like being lost in the ocean. This year, with a cosmic travel theme, the light sea showcases a majestic starry sky reminiscent of the moon, sun, and other parts of the solar system. In addition, the surrounding floors and trees are also lit in a sea of blue, making this unique space another highlight of the year-end season. The illumination runs from now until December 25.

Lighting Hours: Now until December 25, daily from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM