A Dreamy, Dazzling World of Light and Shadow: Must-Visit Christmas Festivals in Japan

Every year at the end of the year, Japan holds Christmas events across the country, and spectacular light displays have always been a highlight. The ever-changing colorful lights lead travelers into a dreamlike world. The three major light festivals in the Kanto region attract tens of thousands of visitors every year, and last year’s much-talked-about Osaka Light Festival has been upgraded this year. Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan’s largest sand dunes, presents a large-scale light show themed around a fantasy space of nature and light.

The Light Renaissance takes place on Nakanoshima Island, staging a grand and magnificent light festival. In addition to the beautiful street lighting that creates a romantic Christmas winter night, this year’s Osaka Castle light show will not only feature new light patterns but also be larger, more gorgeous, and more vibrant than last year. The organizers say they will create an even more spectacular light art display than before and hope everyone looks forward to it. Inside Osaka Castle, a vast blue sea of lights has been set up, creating a romantic atmosphere like the ocean. The light show will also be combined with music for a fantastical musical light festival. On New Year's Eve, December 31st, popular singer Ai Otsuka has been specially invited, hoping everyone will gather at Osaka Castle to welcome 2015. The “Osaka Light Renaissance” and the “Midosuji Illumination” will be held from December 1st through January 18th, 2015.

 

Enoshima Observatory is recognized by the Night View Tourism Association as one of Japan’s Night View Heritage Sites, attracting about 6 million visitors annually. In the crisp winter air, it is the season when the most naturally beautiful scenery is reflected throughout the year. In winter, a vast space of light extends from the top of the Enoshima SEA CANDLE Observatory down to the garden below, adorned with a light tunnel made of 40,000 crystals. The SEA CANDLE, tinted in white and purple, resembles a “Festival of Light and Color,” brimming with a dreamy atmosphere. In addition, from the top of the observatory, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Yokohama’s nighttime scenery, while the winter tulips and the illuminated decorations of the Enoden train are also must-see winter spectacles. The event runs from November 29th to February 1st, 2015, with the lights turned on daily at 5:00 PM.

Become the owner of a “Light Picture Book”! Tokyo German Village’s light display is now in its ninth year. This year, 2 million bulbs are used to create a fantasy world. Beyond the allure of dazzling lights, “illuminating the light within the heart” is what makes Tokyo German Village’s light show so captivating. The beautiful interplay of light and shadow creates scenes as moving as illustrations in a picture book. The event runs from November 8th to March 31st, 2015, with the lights turned on daily at 4:00 PM. Starlight tickets go on sale at 3:30 PM, and you can enter by car or on foot.