January 09

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Yomiuriland Illuminations

Posted by on January 9, 2016 in Awesome Stuff To Do, Beyond Tokyo, Just...Beautiful, Seasonal Goodness | 3 Comments

Yomiuriland6

By the time I took four trains and a bus to the gates of the aging amusement park Yomiuri Land, I had already decided that no illuminations could possibly be worth the schlep. Good thing I was SO WRONG!

As you can see, there's no surface in the park that isn't covered in lights, and I don't mean skimpily covered.

As you can see, no surface in the entire park was spared, and Scrooge was definitely not consulted.

Tunnels like this pulsed with an every-changing light show...

Just try to be jaded while walking through a tunnel pulsing all around you in an ever-changing light show.

...in eye-candy sequences...

See what I mean?

...and rainbow mixes.

Even the white parts were actually a rainbow mix.

They took full advantage of handy reflecting pools (a feature built into a lot of selfie-worthy spots in Japan) to double the lights.

They took full advantage of handy reflecting pools to double the bling (a feature I’ve noticed more and more in selfie-conscious Japan).

The ginormous reflecting pool stage offered three different shows (rotating every fifteen minutes at :00, :15, :30 & :45) and the one I saw not only had colored dancing fountains (I'm a sucker for dancing fountains) but also dancers performing in silhouette (ditto for suckerhood).

The stage pool offered three (count ’em THREE!) different shows rotating every fifteen minutes at :00, :15, :30 & :45. The one I saw had colored dancing fountains (I’m a complete sucker for dancing fountains) combined with dancing people. Win.

Animated light shows timed to music popped up where you least expected them.

Then there were the waterfalls of animated lights & music that popped up where you least expected them.

The view from behind the veil!

The view from behind the veil!

Hats off to whoever produced this kerbillion-light extravaganza – it totally exceeded expectations. Best ¥1000 entertainment I’ve seen in ages. I’m sure my impression was helped by the wickedly warm winter Japan is experiencing right now – I’m the world’s biggest weenie when it comes to shivering my oshiri off while ogling the sparkly bits – but even if the weather turns subzero, I’d say GO, if you’re in Tokyo!

The Jewelumination show at Yomiuri Land runs until Valentine’s Day, and if you’d like to go, a map is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had. (Note: Yomiuriland-mae station is not at all right in front of Yomiuri Land as the name so falsely suggests – you have to take a bus to get to the park. It takes about 20 minutes, and there are helpful red-jacketed Yomiuriland employees at the station to guide you to the nearest bus stop down the street. You can use cash or your regular Suica or Pasmo card on the bus, same price as in Tokyo.)

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