One of the things I love about the nighttime light displays in Japan is that they’re not “holiday lights” that become obsolete the minute Santa and his reindeer are yesterday’s news, they’re “winter illuminations” that light up the long nights from the beginning of November to the end of February. And even though Japan’s cutting-edgeContinueContinue reading “Old skool Japanese illuminations are the most beautiful of all”
Tag Archives: Illuminations
Art brings light into the chilly heart of Toranomon
All the usual glowing things are joined by some unexpected guests! Gazing up at Tokyo Tower from the perpetual construction zone at street level around Toranomon Hills delivers a first glimpse of the art that’s breathing a little life into the stark and chilly office towers of Tokyo’s newest mega-office complex. Seven delightful sculptures areContinueContinue reading “Art brings light into the chilly heart of Toranomon”
In Yokohama, new year’s is lit!
If basking in the glow of a giant multifaceted cube that’s illuminated by an ever-changing light show is on your bingo card for the new year, get thee to Yokohama right now, because you’ll never see a more illuminating sight. The Yorunoyo nighttime light-up extravaganza is all along the waterfront in Yokohama through January 4,ContinueContinue reading “In Yokohama, new year’s is lit!”
Be wowed by all the mega-illumination crowd-pleasers without leaving Tokyo!
Tokyo Mega-Illumi is back! It’s got all the crowd pleasers of more remote illuminations displays but is just a two-minute walk from Ōi-keibajō-mae Tokyo Monorail station. As a veteran of scouting illuminations displays—from the in-town twinklers to the far afield—I can vouch for the fact that the Mega-Illumi designers really did pick the best ofContinueContinue reading “Be wowed by all the mega-illumination crowd-pleasers without leaving Tokyo!”
Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!
The hot new trend of holiday illuminations in Tokyo has spread to the gardens and parks, with more and more lighting up their naturally spectacular autumn leaves and opening for special evening viewing! Here are my current favorites: • SHOWA KINEN PARK near Tachikawa Station There are two areas lit up at night: 1: TheContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!”
Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW
This year, there were fewer artworks at the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, but the ones on exhibit were SO worth seeing! Or – more accurately – worth DOING. Because this year the participation element was front and center, and quite a few of them required serious athletic juice from the audience to power them. When IContinueContinue reading “Smart Illumination Yokohama 2019: WOW”
If Only Japanese Rock Gardens Were Filled With Cooling Mist & Illuminations…
Oh. Wait. At Tokyo Midtown this summer, they are! On the lawn that hosts those amazing winter illuminations, they’ve constructed a wide wooden veranda enclosing a “rock garden,” complete with clouds of mist and a fireworks-themed lightshow. And the best part is, you can sit and dangle your feet for as long as you like,ContinueContinue reading “If Only Japanese Rock Gardens Were Filled With Cooling Mist & Illuminations…”
Lighting Up The Winter Night
Because I’m helplessly drawn to things that glow in the dark (gee, ya think?), I recently returned to two of my favorite lit-up-for-winter amusement parks, because I’d heard that they’d updated their gazillion-fairy-twinkle extravaganzas. (And you can check them out too, if you’re anywhere near Tokyo, until Valentines Day!) SAGAMIKO “ILLUMILLIONS” THEME PARK This yearContinueContinue reading “Lighting Up The Winter Night”
Where To See The Best Illuminations In Tokyo 2018
Free displays of holiday illuminations have become a huge attraction in Tokyo – probably because they’re the most instabae invention since selfie sticks – and every year they get bigger and better. Here are this year’s offerings from my favorite places to see them… • • Most Entertaining • TOKYO MIDTOWN Midtown’s “The Universe” is myContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Illuminations In Tokyo 2018”
Smart Illumination Yokohama 2018: ALL THE YES
“Pacific Feet” by Hiroko Kubo Woo hoo, it’s time for the annual art-as-entertainment Yokohama Smart Illumination 2018! This year, for some reason it took a giant leap in quality, and although the artspeak “explaining” each piece is equally opaque in Japanese and English, you don’t need to know what the artist was trying to sayContinueContinue reading “Smart Illumination Yokohama 2018: ALL THE YES”
The Best Tokyo Illuminations 2017
It’s time again for the best free holiday light show ever! Here are this year’s Tokyo Illuminations offerings, some of them even better than before: • TOKYO MIDTOWN This one is from the “Venus” themed show, which is the Friday offering This year’s “Starlight Garden” extravaganza is super lavish, with different shows for each nightContinueContinue reading “The Best Tokyo Illuminations 2017”
Instabae
That’s what you call this in Japan. It’s an experience that looks way better shared on social media than in real life. But I gotta say, Japan is genius at it. Even this unfiltered photo looks more like the “Candles & Amber” promised by the publicity than the real life lights. The Roppongi Hills illuminationsContinueContinue reading “Instabae”
Yokohama Smart Illumination 2017: Even More & Better Than Before
I know it seems like all I do these days is frant about looking at stuff lit up at night, but there’s been a sudden rash of illuminations events in & around Tokyo lately, and they’ve all been worth staying up way past bedtime for! Last time I went to the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, youContinueContinue reading “Yokohama Smart Illumination 2017: Even More & Better Than Before”
The Digital Greenhouse
Level up, holiday lightshow fanboys & girls! This digital greenhouse ups the ante in the illuminations game, bigtime. First of all, you can go inside and LIVE THE KALEIDOSCOPIC DREAM. But that’s not all. You can trigger new musical sounds and light patterns by touching the live veggie plants inside. (Yes. Dying. Going to heaven.)ContinueContinue reading “The Digital Greenhouse”
Cherry Blossom Illuminations
Did you even have to ask? It’s not enough that famous cherry blossom spots are lit up at night, now Tokyo has electric cherry blossom extravaganzas that rival the ever-more-crazy holiday light shows! • TOKYO MIDTOWN in Roppongi Tokyo Midtown’s promenade of cherry trees is not only lit up in pink… There’s an artful mix of pink gels on the spotlights, so theseContinueContinue reading “Cherry Blossom Illuminations”
Rainbow Icicle Wonderland
On the way to the Werewolf Shrine in remote Chichibu, locals have enterprisingly turned the frozen waterfalls that spangle the cliffs and caves alongside the Arakawa River into a winter wonderland! First of all, before the sun goes down and the lights go up, check out the tiny photographer to get a sense of the size ofContinueContinue reading “Rainbow Icicle Wonderland”
The Waterfall Made Of Light
Summer illuminations at Tokyo Midtown delivering all the goodness! This waterfall made of animated LEDs is conveniently paired with a pop-up mojito stand, so you can ooh and ah at the light-up while getting lit up yourself. Which would you rather do: Enjoy the serenity of a cascading river while sipping a cocktail? Or swat mosquitoes while smearing on blister cream after a pesky hike? Naturally,ContinueContinue reading “The Waterfall Made Of Light”
Yomiuriland Illuminations
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, no surface in the entire park was spared, and Scrooge was definitely not consulted.ContinueContinue reading “Yomiuriland Illuminations”
The Best Tokyo Winter Illuminations 2015
Are you ready once again to have holiday lights spoiled for-e-ver by the insanely great Tokyo Illuminations? This year, the old favorites do not disappoint, but there are a couple of new contenders amid the light-up extravaganzas going on right now in Tokyo! Feast your eyes on… • TOKYO DOME CITY This dome puts on an everchanging light showContinueContinue reading “The Best Tokyo Winter Illuminations 2015”
The Mother Of All Illuminations Theme Parks
When I was a kid, every year in mid-December we’d all pile into the car and drive around to find the house with the most over-the-top Xmas decorations. No surprise, I am a total, total sucker for Xmas lights. But I never saw anything that even came close to the amazing, blazing Illuminations displays that Tokyo neighborhoods started puttingContinueContinue reading “The Mother Of All Illuminations Theme Parks”
「Yokohama Smart Illuminations」: Wow. Just…wow.
Last night I went to see what I thought was going to be a modest art-light event on the Yokohama waterfront, secretly expecting that the photos from past years were exaggerating the quality of the illuminations. I was SO WRONG! This event was spectacular. See for yourself! You know you’re in the right place when you chance across aContinueContinue reading “「Yokohama Smart Illuminations」: Wow. Just…wow.”
Tokyo Illuminations 2013
Tokyo Midtown Once again, the holiday light displays in Tokyo were totally over the top! Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi led the way, with another lovely abstract creation set to a dreamy soundtrack. This year, the lights leapt free of the ground in glittering arcs, bounding across the ever-changing field of blue. Since couples on romanticContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Illuminations 2013”
Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!
Forget the plastic Santas and bobbing dwarves mistaken for elves – let’s skip right to the computer-choreographed field of lights that pulses and ripples to wintry electronic music! The display at Tokyo Midtown this year is jaw-droppingly spectacular, with shadowy shapes that flicker across the twinkly landscape like clouds passing in fast motion, punctuated byContinueContinue reading “Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!”
Only In Japan 