Events

Christmas Day in Japan is just another working day for the most part.  The most interesting facet of the Christmas and holiday season in Japan is that all traces of it will be gone by morning on December 26th.  Without fail, every bell, light, and garlands; every decoration will come down and the music stops.  This disappearing act does not, however,  hold true for one of Japan’s most interesting holiday traditions; the “illumination.” Illuminations are roughly equivalent to the western tradition of putting up Christmas lights.  Rather than putting lights up on their own houses, cities or businesses will set them up and the people come to them.  This is a very popular event for couples, and many illumination displays are set up and run from November straight until Valentine’s Day. NOTE: With 2020 being called “The Year of Cancellations” thanks to the COVID-19 situation, the annual winter light-ups are one of the only events that are more “cancel-proof” since they take place outside and in a lot of open spaces. Of course there will be stricter than usual crowd control measures, and you’d be well advised to make sure to check the websites of the events before heading out…