Christmas

Christmas time in Tokyo can be a bit surreal. On the one hand, there are Christmas markets, gigantic sales, innumerable shopping centers, and more decorations than you would expect, but on the other hand, all magically disappear by December 26th. This is not the case with one local tradition, illumination. These dazzling light displays usually begin in November and end near the end of the winter, if not Valentine’s Day. While some of the illumination displays you currently see around the city end at Christmas, we’ve compiled a list of options you can visit during the New Year’s holidays or just during a stroll in January.  Yebisu Eternal Illumination – Until January 10th. We’ve talked about Yebisu Garden Place before, and their illuminations are a great option if you are looking for something to do after visiting Meiji Jingu for your Hatsumode. The theme for this year’s illumination is hope, and the illuminations also include a gigantic baccarat chandelier, which might be worth the visit in itself.  Location: Yebisu Garden Place, 4-20 Ebisu, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Website: https://gardenplace.jp/special/2022baccarat/ Tokyo Mega Illumination – Until January 10th A racetrack might seem like an odd choice for a place to display illumination, but the…