Must-see Illuminations in Japan 2021-2022

Kami-no-Sumuyama, Lake Towada FeStA LuCe 2021-2022 (Towada City, Aomori Prefecture)

The name “FeStA LuCe” is taken from the Italian words “festa” (festival) and “luce” (light). This event allows visitors to enjoy a special illuminated world. Starting last year, the Lake Towada FeStA LuCe event’s entrancing illuminations sparkle in a snowy wonderland, creating a magical winter world.

Event period

“First chapter: A Story of Autumn Foliage in Light”

Every day from October 21 (Thu)-November 23 (Tue)

“Second chapter: A Story of Winter in Light”

December 4 (Sat)-February 20 (Sun), Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays excluding December 29 (Wed)-December 30 (Thu)

Fireworks display on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during January and February (excluding January 1 and 2)

Event hours

5:30-9:00 PM (Last admission 8:30 PM)

Closing time on days of fireworks display will be extended to 9:30 PM (Last admission 9:00 PM)

Admission fees

Ticket at door: 1,600 yen (adults)

Ashikaga Flower Park “The garden of illuminated flowers -- Flower Fantasy 2021” (Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture)

Alongside the “Sapporo White Illumination” and Huis Ten Bosch’s “Kingdom of Lights,” Ashikaga Flower Park’s light show is regarded as one of Japan’s top three illumination events. This year, the park celebrates the 20th anniversary of the illumination event. Enjoy the collaboration of flowers and light in the updated Flower Castle and “Illuminated Flower Basin” exhibit.

Event period

Until February 14, 2022 4:30-8:30 PM

(*Open until 9:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Scheduled to remain open until 9:00 PM on weekdays from early December to early January, and until 9:30 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)

Admission fees

Fees vary depending on the blossoming of the flowers

“Lake Sagami Illumillion,” one of Kanto’s top 3 illuminations (Sagami City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

This dynamic, thematic illumination utilizes the contours and slopes of the immense 40,000 sq. meters park. In addition to the magnificent glow of six million lights, a scale rarely surpassed in the Kanto region, there are the “Rainbow Lifts,” the “Ferris Wheel of Light,” and other interactive features. This year there will also be a collaborative space on the mountain summit.

Event period

November 13, 2021 (Sat)-April 3, 2021 (Sun)

Event hours

November: Weekdays 4:00-8:30 PM, Weekends/Holidays 4:00-9:00 PM

December: Weekdays 4:00-9:00 PM, Weekends/Holidays 4:00-9:30 PM

*Admission until 30 minutes before closing time.

*Opening and illumination hours vary depending on the season.

*Daytime visitors can enjoy Illumillion without additional fees.

Admission fees

Admission: 1,900 yen (adults), Free pass: 4,500 yen (adults)

Nighttime admission fees

Admission + lift: 1,500 yen (adults), Nighttime free pass: 2,800 yen (adults)

～First in Japan! An interactive illumination experience～ “Izu Granpal Park Gran Illumination～7th Season～” (Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture)

This event is full of nighttime spectacles like “Dino Age Kart,” an attraction where you can speed past moving, life-size dinosaurs on a go-cart. A new area is “Walk on the Illumi,” where you can stroll above the illuminations while passing under an enchanting arch.

Event period

November 13, 2021-August 2022 (TBD)

*May vary depending on season and day of the week (please visit website for details)

Event hours

November 13-November 30, 2021 5:00-9:30 PM

December 1-January 5, 2022 4:30-9:30 PM

January 6-January 31 5:00-9:30 PM

February 1-February 28 5:30-9:30 PM

March 1-April 3 6:00-9:30 PM

Admission fees

1,500 yen (junior high school students and over)

800 yen (elementary school students)

Free (infants) *Children under elementary school age must be accompanied by an adult

Nabana no Sato (Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture)

Renowned for its beauty in harmony with the season’s natural charm, illumination fans from all over the country come to see this event. This year’s theme is “UNKAI” (Sea of Clouds). Enjoy a spectacular illumination that recreates mountains glimmering in the open sky and a dynamic sea of clouds.

Event period

October 23, 2021 (Sat)-May 31, 2022 (Tue)

Closed: January 11, 2022 (Tue)-13 (Thu), January 24 (Mon)-28 (Fri)

Event hours

Please check the official website:https://www.nagashima-onsen.co.jp/nabana/fee/calendar/index.html

Admission fees

2,300 yen (general ticket, includes 1,000-yen Nabana coupon)

2,300 yen (elementary school students and over, includes 1,000-yen coupon valid inside park)

Huis Ten Bosch “Kingdom of Lights” (Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture)

This illumination event at “Huis Ten Bosch,” the largest theme park in Japan, is renowned for presenting a different nighttime scene depending on the season. During the day, the European townscape themed park already offers visitors the sensation of being abroad. Nonetheless, the glimmer of the illuminated night is pure magic. Dynamic illuminations take advantage of the park’s vast space, from the 85-meter fountain show, one of the longest in Japan, to the “Silver Wonderland” with its impeccable white glow.

Event period

All year

Event hours

Please check the official website

Admission fees

Please check the official website

©HUIS TEN BOSCH

Kokura Illumination (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture)

A beautiful “starlight tunnel”! The illuminations on the upper part of the illuminated tunnel change seasonally.

The state-of-the-art light show will have you wanting to visit over and over again!

Event period

Until January 10, 2022 (Mon)

Illumination hours

5:00-10:00 PM

Admission fees

Free of charge

Okinawa Nangoku Illumination 2021-2022 (Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture)

In 2019, the Okinawa Nangoku Illumination was designated as the prefecture’s first “Night View Heritage of Japan,” and in 2020 it placed 7th in the national Illumination Awards.

As part of the “Flying Pikachu Project,” the Pokémon area opened this year. You can also enjoy the “Lotus of Light” that recreates the summer’s blooming lotus flowers, along with other vivid illuminations that conjure up a tropical atmosphere.

Event period

Until May 29, 2022 (Sun)

Event hours

5:00-10:00 PM (Last admission 9:30 PM)

Admission fees

Night (5:00-10:00 PM): 1,980 yen (adults)

One day (9:00 AM-10:00 PM): 2,480 yen (adults)

*A Christmas event will be held from December 23 to 26. Admission fees will differ during this period.