Winter in Japan means the night arrives faster, but that’s the perfect excuse for a city like Tokyo to wrap millions of colorful, high-jolt LEDs around the trees to chase away the dark. These are otherwise known as winter illuminations.
Altogether, you’ll find the city’s busiest streets transformed into something of a frosty wonderland. Tokyo may not have as much snow and have only a few authentic European-style Christmas markets, but the bustling capital definitely has no shortage of state-of-the-art light displays!
Keep reading to find out where you can find these glamorous illuminations in Tokyo!
What is Winter Illumination?
Winter illumination is a popular form of light display set up during the winter months, often around the holiday season. These displays involve decorating public spaces, parks, streets, and buildings with millions of LED lights, creating vibrant, colorful, and often artistic scenes that people can walk or drive through. Some winter illuminations are small and local, decorating streets and boulevards, while others — especially in Tokyo — go “big or go home,” lighting up hundreds of meters of trees and entire areas with dazzling lights.
Top Tips for Going to Winter Illuminations in Tokyo
Many of the winter illuminations can be found in city centers, often coinciding with Christmas markets and other winter activities, too. So, going out to see the cityscape glowing with vibrant colors makes for a great romantic date, a fun winter activity to do with your family, or a night out with friends.
1. Check Illumination Times & Schedules Ahead of Time
Illuminations times can vary, often ending around 11:00 pm, and some even at 9:00 pm. Also, many have vastly different schedules, with some illuminations starting from mid-December to January, while others can run on until February. Be sure to check the illumination schedules for specific areas to avoid missing the light shows.
2. Dress Warm for Tokyo Winter
Tokyo can get brutally cold during winter, so dressing warmly is not just recommended, it’s necessary to stay healthy and avoid catching something. So, it’s best to wear a thick jacket, scarves, something to protect your head and ears, heat tech, and anything else you know works to keep you warm! Also, comfortable shoes are highly recommended since you will be walking a lot.
3. Arrive Early and Avoid the Busiest Times
Most illuminations turn on between 4 pm and 5 pm, and are often busiest around Christmas and New Year. So if you want to avoid the crowds, it might be best to go on dates with fewer people. But if you must go to the illuminations during Christmas, going a bit earlier is best for avoiding crowds, capturing photos of a beautiful blue-hour sky, and having time to explore nearby markets or restaurants afterward.
4. Learn Some Japanese!
Knowing even a little Japanese can make your illumination experience smoother. Signage, instructions, or ticket machines may be in Japanese, so basic phrases help you navigate and interact politely with staff. Expressions like “kirei!” (beautiful!) or “sumimasen” (excuse me) can also make your visit more enjoyable.
Short-term lessons at schools like Coto Academy let you learn practical Japanese for daily life, even part-time for just a week, which is perfect for a short visit compared to most schools that require a six-month commitment!
15 Best Illuminations to See in Tokyo
Illuminations typically span from November to December, but they can run as long as February. Here, we’ve highlighted Tokyo’s best winter illuminations — perfect for a romantic stroll or fun meetups with friends.
Events are subject to change. Please be sure to check websites in case of event cancellations.
1. Keiyazaki Illumination at Roppongi Hills
Almost all of Tokyo’s opulent, upmarket districts will be competing for the chicest winter illuminations. Safe to say, the city’s largest redevelopment, Roppongi Hills, isn’t messing around either. Stretching over 400 meters along Keiyakizaka Street (and near the shopping center), you’ll find all of the trees breathing into life with shimmering silver-blue lights. Also welcoming is the beautiful scenery of Tokyo Tower.
If you stand on the pedestrian bridge, you’ll be in the perfect spot to swallow the whole view of the landmark, plus a four-meter-tall Christmas tree adorned with horse-shaped ornaments.
When: November 4 – December 25 | 5 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Keiyazaki-dori, 6-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku
www.roppongihills.com/en
2. Tokyo Midtown Christmas 2021
There’s a running theme in Tokyo’s Midtown vibrant illuminations: digitally controlled LEDs, space-like decoration, and creative buildups to Christmas. This year, the venue returns with a three-meter-tall snow globe and 150 golden-lit trees surrounding the walkway. Still, the highlight of this year is a mysterious Christmas tree erected in the Midtown Garden. Small, numbered gift boxes are added each day to help passersby count down the days left before Santa comes.
Head to the area before December 12 to watch a special hourly soap bubble installation; white smoke-filled bubbles float around the space as if you’re inside the snow globe. Better yet, visit their outdoor skating rink for a full-fledged holiday agenda.
When: November 13 – February 28 | 4 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Tokyo Midtown 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku
https://www.hibiya.tokyo-midtown.com/xmas/en/
Want to know more about holidays in Japan? Check out our Japanese holiday vocabulary cheat sheet here!
3. Omohara Christmas Illumination
A small “forest” deck on the top floor of Tokyu Hands Omotesando, Omohara No Mori, brings a gentler side to Tokyo’s winter illumination. The rooftop terrace will be lit with 16,000 LED lights, but they are not at all blinding. In fact, festive coziness is the theme here.
You can escape from the looky-loos clogging downtown and bask under the warm colors of the illuminations. Surrounded by the greenery, it will feel like you’re relaxing in a secluded cabin. Afterward, you can go inside the building to do some Christmas shopping.
When: November 18 – January 12 | 5 pm – 10 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Tokyu Hands Omotesando Harajuku 6F, 4-30-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
https://illumi.walkerplus.com/detail/ar0313e17528/
4. Yokohama Miraight
One of Yokohama’s biggest winter illuminations starts from Yokohama Station and continues throughout the Minatomirai area. Using LEDs, around 1.5 kilometers worth of area will be bathed in blue, gold, and white. Don’t forget to take a peek at the Nippon Maru, a former Japanese sailing ship that is now permanently docked in Yokohama harbor. Befitting the spirit of Christmas, the giant will be lit as well.
When: November 6 – February 8 | 4 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Yokohama Station, 2 Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture
Ymm21-illumination.jp
5. Hibiya Magic Time Illumination
This year, Hibiya’s winter illumination is as magical as it can get. The colors picked for the lights are shades of dawn; every tree has a somewhat different light to create a seamless gradation effect. This is to symbolize the start of a “wonderful tomorrow.” As you soak in the stunning purple, pink, and orange lights, you can stop by shops and nibble a few light bites at restaurants dotted along the road.
To get a full view of Tokyo from up high, go to the Park View Garden on the sixth floor of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. There, a lit-up garden and serene pool of LED buds await. The Hibiya Step Plaza will also be adorned with Christmas trees.
When: November 13 – February 28 | 4 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, 1-1-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
www.hibiya.tokyo-midtown.com/jp
6. Marunouchi Illumination
There’s so much more to Tokyo’s elite district than gliding bullet trains (or shinkansen) and its red-bricked station. The Marunouchi Naka-dori street is, to date, one of the classiest illumination spots. The lights are kept simple: a golden champagne shade as an ode to the area’s stylish disposition. Environmentally efficient LED bulbs are knotted on the trees along the 1.2-kilometer walkway. In the vivid spirit of its 20th anniversary, the Marunouchi Illuminations will expand the light displays to the newly established Tokyo Torch Park.
You can marvel at the impressive sight, which is reminiscent of a whimsical dream, from the adjacent Tokyo Torch Terrace. While many of Tokyo’s winter illuminations start around 5 pm, the lights in Marunouchi will switch on from 4 pm, which gives anyone more time to shop and dine under the fairy lights.
When: November 13 – January 15 | 4 pm – 11 pm
*December 1 – December 24 | 4 pm – 12 am
Admission: Free
Where: Marunouchi Naka-dori, 2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
https://www.marunouchi.com/en/pickup/event/7982/
7. Marunouchi Bright Christmas 2021
Marunouchi hosts one of Tokyo’s most elegant holiday displays each year with its annual Marunouchi Bright Christmas event. Each winter, the theme changes, ranging from classic festive motifs to collaborations with popular characters or art installations.
This year, the theme is Disney, featuring special decorations, monuments, and photo spots inspired by Disney characters and scenes from popular titles such as Mickey & Friends, Frozen, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh, Tangled, and even Zootopia 2. Don’t miss the main “Celebration Tree” installation and limited-edition Disney merchandise popping up across the area.
When: November 13 – February 15 | 4 pm – 12 am
Admission: Free
Where: Marunouchi Naka-dori, 2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
8. Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination
Taking the main stage at Tokyo Dome City is the giant champagne-colored Christmas tree that boasts 230,000 LED lights. Surrounding the area are other equally picturesque winter illumination displays. You can start from the LaQua Garden to enter a kaleidoscope-like “Milky Way” tunnel and meet at the stunning Meets Port Garden.
Taking pictures at the winter illuminations is tough. Most of the time, photos don’t do them justice. However, this year, the theme is all about “taking pictures,” so make sure to scour the whole area to discover hidden photo spots. Decorations are made from recycled materials and upcycled waste wood in the spirit of a “green” holiday.
When: November 17 – March 1 | 5 pm – 12 am
Admission: Free
Where: Tokyo Dome City, 1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku
www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/illumination
9. Yomiuri Land Jewellumination
Yomiuri Land lives up to its name. With jewel as the spotlight, Tokyo’s largest amusement park is known to bring gemstone-inspired illumination events. This year, the park is divided into ten spots, each highlighting different themes.
There’s the 25-meter jewel illumination tower and river lined with blue “sapphires”. In addition to that, you can walk under a rainbow “Diamond Passage” or take an Instagram-worthy picture of the bedazzled square in front of the Yomiuri Land Nittele Hall. Finally, be on the lookout for the fountain show, where you can expect flames and lasers to be synchronized with the music.
When: October 23 – April 5 | 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Admission: Adults ¥1,800 | Junior high and high school students ¥1,500 | Primary school students and younger ¥1,000
Where: Yomiuri Land, 4015-1 Yanokuchi, Inagi-shi
www.yomiuriland.com/jewellumination
10. Tokyo Mega Illumination
Who knew a horse racing track is a perfect place for a rainbow water fountain and surreal aurora light shows? In its fourth year, the Tokyo City Keiba will team up with Naked Big Book to transform the racecourse into a real-life fairytale world.
You can explore the 100-meter tunnel filled with cherry blossom illuminations and soak in the luminescent blue projection of waterfalls. As you bathe in the breathtaking aurora light, you’ll eventually be led into a giant luminous tree that is more mystical than it is natural. Finally, you can take photos with real ponies and horses while taking a bite of your horseshoe churros — or see an AR-displayed 3D horse via smartphone.
When: November 1 – January 11 (closed on some days in Nov, early Dec, and Dec 24 – Jan 1) | 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm (last entry 8:00 pm)
Admission: Advance tickets ¥800–¥1,500 (Adults), ¥400–¥700 (Children 6–17)
Where: Tokyo City Keiba, 2-1-2 Katsushima, Shinagawa-ku
www.tokyomegaillumi.jp
11. Shibuya Blue Cave (Ao no Dokutsu)
Initially launched in Nakameguro and later moved to Shibuya, the Blue Cave is one of Tokyo’s most iconic winter illuminations. As you walk down the 800-meter stretch from Shibuya Koen-dori to Yoyogi Park Keyaki Namiki, you’ll be enveloped in a tunnel of deep, mesmerizing blue lights, often described as stepping into an icy fantasy world.
The display is synchronized so that lights ripple and shift subtly, giving the entire walkway a dynamic, almost magical ambiance. The area gets lovely after light rain, when the pavement reflects the blue glow like a mirror.
When: Late Nov – Late Dec | 5 pm – 10 pm
Admission: Free
Where: From Shibuya Koen-dori to Yoyogi Park Keyaki Namiki
www.aonodokutsu.jp
12. Caretta Shiodome Winter Illumination
Known for its dramatic light shows, Caretta Shiodome offers one of Tokyo’s most theatrical winter illumination events. The plaza is transformed into a glowing blue-and-gold garden, with lights choreographed to music from Disney films or popular romantic soundtracks (the theme changes each year).
Shows typically run every 15–20 minutes, making it a perfect spot for a short but impactful winter date. The surrounding restaurants in Caretta Shiodome also offer special illumination-viewing seats so that you can enjoy the lights from indoors.
When: Mid Nov – Mid Feb | 5 pm – 11 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Caretta Shiodome, 1-8-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku
www.caretta.jp
13. Tokyo Skytree Town “Dream Christmas” Illumination
Tokyo Skytree Town becomes a dazzling winter village during the holiday season, with over 500,000 LED lights wrapping the entire Solamachi shopping streets. Warm white and gold dominate the scenery, giving it a classic European Christmas feel. The Sky Arena often hosts live music, special tree lighting ceremonies, and projection mapping onto the base of Skytree.
At the center stands a massive, luminous Christmas tree—perfect for holiday photos with Skytree towering above you.
When: Early Nov – Late Dec | 4 pm – 10 pm
Admission: Free
Where: Tokyo Skytree Town / Solamachi, 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku
www.tokyo-skytree.jp
14. Shinjuku Minami Lumi (Shinjuku Southern Terrace)
Just outside JR Shinjuku’s south exit, the Southern Terrace transforms into an elegant winter promenade filled with soft champagne-gold lights. The area is known for its sleek and modern aesthetic, with trees, street furniture, and building façades illuminated in a refined, understated style.
Because it’s so close to the station, this illumination is ideal for a quick winter stroll or a cozy post-dinner date. You can also enjoy seasonal displays and pop-up installations along the terrace.
When: Mid Nov – Mid Feb | 5 pm – Midnight
Admission: Free
Where: Shinjuku Southern Terrace, 2-2-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku
www.southernterrace.jp
15. Odaiba “Illuminations Island” Daiba & DiverCity
Odaiba turns into a sparkling winter island every year, with illuminations spread across DiverCity, Decks Tokyo Beach, and the Seaside Park area. The Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Bay, and the city skyline create a stunning natural backdrop against the warm golden and icy-blue lights.
At DiverCity, the life-sized Unicorn Gundam statue receives a special seasonal light show, and Decks’ seaside deck becomes filled with LED trees, glowing pathways, and ocean-inspired displays.
When: Early Nov – Late Feb | Sunset – 12 am
Admission: Free
Where: DiverCity Tokyo Plaza / Decks Tokyo Beach, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku
www.odaiba-decks.com
Conclusion: See the Illuminations & Make the Most of Winter in Tokyo
Winter illuminations are among the best ways to spend your time in Tokyo, with their vibrant lights coloring the cityscape. From jewel-bright amusement parks to elegant, champagne-colored streets, each display brings its own unique charm, transforming ordinary evenings into unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re strolling hand-in-hand beneath glowing trees, discovering hidden photo spots, or simply soaking up the cozy winter atmosphere, these illuminations offer some of the best ways to enjoy Japan during the colder months.
And if you’re visiting Japan this season, why not make your trip even more rewarding by learning a bit of Japanese along the way?
At Coto Academy, you can learn Japanese with fun, flexible, conversation-focused lessons that help you start speaking from day one. Whether you’re visiting for a short getaway or staying a little longer, our classes are designed with travelers in mind — making it easy to fit learning into your winter itinerary.
We have campuses in Tokyo, Yokohama, and online, all offering:
- Part-time or casual lessons for busy sightseeing schedules
- Intensive Japanese courses to jump-start your progress
Why join Coto Academy?
- Over 60+ different Japanese classes across 18 levels
- Small class sizes (maximum of 8 students) for personalized support
- Professional, native Japanese teachers who make learning enjoyable and effective
Want to make the most of your winter in Japan?
Tokyo Illumination FAQs
When is illuminations taking place in Tokyo?
Illuminations typically span from November to December, but they can run as long as February. Here, we’ve highlighted Tokyo’s best winter illuminations, perfect for a romantic stroll or fun meetups with friends.
Do I need to pay to see the winter illuminations?
Most illuminations in public areas (like Marunouchi, Roppongi Hills, or Tokyo Midtown) are free. However, some venues charge fees for displays located inside an amusement park or event area, such as the Yomiuri Land Jewellumination (admission fee) or Tokyo Mega Illumination (admission fee). Always check in advance to avoid surprises.
What time do the illuminations usually turn on?
Lights typically switch on around 5:00 PM, though some — such as Marunouchi Illuminations — begin as early as 3:00 PM. Illumination times range from 9 pm to 12 am, depending on the location.
What are the best areas for winter illuminations in Tokyo?
There are quite a few areas with fantastic winter illuminations, but here are some of the most popular illumination spots:
- Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Illumination
- Tokyo Midtown Christmas Illumination
- Marunouchi Naka-dori
- Yomiuri Land Jewellumination
These spots combine easy access with beautiful designs, making them ideal for first-time visitors.
Are winter illuminations crowded?
Yes, especially on weekends, Christmas week, and at iconic displays like Roppongi Hills or Marunouchi. Visiting on a weekday or earlier in the evening (around opening time) makes for a more relaxed experience.
Are illuminations still held if it rains?
Most events continue in light rain, and the lights can look even more magical reflected on wet pavement. Heavy rain or strong winds may cause temporary closures, especially at outdoor amusement parks. Check official websites on the day of your visit.
What should I wear for the winter illuminations?
Since they often take place during the peak of winter in Tokyo, and are often outside, you should dress as warmly as possible. You should wear a thick jacket, gloves, a scarf, and comfortable shoes, as you will likely be walking a lot.