Perfect for winter outings! Five must-see illumination and Christmas events of 2023 promoted by SUNNY SIDE UP

Hello! It is already mid-December, and we are fully into the Christmas season.

At SUNNY SIDE UP, we are once again handling PR for many illuminations and Christmas events being held across Japan this year.

This time, we will introduce five spots and events that are perfect for winter outings! Events are being held all over Japan, so please visit a location near you and enjoy winter to the fullest.🎄

[Yokohama] The Light Yokohama That Appears at Night: 2023>

An illumination event held in Yokohama’s central waterfront area.

The highlight of this event is, without a doubt, the spectacular show held every 30 minutes! Forty facilities across Yokohama—including Yokohama Media Tower, Yokohama Landmark Tower, and Akarenga Park—take part in the production. There are two versions of the show, one of which uses an arranged version of the Yokohama City Song. You can enjoy the moment when the entire city is enveloped in light and music.

And that is not all. “Yorunoyo 2023” will also feature one of Japan’s largest interactive projection mapping displays, spanning over 100 m. This experiential digital art responds to visitors’ movements, with effects centered around a giant cube installed at Shinko Central Plaza. Please enjoy watching the art transform in response to your own movements.

In addition, at Yokohama Port Osanbashi International Passenger Terminal, you can enjoy the over-the-water projection mapping “Y Terminal,” and at Yamashita Park, the fantastical illumination “Illumine Yokohama 2023,” wrapped in dreamy lights.

Do not miss this grand-scale light production!

[Aichi] LEGOLAND® Japan “Brick Christmas”

At LEGOLAND® Japan, a kids’ theme park inspired by LEGO bricks, the limited-time “Christmas Village” is now open, where you can enjoy Christmas × food × live shows. A guest-participation special show has returned for the first time in four years, and families can enjoy a trip around the world together with Santa.

In addition, LEGOLAND® Japan’s 60 m-tall symbol, the “Observation Tower,” will be lit up for the first time since the park opened! The illumination features five dazzling colors (red = sunny, blue = rainy, green = cloudy, white = snowy, red/green = sunny with occasional clouds), and a unique highlight is that it is linked to the next day’s weather forecast.

A colorful and glamorous LEGO® DUPLO® Christmas tree—10 m tall and 4 m wide—made with approximately 610,000 LEGO® DUPLO® bricks, as well as the giant Christmas wreath at the park entrance, will also be illuminated, creating a fantastical space unique to the Christmas season.

In addition, food offerings are plentiful, with food trucks gathering that feature signature dishes from eight countries where LEGOLAND parks are located (Denmark, Germany, the UK, the US, Dubai, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan), as well as Christmas-themed cakes, hot sweets, and authentic course menus that parents and children can enjoy together. You can fully indulge in gourmet delights while soaking up the Christmas atmosphere.

[Kyoto] Nighttime visit event “NAKED Yorumo-de 2023 Heian Shrine”

At Heian Shrine, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property in Kyoto, a nighttime visit event is currently being held. Highlights include the Otenmon Gate being illuminated, interactive art at the Daigokuden Hall, and projection mapping and autumn foliage lighting at the Shobikan Hall—among many other attractions.

And if you are visiting Heian Shrine, we highly recommend trying the limited dinner course created exclusively for this event by the chefs and pastry chefs of Heian Shrine Hall—a special Japanese cuisine × French fusion.

The six-course menu includes “Lily Bulb Flan with Monkfish Liver Terrine, topped with Amber Sauce,” and for the main dish you can choose between roasted duck and roasted wagyu beef. Kyoto-style French cuisine enjoyed while overlooking the Shinen Garden—also designated a Place of Scenic Beauty—is truly exquisite. Please spend a special moment that only Heian Shrine Hall can offer.

In addition, this year an English tour with commentary by an English-speaking guide will also be offered for inbound visitors. You can learn in depth about highlights you normally would not hear about, as well as the history and architecture of Heian Shrine.

[Tokyo] “SHIBUYA WINTER ILLUMINATION 2023-2024 COLLECTIONS”

In Shibuya City, “SHIBUYA Machibiraki 2023–2024” is currently underway as a “town opening” initiative in collaboration with shopping streets, the local government, and businesses. As part of this initiative, illuminations are being held in various areas around Shibuya Station, including shopping streets and commercial facilities.

At Shibuya’s new next-generation landmark “Shibuya Sakura Stage,” which was just completed on November 30, 2023, “Sakura CHORUS”—lined up like rows of cherry trees in full bloom—captivates visitors with a variety of color, light, and sound effects.

In the Dogenzaka area, as “SHIBUYA WINTER ILLUMINATION 2023,” champagne-gold lights illuminate the zelkova tree-lined street starting from Hachiko Square and the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, enveloping the area in warm light.

In addition, in Sakuragaoka, pink lights illuminate 30 cherry trees to create the effect of winter cherry blossoms in bloom, and each commercial facility features its own creative light displays and decorations—allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of illuminations throughout Shibuya.

Please enjoy Shibuya’s fantastical streetscape—different from the usual—with your family, friends, or partner.🌟

[Tokyo] WATERS Takeshiba “Aoi no Kirameki”

At Takeshiba, Tokyo’s waterfront area, the illumination event “Aoi no Kirameki” is being held, with blue lights spreading from the entrance all the way to the lawn park. The calm blue glow feels just like the sea. From the lawn plaza, you can enjoy the city’s night view together with the WATERS Takeshiba illuminations in a truly luxurious setting.

In addition, within “Aoi no Kirameki,” projection mapping titled “Aoi no Kiseki” will also be presented by the artist “WHITE-BASE,” who is affiliated with COLORs CREATION Co., Ltd. The story, depicting a light experience woven from adventure and magical encounters, is sure to become an unforgettable winter memory.

Furthermore, WATERS Takeshiba is hosting a variety of Christmas content. “PAPABUBBLE,” offering a wide selection of Christmas-limited candies, is making its first appearance, and the ball pit at the children’s entertainment facility “CULAFUL” is becoming an illumination version for a limited time—creating a space that both adults and children can enjoy. This is a recommended spot for making memories with someone special.

Special limited-time events are being held across Japan again this year. Have you found an event that interests you?

We hope this helps you plan wonderful winter memories!🎄