Visiting Tokyo around November/December is an amazing experience if you are a Christmas fan who is attracted to Christmas lights.
Granted, where Christmas is seen as a religious holiday for some, spending time with your family and loved ones and days off of work and also shopping, because the Christian belief is not widespread in Japan, the perspective of Christmas is a bit different.
I guess you can say that Christmas is almost like Valentine’s Day but much more grander in which it takes place in the winter, there is gift exchanges among family members but for the most part, it’s a holiday celebrated with people you love and shopping is a big component.
Some people love it, some people despise the consumerism but for me, Christmas in Japan is a unique experience that I personally enjoy.
While I don’t advise traveling in Japan during the Christmas week or New Year’s holiday because everyone is off and the trains and bullet trains are insanely busy, I do recommend visiting around mid-November to December (some establishments start their Christmas promotions the day after Halloween).
But if you are in Tokyo, you can enjoy the Christmas illumination and these are my top spots that I recommend that won’t cost a thing to attend and it’s easily accessible via train and subway.
Tokyo Midtown
I wrote about last year’s event which had an elaborate planet theme, but this year, the lights are back at Starlight Garden but this time, the theme is soap bubbles. Featuring 100 glowing balloons and the LED’s throughout the Grass Square, the special program is limited only through December 16th. Each day about 450,000 soap bubbles and mist will float through the night’s sky.
Also, the garden illumination returns featuring 220,000 LED’s, Champagne Illumination and Starlight Road.
And of course, inside Tokyo Midtown, you will feel the spirit of Christmas as many stores are in full-on Christmas mode! You will see the return of the Santa tree and other Christmas trees around the shopping area.
And making its way back is the popular Christmas Wine Festival in TOKYO MIDTOWN 2018, featuring a great collection of 120 popular wines from wineries around the world.
I do recommend Tokyo Midtown as an area for one to visit during the Christmas Holiday in Tokyo, if you want to experience the Christmas illumination and the Japan way of Christmas cheer!
For more information, please click here.
