Metsa is the largest Nordic Lifestyle recreation spot in all of Japan. It incorporates Metsa Village and Moominvalley Park. Metsa Village is the ‘free’ part of the Nordic and Finnish theme park in Hanno, Saitama. Each year they have a Christmas Village, but it has been quite different since the pandemic began. However, you can still enjoy a Nordic Christmas and Japan’s largest Himmeli display, in the weeks leading up to Christmas. At the same time as the Christmas event there is also a beautiful winter illumination event in the part of the park you have to pay into: Moominvalley Park.
Metsa Village Christmas 2025
Metsa have confirmed several key events for their 2025 Christmas Village. Overall, the official period of the Christmas Village is on from November 1st to Christmas Day 2025. They will have their usual Christmas tree with light up and this year, they will have projection mapping again. The special projection mapping, the first of its kind in Japan in 2023, has a different theme to last year. So even if you saw it last year, you have a new display to look forward too. This year they will have a special “switch on” event with Santa Claus and a brand new Santa Claus Island. Moreover, they confirmed thee key event – the Santa Claus Visit…
①Japan’s largest Himmeli Sky
Metsa are great for decorating the sky. Right now (October 1st 2025) you can see an Autumn balloon sky in Moominvalley Park. Moreover, Metsa is home to Japan’s largest umbrella sky The umbrella sky has been in the charged area for the last three years, but it started out on entrance road, which is in the free area. And this year, once again for Christmas, the park will use Finnish style Christmas lights, called an Himmeli Sky, on Entrance Road this year. Approximately 100 himmeli will decorate 100 meters of the entrance road. Moreover, they will be lit up at night. They also light the Christmas tree and other areas in the park.
②Projection mapping
This year they will once again have a projection mapping show, as per the featured photo at the top of the post. It is on in front of the market hall, which is just after the entrance road. Last year the theme was the 13 Yule Lads “Jólasveinar”, from Nordic folklore, often referred to as Iceland’s 13 Santa Claus. They will also be projecting Tonttu, Santa’s little helpers, onto the ground in front of the market hall. Children delight in trying to catch them!
Special event: Christmas Lights Switch on event with Santa Claus
On November 1st Santa Claus will make an appearance to turn on the Christmas lights, Himmeli Sky and Projection Mapping. He will be there for 4 pm. There is no participation fee for this event.
③Metsa Village Sodas Decorations
Metsa as a Nordic theme park, actually sells some Christmas goods all year round. But for the Christmas period they used to have a market in the Metsa Hall, but in 2025 it will be used as a Sodas decoration spot and for workshops. “Sodas,” is a traditional Lithuanian decoration that is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity . The decorations will be used to create a Nordic winter sky.
④Ancient Nordic Rune Rally
Search for the Viking characters “runes” ! Complete the “Ancient Nordic Rune Rally” and receive a commemorative gift! Free participation, daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
⑤ Santa’s Island
New in 2025 and currently under wraps, they will have a Santa Island you can boat out to. You can rent a boat to take out on the lake almost all year round. You have to pay for the boat and you also have to pay to land on Santa’s Island.
⑥ Christmas goods and limited edition menus
They sell Christmas goods and limited edition Christmas food in select cafes and restaurants during the period of the Christmas Village.
Special Christmas events at Metsa
Numbers 1 to 6 are available daily. Hereafter, the special events that are on select dates;
⑦Workshops & Cultural experiences
There are various workshops on select dates, mainly weekends, during the Christmas period. For example, on November 9th and December 21st, they will be teaching how to make knitted balls for the Christmas tree. They also have different cultural experiences planned. For example, on November 22nd and December 6th you can try Viking Chess. They also have culture days. For example, there is a Denmark Day on November 23rd and a Baltic States weekend on December 6th and 7th.
❽Hygge Night
On Friday nights in November as well as Friday nights until December 19th they have a “Hygge Night” event. It will also be on November 9th, 23rd and December 7th. “Hygge” is a Danish word meaning “coziness” or “peace of mind.” Every Friday during the event, a “fire-hygge” space will be created around a bonfire on the lakeside. The snow marshmallow costs 400 yen and a frankfurt costs 450 yen.
⑨Christmas Concert, music and dance
They will have Christmas music piped in the park for the period. Also, on November 1st and December 20th they have Usva (Finnish) dance performance with Tonttu songs and other traditional Christmas music. At 12.30 and 3.30 pm on November 1st and 1 pm and 3 pm on December 20th. On November 8th there is a live music performance at 1 pm and 3 pm, by a Finnish artist. There is a cello concert on December 6th. There are also performances in front of market hall at11 am, 1 pm and 3pm on November 3rd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd – 24th, 29th and 30th. There will also be live music in the restaurants on select dates.
⑨Metsa Viking Weekend
The Metsa Viking weekend is on Saturday November 1st and Sunday November 2nd 2025. You can enjoy different performances, such as Vikings fighting! And “The Highlanders” will be playing live music. There are also different workshops and experiences both days, as well as a market.
⑩Santa Claus
Santa Claus will visit Metsa on Sunday December 21st 2025 at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. It costs 1500 yen and requires you purchase a ticket in advance. Tickets are already on sale. Get in quick: this event sells out really quickly. You get a certificate like the one above if you participate in the event. Last year and before the pandemic Santa Claus always visited at least once more, but unfortunately since 2024 he only visits for this type of greeting once. But, as above, he will be in the park on November 1st to turn on the Christmas lights.
Visiting Metsa Christmas Village
We visited Metsa Christmas Village in the winter of 2019. We visited on the opening day so unfortunately we didn’t get to see it in its prime. That year, they only had one small tree with some miserly decorations at that stage. But this year the tall Christmas tree will go up and they decorate it beautifully. Because the day we visited was actually a bit too early for the festivities, we ended up going to Funmock ‘an athletic playground in the sky’, which was a blessing in disguise. We probably wouldn’t have checked it out otherwise and for us it is the highlight of Metsa Village!
Metsa Christmas Information
Event: Metsa Christmas Village
Dates: from Saturday November 1st to Christmas Day December 25th 2025, but as outlined above, some of the individual events have different dates.
Time: from 10 am to late!
Cost: there is no admission fee to Metsa or the Christmas Village, but if you want to see the illumination in Moominvalley Park there is a charge. Also, workshops, Santa Claus and other events have individual charges.
Venue: Metsa, 327‐6 Miyazawa, Hanno City, Saitama〒357-0001 Japan. View on Google Maps.
Access
The Metsa Village Christmas market is located about 10 minutes by car from the Sayama Hidaka Interchange of the Ken-o expressway. Unfortunately since April 1st 2023 you now have to pay for parking on weekdays again (it was free during the pandemic). It costs 1000 yen on weekdays, but the first two hours are free. On the weekend the price has actually come down. In 2023, it costs 1500 yen for parking on a Saturday or Sunday, there are no free hours. A bus goes to Metsa from Seibu Ikebukuro Line’s Hanno Station.
Editor’s note: In 2018 and 2019 they had a lot of additional events and Christmas decorations during the period. However, in 2021 there was just the food market. In 2022, they had a Christmas Market and a new element “Christmas Food Garden”. In 2022 was the first time for the Christmas Food Garden, but it is not scheduled for 2023. 20191103. Last update October 2025.
they sure are getting in early! Have you preordered your KFC?
Haha! I am not a fan of KFC at all, so we skip that particular Japanese Christmas tradition now! Although, I admit we did do it a few times in the past!!