Twenty places for night illumination in Saitama Prefecture in the winter of 2023.
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The public Christmas lights have been taken down in the vast majority of places in Japan as people look to the New Year festivities and celebrations. However, there are more winter illumination than Christmas illumination displays in Japan, so there are still plenty of places to see night illumination. There is no fixed end date, but on average you will find Valentines Day is often the last day for the winter illumination displays. But there are a few displays that go longer – until the end of February and occasionally into March too. Number 1 on the list, Seibuen’s illumination runs until April.
This selection of twenty winter illumination displays in Saitama Prefecture is divided into three parts. The first part on page 1 introduces ten places where you can see winter illumination until at least the middle of February 2023. Page 2 has two sections. Section 2 that introduces four places you can see illumination until the end of January. Finally, section 3 that introduces six other places for illumination and light up. All are mapped:
Saitama Illumination Winter 2023
①Ten places with illumination until at least the middle of February
- Seibuen
- Tobu Zoo
- Cocoon City
- Saitama Shintoshin
- Tokorozawa Sakura Town
- Kawaguchi
- Koshigaya Sun City
- Toda Illumi
- Higashimatsuyama
- Tokorozawa Station
BONUS: the information for the NAKED Inc illumination in Chichibu came out after I had published this post, but I have added it to the ① list on February 1st; details below.
②Illumination that is on until the end of January
- Marigold Hill
- Ageo illumination
- Asaka illumination
- Fukaya Terrace
③Other illumination / light up
- All year round illumination
- Monthly light up in Gyoda City
- Weekly light up at Tove Jansson Akebono Children’s Park
- Onouchi Icicles
- Ashigakubo Icicles
- Misotsuchi Icicles
① Illumination until at least the middle of February
1. Seibuen
Illumination name: Memories of Light メモリー・オブ・ライト
Seibuen Amusement Park has the largest winter illumination display in Saitama Prefecture. There was no display in the park in the winter of 2021, because the amusement park was closed for renovations. Then last year they didn’t have any, even though many places did, due to the pandemic. This winter it is back with a brand new name and an unique style.
Date: Friday November 18th 2022 to Sunday April 9th 2023
Times: the base hours are from 5 pm to 8 pm until January 13th.
Cost: The illumination itself is free, but you have to pay to enter the amusement park. It costs 4400 yen for an adult, 3300 yen for children.
Access: Minutes walk from Seibu Yuuenchi station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. View on Google maps.
Even more information…
2. Tobu Zoo
Illumination name: Winter Illumination 2022 – 2023 Tobu Zoological Park ウインターイルミネーション2022-2023 東武動物公園
For two years, with Seibuen’s illumination out of commission, Tobu Zoo’s illumination became the largest in Saitama Prefecture. It remains one of the better known and most frequented illumination displays in Saitama Prefecture. They use 3 million lights, smoke and music to create a dreamy illumination display. Furthermore, they have a tunnel of love and animals made out of lights. Moreover, the Tobu zoo illumination is renowned for its LED show, which is the largest of its kind in the Kanto plain.
Date: Saturday October 29th to Sunday February 12 26th 2023 (extended from the 12th to the 26th of February)
Hours: base hours are from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Cost: For just illumination (no rides) an adult ticket is 1200 yen, 1100 yen for seniors, 1000 yen for teenagers and 500 yen for children. Parking costs 1,000 yen.
Access: The zoo is about a ten minute walk from Tobu Skytree skyliner Tobu Zoo Station. On Google maps.
Even more information in English…
3. Cocoon City
Illumination name: Sparkling Milky Way
Cocoon City is a shopping district in the Omiya Ward of Saitama City. Due to its proximity to Saitama Shintoshin station, the mall attracts visitors from all over Saitama as well as Tokyo and Chiba too. The Cocoon city illumination is another of the big and more popular illumination events in Saitama. Coming up to Christmas they also have Christmas decorations including a ten meter Christmas tree. Approximately 370,000 lights are used in the Cocoon City illumination. Their illumination is often described as romantic.
Date: Saturday November 12th to Tuesday February 14th 2023
Hours: 5 pm to 11 pm.
Cost: Free
Access: About a one minute walk from JR Saitama shintoshin Station, about an 8 minute walk from JR Kitayono Station. On Google maps.
Even more information in English:
4. Saitama Shintoshin
Illumination Name: Brilliant Earth Garden.
Another of Saitama’s long running illumination displays, Saitama Shintoshin’s illumination is displayed at the Keyaki Hiroba annually. They name the display each year, this year it is called “Brilliant Earth Garden”. Approximately 200,000 lights are used in the display. The display is right by the station. Children seem to enjoy this display, including my own! Possibly because there is a courtyard where they can run around. Also, some of the light fixtures are at their height.
Date: Saturday November 12th to Tuesday February 14th 2023.
Hours: 5 pm to midnight.
Cost: Free
Access: A two minute walk from JR Saitama shintoshin Station and about a ten minute walk from JR Kitayono Station. On Google Maps.
Even more information in English…
5. Tokorozawa Sakura Town
Illumination name: Green Circus.
A relatively new addition to Saitama’s winter illumination displays, Tokorozawa Sakura Town’s winter illumination is already proving to be very popular. This year their third ever illumination’s theme is “Green Circus”. They generally run additional events each weekend. For example, before Christmas they had a Christmas market. There are also several ongoing events on in the Kadokawa Culture Museum in the entertainment town. Such as the Lucky Star Exhibition. There is also a Marvel exhibition until January 29th and a Van Gogh exhibition until January 9th.
Date: November 5th to an unspecified date in February February 26th (date was released)
Hours: 5 pm to 10 pm.
Cost: free
Access: Tokorozawa Sakura Town is a ten minute walk from JR Musashino Line’s Higashi Tokorozawa Station. On Google Maps.
Even more information in English:
6. Kawaguchi’s Fantasy Lights
Illumination name: Fantasy Lights (Fantasy of Lights)
Once a much smaller event, around four years ago they increased the scale of this annual illumination event in Kawaguchi. Since then it makes it on to the various illumination round ups each year. The Kawaguchi Fantasy Lights are three displays around the three principal stations in downtown Kawaguchi. The stations are Nishi Kawaguchi, Higashi Kawaguchi and JR Kawaguchi Station. Each of the displays are near the entrances to the stations and easy to find.
Date: December 2nd to February 14th 2023
Hours: 5 pm to 11 pm.
Cost: Free
Access: Access from JR Kawaguchi and Nishi Kawaguchi stations on the Keihin Tohoku line and Higashi Kawaguchi Station on the Musashino and Saitama Rapid Railway lines. On Google Maps.
Even more information in English:
7. Koshigaya Sun City
One of the first ever illumination events I shared on this blog back in the day! The Koshigaya Sun City illumination is still going strong! Koshigaya illumination is at the Sun City Hall. The trees and the and bushes around the court yard, as well as the roofs of some stores have fairy lights on them. They also have a tunnel of light. In addition, the two meta sequoia trees, a symbol of Sun City, that are in front of Citizen’s Hall are lit up with fairy lights.
Date: November 12th 2022 to February 28th 2023
Hours: 5 pm to 10 pm
Cost: free
Access: about a three minute walk from the Tobu Shin Koshigaya station, south exit, and about a five minute walk from JR Minami Koshigaya Station.
Even more information in English:
8. Toda Illumination
Illumination name: Toda Illumi 戸田イルミ。
The Toda City Illumination event “Toda Illumi” is relatively new, it only started in 2019. (There are also other illumination events in Toda City which have been around for longer). According to Toda City, this year’s winter illumination is their biggest to date, with 24,000 lights used. There is illumination in three different locations for the annual “Toda Illumi”; Ushiroya Park, Toda City Funsui Park, Toda Station. They all started on different dates, but the end date is the same for all: February 28th 2023.
Date: until February 28th 2023
Hours: 5 to 10 pm
Cost: free
Access: from Toda station. View on Google Maps.
Even more information in English:
9. Higashimatsuyama
Illumination name: Higashimatsuyama Land of Dreams 東松山市公園のイルミネーション『夢の国 season2』
The Higashimatsuyama Illumination is made up of four different locations. However, they are all really small, even the main one by Higashimatsuyama Activity Center. But the main one is beautiful and made up of several photo spots. There is even a “Doko Demo Door”, a door that leads anywhere in the popular Japanese animation Doraemon.
Date: December 2nd 2022 to February 14th 2023
Hours: from 4 pm to 10 pm.
Cost: free
Access: about a ten minute walk from Higashimatsuyama Station on the Tobu Tojo Line. On Google maps.
More information in English:
10. Tokorozawa Station
The second location in Tokorozawa on the list! But this one has been around for a long time and it has grown over the years. It currently uses about 100,000 lights. The two giant gingko trees at the station rotary and several other trees are lit up. In addition, there is illumination on the second floor of the station building on ‘pedestrian deck’. The display at pedestrian deck includes a large love heart, which is very popular photo spot, especially with couples. There is also a arch or ‘tunnel of light’.
Date: Friday November 25th 2022 to Tuesday February 14th 2023.
Hours: Gingko – from 5 pm to midnight, 2nd floor decking – 5 pm to 10 pm
Cost: Free
Access: Tokorozawa Station West Exit rotary and 2nd floor of the Seibu Pedestrian Deck. View on Google Maps.
Continue to page 2 for Illumination that is on until the end of January and other illumination displays you can see in Saitama Prefecture in the winter of 2022.
BONUS: NAKED Night Walk
The information came out after I had published this post. I added it to this list on February 1st 2023. Naked Inc’s light up event is on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until February 19th:
you are ALWAYS comprehensive Lynda! (in a good way!)
Aww, thank you. Think that’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me this year! Hope you’re enjoying your Christmas / Winter hols