Autumn Light-Up
The changes in seasons are an important part of Japanese culture. Japan is often described as the land of four distinct seasons.
Many people will travel to and within Japan for the Spring Sakura (cherry blossom) season, and with good reason… The cherry blossoms really are quite beautiful.
Another favourite time for people here is the Autumn (fall), where the lush greens transform into an array of deep reds and vibrant yellows contrasted with the ever-green of Hinoki and Sugi (Japanese Cedar) trees.
So significant are these two seasons and the natural wonders they bring, that not only do they have special words for each…
花見 – hanami (sakura/flower viewing)
紅葉狩り – momijigari (red leaf hunting)
…but also many particularly spectacular examples feature evening light-ups.
Rikugien Gardens
About an eight minute walk from Komagome Station (accessible using the Yamanote Line) is the truly beautiful and serene Rikugien Gardens (Garden of the Six Principals), one of the nine major gardens of Tokyo.
I have visited Rikugien during the day, it is breath-taking and a stark contrast between itself and the bustling city, which seems like a world away moments after you walk through the entrance.
You can read my blog post about Rikugien Gardens here, and for more photos please check out my photography page here.
Autumn Light-up at Rikugien Gardens
The second time I visited Rikugien Gardens was to experience the Autumn light-up.
This year Japan experienced a particularly warm Summer with the higher temperatures also creeping into early Autumn, which has resulted in a slight delay in the leaves changing colour.
Nevertheless, the light-up event is only held for around two weeks from late November into the first few days of December.
The date of my visit was November 24th. While there was still a lot of green, the momijigari “red leaf hunting” was fun and a really nice experience.
Please check out my photography page for more Rikugien Light-Up photos, here.
Information
Rikugien Gardens opening hours are 9am – 5pm and a daytime ticket is only ¥300
During the Autumn light-up event the park will close as normal at 5pm and then re-open at 6pm until 8:30pm (last entry at 7:30pm)
Tickets for the Autumn light-up are priced at ¥1100
Getting to Rikugien Gardens is simple…
Take the Yamanote Line to Komagome Station and walk for about 8 minutes.
Please check out my photography page for more Rikugien Light-Up photos, here.
Thank you for reading!
