After the holiday lights come down and the realization that there are several more months of winter strikes us, things can seem a bit glum. But Japan has a solution: Nabana no Sato.
Nabana no Sato is one of numerous winter light festivals held throughout the country, but it definitely takes the cake for being the most extravagant of the bunch.
Held at the Nagashima Resort in Nagoya, a city on the island of Honshu, Nabana no Sato boasts more than 8 million LED lights displayed in patterns ranging from tunnels to lit-up flower displays.
Nagashima Resort spokeswoman Yasuyo Otani told CNN that it takes four months and thousands of workers to set up the display.
This year’s theme is “The Beauty of Mother Nature.” And the resort has certainly captured it with trails of light that wind in and out of bushes, follow the landscape, and even find their way into the water, and two different tunnels of light.
The main attraction is one of those light tunnels: a 98-foot-tall tunnel that changes color to reflect the changing of foliage during the fall. The walk-through even includes music to make the experience more immersive.
It also has displays showing the amazing beauty of five other places on the planet: Antarctica, Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, Monument Valley in the U.S., and Japan’s renowned rice terraces.
The park tends to be crowded during the weekends, so we recommend a visit during the week if you can get there. Don’t forget to check it out during the day as well as at night, because even during the day there is a lot of beauty to be seen at the Nagashima Resort’s numerous greenhouses and outdoor flower displays.
The current Nabana no Sato runs through May 7, 2017. Admission is 2,300 Yen (approximately $20 U.S.) and includes a coupon for discounts at the resort’s gift shop and restaurants. For more information, visit Nagashima Resort’s website.
Photo: Nabana no Sato Winter Illumination at Nagashima Resort, Nagoya, Japan. Credit: wanchalerm popee / Shutterstock, Inc.