A Romantic Walk Through The Light Illumination at Nabana-No-Sato, Japan

The garden transforms into a winter wonderland at night

If you visit the garden before night fall, you will get to appreciate the pretty rows of flowers during the day. From late October to early May, the garden lights up beautifully when night falls. This is the winter illumination of Nabana-No-Sato, which attract tons of tourists who want to seize great photography opportunities of the illumination.

3 main illumination sections

When the sun sets, most parts of the garden will be lit up with beautiful lights, but there are three main sections to observe this illumination. The first two, are the light tunnels where they are magnificently decorated with numerous light bulbs. Regardless of your photography skills, you can capture good pictures of these tunnels from different angles.

Each tunnel is only a short distance of about 50 metres (164 ft), and it can get pretty crowded at times, especially right after sunset. To avoid the heavy crowd, you may want to visit the garden slightly after 7pm when most people are having dinner.

Adorable animation and music!

The third section is the largest illumination, whereby it features adorable animations as well. You can get a good view from the top of the building which can be very crowded, or go straight to the front to see the illumination within close proximity.

Be mesmerised by the river of reflection

Just when you think you are done with the wonderful display of illumination, you will be greeted by the calm river of reflection. The water is so clear that it reflects the entire garden on its surface.

Plenty of food options

The entrance fee is 2,100 JPY (18.75 USD), but you receive a 1,000 JPY (8.9 USD) voucher in denominations of 500 JPY (4.46 USD), which you can use for food or souvenirs. There are various dining choices to choose from all around the garden, such as different restaurants and street stalls. If you’re craving traditional Japanese food, there is a good soba restaurant that serves both hot and cold soba with tempura.

If you prefer to purchase souvenirs with the vouchers, there is a good collection of snacks and plush toys to select from. These would make good souvenirs or collectables to capture your memories from the illuminated garden.