Tokyo Lantern Festival
東京ランタンフェスティバル
Giant Chinese-style lanterns on and around the lake at Tokyo German Village in Chiba, among them an 11-metre dragon ship and a peacock on the water.
〒 299-0204How to get there
東横田Kururi Line45 min walk from the station
The Tokyo Lantern Festival fills the lake area of Tokyo German Village, a theme park in Sodegaura, with large Chinese-style lanterns through the winter. Some of the figures draw on Japan, such as Mount Fuji and cherry blossom. Others, a peacock and a dragon among them, are pure fantasy. Stalls selling Chinese food are set up beside the display.
The biggest pieces stand in the lake itself. Craftsmen first built their bases out on the water. The largest lantern of the festival, 11 metres high, joins a dragon and a great ship into a single figure. Near it, a peacock spreads wings that reach more than 17 metres, and its colours are mirrored in the lake. A floating walkway, laid only for the festival, crosses the water and passes close to both.
On the shore, a cherry tree made of light stands 6 metres tall, in full flower in the middle of winter. A large illuminated Mount Fuji is built so that visitors can walk right up to it.
Getting There
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