Near Tokyo! Captivating Lights and Culture at Mihamaen Garden This Autumn

This November, Mihamaen Garden in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, will be hosting the Mihamaen Garden Lantern Festival, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the haunting beauty of the Japanese garden lit up at night.

The event will not only feature lights but will also offer a wide range of cultural activities from traditional music concerts to tea ceremony!

Experience Fall in an Illuminated Japanese Garden

Located just a short train journey from central Tokyo, the beautiful Mihamaen Japanese Garden is an elegant oasis within Chiba's bustling Makuhari Seaside Park.

Japanese gardens are the perfect place to enjoy the four seasons, and this year the fall foliage in Mihamaen will be illuminated, creating an enchanting atmosphere for all to enjoy.

The garden will feature beautiful handmade lanterns created by local kindergarten students, as well as illuminated Japanese parasols.

Incense from Kyoto will be burned, further enhancing the traditional atmosphere, and elegant yukitsuri bamboo poles (a distinctive feature within Japanese gardens during fall and winter) will be erected around the trees.

Garden guests can enjoy traditional Japanese sweets and matcha tea at the Shorai-tei tea room, which will also host tea ceremony events and concerts.

Usually, the garden is open only from 8:00 until 17:00, but during the event period, it will have special night opening hours, giving visitors the rare chance to enjoy the enchanting night scenery within the garden.

Mihamaen Garden Lantern Festival

Venue: Mihamaen Japanese Garden
Address: Chiba, Mihama Ward, 2-2-116 Hibino
Date: November 19 (Saturday) - November 27 (Sunday) 2022
Hours: 17:30 - 19:30 (weekdays); 17:30 - 20:30 (weekends and holidays)
Night Garden Entry Fee: 200 yen (free to preschool age children and younger)

Enjoy the Cultural Events on Offer at the Garden

There will be a range of exciting cultural events taking place at certain dates and times at Mihamaen's Shorai-tei tea room during the festival, including tea ceremony and traditional music concerts. Check below for more details!

Tea Ceremony

An elegant traditional tea ceremony experience will be offered at the Shorai-tei's garden. The event will be hosted by a professional tea ceremony instructor, and guests will learn about the correct etiquette during this fascinating cultural practice.

Though offered in Japanese, the experience has been specifically created to be easy to understand for kids, overseas visitors and those not familiar with tea ceremony culture.

Date: November 26 (Saturday), 2022
Times: 14:00, 16:00, and 18:00 (each experience lasts for approximately 45 minutes)
Venue: Shorai-tei
Fees: 1,100 yen per person for the daytime experiences (daytime garden entrance included); 1,200 yen per person for the evening experience (evening garden entrance fee included)

Mongolian Horsehead Fiddle Concert

The Morin Khuur, or horsehead fiddle, is a classical Mongolian instrument of huge cultural importance. The instrument produces a beautiful, distinctive sound, and its music can be both slow and melancholic as well as uptempo and uplifting

Enjoy music from renowned Morin Khuur player MIHO, with accompaniment by percussionist Hitoshi Maeda. The duo will play both traditional and contemporary pieces during this unique concert.

Date: November 19 (Saturday) and November 20 (Sunday), 2022
Times: From 17:45 and 19:00 on November 19; from 17:00 and 19:00 on November 20 (each concert lasts for approximately 40 minutes)
Venue: Shorai-tei (November 19); Mihamaen Garden Entrance (November 20)
Fees: Free (night entrance fee required on November 19)

Tea Room Violin Concert

Guests will be able to enjoy the elegant sound of violin music whilst relaxing in the tea room garden and enjoying exquisite traditional Japanese confectionary and tea.

Date: November 23 (Wednesday), 2022
Times: 15:00 and 18:00 (each concert lasts for 1 hour)
Venue: Shorai-tei
Fees: 1,600 yen per person (1,700 yen including night entrance fee)

Tea Room Koto Concert

Experience the haunting sound of the koto, one of Japan's most beloved traditional instruments, at the tea room garden this November. After the concert, guests will be able to enjoy traditional Japanese tea and confectionery.

Date: November 27 (Sunday), 2022
Time: 18:00 (the concert lasts for 1 hour)
Venue: Shorai-tei
Fees: 1,700 yen per person

This November, do enjoy a trip to Makuhari to see the magnificent lights and events in Mihamaen Garden. It's a wonderful way to feel the atmosphere of autumn in Japan!

Information and photo source: PR Times