Christmas in Japan: Lights, Ice Skating, Shopping, and More
In Japan, enjoy the Christmas season by admiring spectacular light displays, ice skating, and shopping. Read on to learn where and when to try these unique winter activities.
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Winter Holidays in Japan with Lights and Ice Skating
In Europe and America, Christmas and winter holidays often hold religious significance and are a time to be enjoyed with one's family and relatives.
In Japan, however, Christmas is considered a romantic holiday for couples to spend time together. For example, on a typical Christmas date, couples go to an upscale restaurant and exchange presents.
With friends, Christmas celebrants prepare fried chicken and chocolate cake, enjoy drinks, exchange presents, and have a pleasant time.
For those traveling in Japan, in addition to food and presents, special winter events, like light-up displays and ice skating, are another part of the fun. This article introduces suggested ways to take in the season.
How to Enjoy Christmas in Japan
1. Enjoy the Winter Illuminations
- Tokyo German Village in Chiba
- Marunouchi in Tokyo
- Kobe Luminarie in Hyogo
2. Spend the Day Gift Shopping
- Purchase Limited-Edition Items
- Find Bargains
3. Enjoy Ice Skating
- Tokyo Midtown
- Futako Tamagawa Rise in Tokyo
- Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama
1. Enjoy the Winter Illuminations
In the winter, many places in Japan are lit up with special illuminations. Below are three popular spots with colorful and whimsical scenery where you can enjoy being transported to a magical, wintery dimension.
1. Tokyo German Village in Chiba
At the popular Tokyo German Village, you can enjoy the scenery of a German country town along with delicious food; it is also well-known for its two million glimmering LED lights.
Every year the illumination undergoes drastic changes, and you can even enjoy fireworks at the same time, depending on the season. We recommend the view from the Ferris Wheel.
Winter Illuminations: November 1, 2025 - April 5, 2026
Official website: https://t-doitsumura.co.jp/
Tokyo German Village
419 Nagayoshi, Sodegaura City, Chiba Prefecture 299-0204
2. Marunouchi in Tokyo
About a million LED bulbs are set up along the length of the 1.2 km Tokyo Marunouchi Naka-dori, enveloping the street in champagne gold light.
Light Up: November 13, 2025 - February 15, 2026
Hours: 16:00 - 23:00
Official website: https://marunouchi-streetpark.com/
Hotels near Japan
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3. Kobe Luminarie in Hyogo
Photo by Pixta
Luminarie is perhaps the most popular light display in the country. Set against the night view of famous Kobe City, the gorgeous lights are sure to make you sigh in amazement.
Kobe Luminarie: January 30 - February 8, 2026
Official website: https://kobe-luminarie.jp/
2. Spend the Day Gift Shopping
Around this time, department stores and fashion outlets hold limited-time sales offering year-end bargains. It is a great time to purchase holiday presents.
Purchase Limited-Edition Items
Every year, various fashion brands put together Christmas-only cosmetics sets, which feature special designs and come with limited-edition pouches for you to enjoy.
These cosmetics can be procured at department stores. Since they’re so popular, they sell out fast, so do some research about the specific items you want beforehand.
Also, many sweets shops prepare chocolates, traditional sweets, and special assortments specifically for Christmastime. Enjoy the atmosphere in the stores, which feels totally different from the normal shopping vibe.
Find Bargains
The year-end sale is one of the highlights of Christmas in Japan, as many departments and shopping outlets will run blowout sales to sell through their inventory.
The bargains aren’t limited to fashion goods, as you can also find cheap home appliances and items for your home interior. Some sales start even before Christmas, so do some investigating and head out early to do some shopping.
3. Enjoy Ice Skating
There are a great number of ice skating rinks in Tokyo that are specially installed in winter.
Skating around in the wondrous atmosphere produced by the lights is a special pleasure that can only be had during the holiday season. We’ll introduce you to a few of the rinks you can skate on.
Tokyo Midtown
The MIDTOWN ICE RINK is one of the best places to enjoy casual ice skating in Tokyo. Located within the commercial district of Tokyo Midtown, offers a wide space to skate at leisure. What's best, you'll be skating on real ice!
MIDTOWN CHRISTMAS 2025, a Christmas fair with many visual and culinary highlights, is also being held at Tokyo Midtown from November 13 - December 25, 2025.
Official website: https://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/event/7657/
Tokyo Midtown
9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Hotels near Tokyo Midtown
Futako Tamagawa Rise in Tokyo
Accessible from Shibuya in about ten minutes, Futako Tamagawa has an exceptional location. Made from natural ice, the 390 square meter skating rink at Futako Tamagawa Rise is enjoyed by people of all ages.
This year's Skate Garden at Futako Tamagawa Rise will have a Moomin theme. Enjoy skating along the adorable Moomin characters!
Ice Skating Season: December 6, 2025 - March 1, 2026
Official website: Heartlight Holiday with Moomin at Skate Garden
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama
The Red Brick Warehouse, a popular shopping and sightseeing destination in Yokohama, also opens a skating rink in winter.
Known as the Art Rink, the Red Brick Warehouse skating rink cooperates with a diverse array of artists every year to offer a unique skating experience enhanced by art.
Ice Skating Season: November 29, 2025 - February 15, 2026
Official website: https://akarenga-artrink.yafjp.org/archive/2025/
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
231-0001 1-1 Shinminato, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
This is one of the national warehouses that was used from the end of the Meiji period to the Taisho period, and is a building with quite a bit of history.
The Activity Square frequently hosts a variety of seasonal activities.
The area is lined with stylish shops that are typical of Yokohama, including long-established stores, new types of souvenir shops, restaurants, and miscellaneous goods stores.
* Café opening hours vary by store.
* Opening hours for the 2nd floor space and 3rd floor hall vary depending on the event.
Hotels near Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
Enjoy the Winter Holidays in Japan
There are many events that can be enjoyed in Japan during the holiday season. How about spending a wonderful Christmas in a uniquely Japanese atmosphere?
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All pictures from PIXTA
This is the official account of MATCHA's editorial department. Our articles feature useful travel information for visitors to Japan, from how-to guides to recommended places to visit.
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