Don't turn out the lights

As our tour of Illuminations continues, my family attended the Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination.  We arrived before the 4:00 start which gave us time to wander around the Tokyo Dome City.  My son and I had explored the area when we met friends to play at ASOBono! this summer, but it was my husband's first visit to Tokyo Dome City.

There is a small amusement park ride area, which my son was excited to enjoy.  There are less than 10 rides there, a few of which he is not tall enough to ride (he is under 110cm/3' 7").  4 of them are geared toward young children and he was excited to be able to ride one of the rides by himself. 

There are also lots and lots of arcade games, but we didn't play any of these.  I know arcade games are huge in Japan, but I'm trying to hold off as long as possible, avoiding the obsession I am sure will come.

This year's theme was "Edo elegance ～Japanese beauty".  The illumination was inspired by traditional crafts and the Japanese style of living.

The lights turned on promptly at 4:00, but  it wasn't quite dark.  So, we decided to grab dinner while we waited for darker skies.  On the way, we checked out some of the lights, but tried to walk quickly past since we knew they would be more beautiful after dark.

This tower of origami cranes and folded boxes

was beautiful both before and after dark.

We then popped into TGIF's for dinner.  The area has several American and other non-Japanese restaurants to choose from, including Taco Bell, Bubba Gump Shrimp, and more.  Since we don't go out for American food very often, we were a little gluttonous.  We ordered an appetizer along with our entrees (pasta for my husband and a cobb salad for me).  The real shocker was my son's dinner.  He ordered the pancake set, which comes with pancakes featuring maple syrup and chocolate sauce on the side; 3 quarter slices of fruit; a doughnut with a pile of whipped cream on top; and French fries.  I think I shall rename it the carb coma platter.  Since I can't remember the last time we ate at a TGIF's in the US, I don't know if this is a modified Japanese menu item, or the original.  Nonetheless, my son was super excited to indulge.

When we were able to pull him away from his sugar-feast, we braved the cold, windy evening to see the lights. 

This scene depicts hanabi (fireworks). 

There was even a button to press for accurate noise effects.

The illumination is spread out into two main sections of the area around the Tokyo Dome.  But there are several different styles of display.  I loved the bright umbrellas and carved bamboo (which was actually plastic, but I have seen similar ones actually made from bamboo). 

The "tunnel of love" was also pretty incredible.  The tunnel was generally blue, but if two people stood on a designated line and held hands, the entire tunnel would come alive with sounds, motion, and colors.  So many people couldn't figure out why it was or wasn't working.  As soon as we figured it out, we played with it quite a bit.

My absolute  favorite was the dome of lights.  It was so beautiful and there were benches below so we could sit and enjoy it for a while. 

Luckily, this display is open until February 17th, 2019.  If we happen to be in that neighborhood between now and then, I will probably swing by and revisit the lights.