Hana-Biyori in Winter - Romantic Flowers and Nighttime Light Displays at Yomiuriland's Botanical Garden

Winter doesn't start for a few more weeks, but here in Japan, the weather is chilly and people are definitely in the winter spirit! People are walking down the streets of Tokyo in warm coats and fluffy scarves, sipping their seasonal Starbucks holiday lattes and getting ready for winter break. And of course, shopping malls, parks, and facilities of all kinds are hosting illumination events to light up the night with sparkling light displays.

Hana-Biyori is the new botanical garden at Yomiuriland theme park, and this is the garden's first-ever winter open to the public, so take a look at how they're making the season special!

Of course Japan's cool winter weather means that fewer bright flowers are blooming, but more importantly, the days are getting awfully short! (The sun is already setting around 16:30 these days!) That gives visitors less time to enjoy the daylight, but a lot more time to revel in the sparkling lights of an illumination event. The dry air also means that both the lightbulbs, and the stars above, twinkle extra bright. Yomiuriland's yearly Jewellumination light-up event is already extremely popular in Tokyo, so Hana-Biyori's sister illumination is a no-brainer!

While little kids are sure to love the sparkle of the holiday lights in the setting sun, there's no doubt that Hana-Biyori is a popular date spot this year. Grab a friend or a special someone, and enjoy the romantic lights together!