A Pokémon booth has debuted at the annual Christmas Market at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse in 2025.
Illumination displays are lighting up Yokohama's waterfront, drawing large crowds even on weekdays. The centerpiece is Yorunoyo, now in its sixth year.
In 2024, Yokohama became the first city in the Greater Tokyo Area to be named one of Japan's New Top Three Cities with the Best Night Views. The city expects about one million visitors during the event from Dececember 4 to 30, roughly 100,000 more than last year.
'Highlight of Yokohama'
Launched in 2020 to promote nighttime tourism, Yorunoyo is one of Japan's largest urban illumination events. Its main attraction, Highlight of Yokohama, stretches three kilometers along the waterfront from the Minato Mirai 21 district to Yamashita Park, where office buildings, historic structures, and other landmarks are synchronized with light and music. The show runs daily from 5:00 PM, with five-minute performances every 30 minutes until 9:05 PM.
During the event, the civic lounge on the third floor of Yokohama City Hall is open to the public until 9:15 PM, offering an excellent viewing spot along with Yokohama Port Osanbashi Pier.
Interactive Displays
At Osanbashi Pier, projection mapping shows a 25-meter-long (around 82 ft) whale swimming gracefully across the expansive wooden deck. At Yamashita Park, 18 installations of the interactive digital artwork Star Tree line a 250-meter stretch, responding to visitors' movements with shimmering light.
In 2025, 46 facilities across the city are taking part, four more than last year. These include the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama Stadium, all participating under the banner The Yokohama Illumination. A digital stamp rally is also being held, offering prizes such as hotel accommodation vouchers and restaurant tickets.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Yoshinori Yamasawa, The Sankei Shimbun
