Many people enjoy the illuminations that light up the city at the end of the year. They are wowed not only by the shimmering lights, but by the ingenious design as well. Light-up projects are usually undertaken by community groups and commercial facilities, but in recent years, many individuals have started decking out their own homes—and some of their work is just as good as the professionals.
In Fukuoka, Christmas illuminations run from mid-November to mid-January. The two most famous spots in the city are the plaza full of decorated trees in front of Hakata Station and Kego Park in central Tenjin. These respective illuminations are the work of two community groups, the Hakata Development Council and We Love Tenjin, and each has planned various events to be held during the light-up season.
Other popular light-up spots are Canal City and Fukuoka Tower. The fantastic water and light shows at Canal City draw good crowds every year, and although Fukuoka Tower features seasonal illuminations year-round, its year-end light-up, which turns the tower into a giant, glistening Christmas tree, is especially popular.
The custom of illuminations is said to date back to 16th century Germany, where people placed candles in tree branches to mimic the twinkling of stars. Illuminations began in Japan in the Meiji Era with the arrival of the incandescent light bulb, but the lights used nowadays are mostly eco-friendly LEDs. Many of the gorgeous illuminations you see today are made possible by blue LEDs—a technology whose invention earned three Japanese scientists the Nobel Prize for Physics earlier this year.
