PLACES – Page 16

Roppongi Hills 10th Anniversary Christmas

Each year, Roppongi Hills is admired for its luxurious Christmas decorations with each feature in three different locations: Keyakizaka Street, Mori Garden, and 66 Plaza (which is the main plaza in front of Mori Tower – office entrance).

Keyakizaka Illumination
This year, the 400 meters stretch of Keyakizaka street is again decorated with the popular blue and white LED lights that sparkles like crystals in blue background. For its 10th anniversary, the illumination is highlighted with red, umber and candle colors that will be on display on specific time slots.

Roppongi Hills Illumination - Keyakizaka dori 01

Roppongi Hills Illumination - Keyakizaka dori 02

Special illumination schedules are: 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and will last for about 10 minutes.

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Autumn 2013: Meiji-jingu Gaien Park’s Ginkgo Avenue

Visit Date: 11/19/2013 (Best Viewing TIme: late November to early December)

The ginkgo tree, known as ‘icho’ in Japanese is a prominent tree for autumn colors when its greenish leaves turn into blazing yellow color. It is easily found in temples, urban parks, and along the city streets. It is Tokyo’s official tree and its leaf is also used as a symbol of Tokyo.

Among the many ginkgo lined streets in Tokyo, the Icho Namiki (銀杏並木) or Ginkgo Avenue located in Meiji-jingu Gaien Park is most popular during the autumn season – when its 300 meters long ginkgo tree-lined boulevard turns to radiant yellow creating a brilliant landscape.

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Japan Events in November 2013

Swan Lake
☐ Dance, Ballet
Info: K-Ballet company performs Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse.
Date: Nov 1-3 | 2:00pm
Entrance: ¥7,000 – ¥18,000
Location: Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Shibuya, Tokyo
Nearest Station: Shibuya Station
Tel #: 03-3234-9999

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Autumn 2013: Oku-Nikko 奥日光 Autumn Hike

Visit Date: 10/19/2013 (Best Viewing Time: early October to mid November)

Oku-Nikko is located in the northwestern part of of Nikko, a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, which is approximately 140 km north of Tokyo. Oku-Nikko forms a part of the Nikko National Park and offers a scenic beauty of the mountain landscapes, marshes and lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys, and hiking trails. The Oku-Nikko area is also well-known for its beautiful autumn colors and provides an excellent walk with nature.

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Mt. Nokogiri 鋸山, the “Saw-Toothed Mountain”

Mt. Nokogiri is a 329.4 meters tall mountain located at the southwest part of Chiba Prefecture and lies in the city of Futtsu and the town of Kyonan. It forms the boundary between Kazusa and Awa areas of the Boso Peninsula.

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