Osaka Hikari Renaissance
End of the year, and that brings light festivals with it.
The first one I've been in Japan was probably the Kobe Luminarie. Actually, that festival has a special meaning since it was first held on the same year of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Since then, I returned to Japan, went to the Kobe Luminarie again, to some light festivals in Kyoto...
... but there was one in Kansai I was still missing: Osaka Hikari Renaissance.
That event is a bit more recent, and it is "held in hopes that the warm lights will give the city more energy and as a chance for a newer movement toward a international metropolitan Osaka" (quoted from their website). It became more popular (at least to people in Kyoto) from 2008, when a new Keihan line made it a lot easier to go there and to move around the area.
So, on December 18th, the weather was surprisingly fine. Considering I wanted to go there and I managed to get some time off on that nice day, I decided to go there check it out and Fang joined the last-minute short trip to Osaka.
Since there were different attractions in different areas, it was not awfully crowded, especially for a Friday night. Still, I wouldn't want to go there on the 24th night.
Probably the main highlight is a 10 minutes-long show with lights projected on the facade of the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library along with music. It was the most impressive thing, and also the most crowded.
Near there, there was also the Nakanoshima Illumination Street. There were some shows there where the lights change according to the background music. Still, I think I prefer when they are still. It enhances the dream-like effect, especially because the lights are based on white and blue colors (during the shows red and green are also used).
The Osaka City Hall also had some illumination, with a cafe and some performances inside. We listened to an orchestra of mostly young people all dressed in Santa outfits. I couldn't find out the name of the group, though.
Moving on to the West Area, we could still see a sand statue from The Sand Museum Tottori City (sic) and some other illumination settings (including an interesting one made of pet bottles) before going back to Kyoto.
Check my Picasa album for more pictures.
The first one I've been in Japan was probably the Kobe Luminarie. Actually, that festival has a special meaning since it was first held on the same year of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Since then, I returned to Japan, went to the Kobe Luminarie again, to some light festivals in Kyoto...
... but there was one in Kansai I was still missing: Osaka Hikari Renaissance.
That event is a bit more recent, and it is "held in hopes that the warm lights will give the city more energy and as a chance for a newer movement toward a international metropolitan Osaka" (quoted from their website). It became more popular (at least to people in Kyoto) from 2008, when a new Keihan line made it a lot easier to go there and to move around the area.
So, on December 18th, the weather was surprisingly fine. Considering I wanted to go there and I managed to get some time off on that nice day, I decided to go there check it out and Fang joined the last-minute short trip to Osaka.
Since there were different attractions in different areas, it was not awfully crowded, especially for a Friday night. Still, I wouldn't want to go there on the 24th night.
Probably the main highlight is a 10 minutes-long show with lights projected on the facade of the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library along with music. It was the most impressive thing, and also the most crowded.
Near there, there was also the Nakanoshima Illumination Street. There were some shows there where the lights change according to the background music. Still, I think I prefer when they are still. It enhances the dream-like effect, especially because the lights are based on white and blue colors (during the shows red and green are also used).
The Osaka City Hall also had some illumination, with a cafe and some performances inside. We listened to an orchestra of mostly young people all dressed in Santa outfits. I couldn't find out the name of the group, though.
Moving on to the West Area, we could still see a sand statue from The Sand Museum Tottori City (sic) and some other illumination settings (including an interesting one made of pet bottles) before going back to Kyoto.
Check my Picasa album for more pictures.
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