International tourists, Thais included, visit and revisit Japan for many reasons, from cherry blossoms and autumn leaves to food and fruits to the culture and courteousness of the people. As if that's not enough, the country has added one more: yakei.
Pronounced ya-KAY-i, yakei means night view. Enjoying night-time scenery, especially groups of beautifully lit buildings or the entire city, has become a passion for many Japanese over the past decades. With easily accessible mountains overlooking expansive cities that transform into stunning seas of light after dusk, coupled with low rates of crime and accidents, yakei tourism in Japan is growing. Over 1,000 spots across the country, including gardens and parks that are beautifully illuminated in various ways, have been known as yakei sites.
Nagasaki on the southern island of Kyushu, for example, is one of the cities most popular among yakei enthusiasts. The city sits on a terrain that gradually slopes down towards the sea, creating a spectacular sight when all the densely packed buildings are lit as darkness falls. Such scenery can be enjoyed from Mount Inasa (Inasayama), which stands west of the city and can be conveniently reached by ropeway and public buses. Some attractions in and around Nagasaki, such as the Dutch village Huis Ten Bosch, also offer light decorations to attract nocturnal visitors.
Further north from Nagasaki, Kobe in Honshu -- the country's largest major island -- as well as Hakodate and Sapporo in Hokkaido, are among the cities most famous for yakei.
- Pongpet Mekloy
To learn more about night-view sites in Japan and around the world, visit www.yakei.jp.
Sapporo. photos courtesy of YAKEI Convention & Visitors Bureau
Huis Ten Bosch, Nagasaki. photo: Pongpet Mekloy
Kobe. unknown