By AYA AMANO/ Staff Writer
November 23, 2019 at 16:05 JST
Tourists snap photos in front of a venue at the Sapporo White Illumination event on Nov. 22. (Aya Amano)
SAPPORO--Sapporo is getting an early taste of Christmas after the Sapporo White Illumination event kicked off Nov. 22 with 810,000 or so LED bulbs brightening up the nights of this northern city.
Several areas of Sapporo are being illuminated, and the main Odori Park venue will have the lights up until Christmas.
In one part of Odori Park, the German Christmas Market offers 34 booths selling everything from hot wine and sausages to Christmas items. The market is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and will operate until Christmas Day.
The illumination begins from around 4:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.
The event began in 1981, and this year areas around Sapporo Station will also be lit up. The lights around the station will be on until Feb. 11 in some areas and until March 15 in others.
Music is being provided at the various venues by several artists, including Mayumi Ohira, the violinist who recently revealed she has been diagnosed as possibly having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
A 32-year-old visitor from the Philippines described the illuminations as unsurpassed.
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