Photo/Illutration Roses bloom against the backdrop of a 120-meter-wide “mural of light” among 500,000 LED bulbs in the “Rose Garden of Light” section at the Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, on Oct. 15. (Photo taken with a fish-eye lens by Atsuo Negishi)

ASHIKAGA, Tochigi Prefecture--Ranked as the top illumination park in Japan, the Ashikaga Flower Park here is once again transformed into a fairytale setting with more than 5 million LED bulbs in its 100,000-square-meter premises.

The “Flower Fantasy: The Garden of Illuminated Flowers” light show runs until Feb. 14.

The illumination event has continued to evolve since it was first held in 2002.

It was named in March as the best among Japan’s top three illumination shows by the 2022 edition of the Yakei Summit rankings of the nation's best night vistas.

This year, the “Rose Garden of Light” section was remodeled to incorporate 500,000 or so LEDs and a 120-meter-wide “mural of light” that changes color by the minute as a story unfolds.

In addition, 400,000 bulbs that adorn the famed great wisteria trees are fitted with a cap in the shape of a wisteria petal, making the lights look more expressive as they sway in the breeze.

“We are hoping that visitor numbers will recover soon,” said a park representative, referring to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

For more information, visit the official website at (https://www.ashikaga.co.jp/flowerfantasy_special2022/en/).