Rikugien Gardens 2022 was Beautiful at Night
Rikugien Gardens 2022 was a great autumn light-up event. The garden lights up every year. It is one of my favorite Tokyo seasonal events. That is not entirely correct. The pandemic halted it for a couple of years. This time, I went on a weekday and enjoyed it. It had a surprise for me, though.
There is one thing I must say. Don’t go to Rikugien Gardens expecting it to look like some typical Japanese autumn photos. It’s not that great. You won’t be faced with a sea of vibrant red leaves. It’s more like pockets of them. But the staff skilfully lit them. It was beautiful. The light brought out their best.
Rikugien Gardens 2022 was surreal under lights. Some areas looked like something out of a fairy tale. The paths around the pond were a bit dark. You just need to be aware of some dips and steps every so often.
This year, I used my new Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2.0 lens. It performed well. At times, I wondered whether I should have taken a zoom. But in the end, with its wider aperture, it returned better photos.
It would be nice to take a camera tripod to this event. But they aren’t allowed. That was something I discovered in previous years. If staff see you using one, they’ll ask you to put it away.
Here are two tips if you ever go to this event. The first one is to try to go on a weekday. Weekends can be so crowded. I learned this in previous years. They are like chalk and cheese.
About two hundred people were at Rikugien Gardens for my 2022 Thursday night visit. They were spread out over the park. It felt like no one was there. I took my time taking photos. Well, not exactly as the event goes from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. That was two and a half hours. It was better than the weekend moshpit when you constantly bump into people.
The other thing isn’t really a tip, but good to know anyway. Tickets are needed for entry. They are available online. Get from the Rikugien Gardens website. It’ll save you time. Booking them on your phone can be problematic at night.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. If you want to learn more about the park, you can check this article. Rikugien 2022 was worth a visit, especially with a camera in hand! Don’t go without one of those. Leave questions and comments below.
Rikugien Gardens 2022 photo gear:
- Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2.0
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related websites:
- Rikugien Gardens (official website)