After a final breakfast at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we flew on ANA back to Tokyo and checked in to the メルキュール東京羽田エアポート Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport. After a very late sukiyaki lunch, we visited 東京ミッドタウン日比谷 Tokyo Midtown Hibiya to check out the winter illuminations there. We then walked north to the 丸の内 Marunouchi district for the annual Marunouchi Bright Holiday winter illumination event where we managed to actually visit all the venues!
Nagasaki
After waking up at the 長崎マリオット Nagasaki Marriott, we headed downstairs for one last breakfast at the hotel.
We had a quick breakfast before checking out and mostly just ate our favorite items. Unfortunately, once again the mikan did not make an appearance.
Overall, the Nagasaki Marriott was a fantastic place to stay! The location was extremely convenient as it was directly adjacent to Nagasaki Station. And of course our suite was fantastic.
While it is possible to get to Nagasaki Airport by a combination of train and bus, it makes more sense to just take a bus from the 長崎県営バスターミナル Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal. This bus terminal is actually pretty hard to find as its location is not obvious. We asked the front desk at the Marriott for directions two days ago or so. They had a printed map with directions and we scouted it out in advance as well just to be sure of the location. The 長崎空港リムジンバス Nagasaki Airport Limousine Bus runs about every 20 minutes or so between the bus terminal and the airport.
Of course, the Nagasaki Prefectural Bus has a mascot. We’ve actually seen it before on previous bus rides but didn’t photograph it until now. It’s name is ポポル Popolu, which is apparently a portmanteau of Pop Porter Lucky:
Nagasaki Prefectural Bus (Nagasaki Prefectural Transportation Bureau) | Nagasaki
Big eyes and ears are familiar, antennas are the future,
The wings are imagining the speed of the bus!
Date of birth
9/23/1993
Origin of the name
"POPOLU" is an acronym for "POP (popular)", "PORTER" and "LUCKY" and means "carrier who carries happiness"!
– Text from the ポポル page on the ゆるナビ website, translated using Google.
We arrived at the airport at around 9am. Although this mascot has some resemblance to Kirby, it is actually まんじゅうちゃん Manju-chan, the mascot for 岩崎本舗 Iwasaki Honpo. We had their buns twice while we were in Nagasaki.
Iwasaki Honpo
2F Nagasaki Kakuni Manju (Braised Pork Belly Buns) Now on Sale
Nagasaki Kakuni Manju-chan
– Text from the Manju-chan statue above, read and translated using Google Gemini and Translate.
The airport had this nice stained-glass style dragon.
And some nice ceramic tile art as we descended on an escalator.
We had plenty of time after arriving at the gate. Nagasaki Airport is located in 大村湾 Omura Bay and was built by expanding a small island. It even features this berm with Nagasaki written out using what seems like bushes.
Nagasaki Airport is pretty small with just a few gates. While walking through the terminal, we discovered these Canon themed Transformers!
Canon/TRANSFORMERS
OPTIMUS PRIME R5
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy Co., Ltd.
ROBOT MODE
A collaboration has been realized between the award-winning EOS R5 camera and TRANSFORMERS.
In "EOS R5 Mode," the figure replicates the actual camera at 80% scale, capturing fine details such as buttons, dials, and markings. In the transformed Robot Mode, it features an iconic design with the lens positioned on the chest; inside the lens, the Matrix—symbol of the Supreme Commander—glows brightly.
– Text from a sign, translated using Google.
Of course, the R5 is using L series glass!
Although the Decepticon theme of this Transformer makes it seem like it should be Megatraon, it is actually Nemesis Prime:
Canon/TRANSFORMERS
NEMESIS PRIME R5
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy Co., Ltd.
ROBOT MODE
A Transformer that appears as a dark counterpart to the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime R5. In reality, it is a new super-robot lifeform born when a camera imbued with the power of the AllSpark acquired a humanoid body and combat capabilities to protect itself. It is a formidable warrior possessing a combination of Optimus's intellect and inner strength, and the Decepticons' ruthlessness and ferocity.
It transforms from the "EOS R5" mirrorless camera into a robot. In its "EOS R5 Mode" (camera form), it is recreated at 80% scale relative to the actual camera, and the lens can be detached from the body just like the real thing. Although it is a toy that cannot actually take photographs, the design faithfully reproduces every detail of the original camera. In its robot mode—"Nemesis Prime R5"—it features an iconic design with the lens positioned on its chest, and the entire body is colored black. Accessories include an AllSpark unit that attaches to the chest and a handheld "EOS R5" (a miniature version of the camera) that the figure can hold in its hand.
Source: Takara Tomy Co., Ltd. Website
<https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products-lineup/tf_canon/canon-n>
– Text from a sign, translated using Google.
It turns out from the URL on the sign for Nemesis Prime that these actually toys you can buy!
Too bad I didn’t actually photograph these two Transformers with our Canon. It would have required taking it out of a well packed backpack!
Our aircraft, a Boeing 787-8, arrived at 10:15am.
We have very limited experience with domestic Japanese flights. Last time, we flew JAL in both premium economy and business class between Tokyo and Sapporo. JAL’s domestic business class was fantastic. So, we wanted to try the competition, Star Alliance member All Nippon Airways. We did fly ANA once from Chicago to Tokyo in international first class which had phenomenal service.
Nagasaki Airport as seen from the aircraft as we were climbing out.
We took off to the southeast and flew in a straight line for a bit. Looking out of the window on the left side of the plane, we had a view of Mount Unzen! From this perspective, Shimabara, which we visited yesterday, is somewhere on the left, possibly out of view.
For this flight, seats in first class, which was branded as Premium Class, were available for a reasonable premium over economy. It was roughly equivalent in coast compared to taking the Shinkansen but much faster.
The food on the JAL flight that we took from Sapporo to Tokyo was definitely superior to what was basically an ekiben on this ANA flight. We don’t know if this is a JAL vs ANA or a route-specific thing.
We flew by another airport in the water, Kansai International Airport.
A coffee and snack…
This must be Osaka.
And this is Kyoto.
A few minutes later, we saw some snow capped peaks to the north of our route.
And then, the most famous mountain in Japan and perhaps the world, 富士山 Mount Fuji!
Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport
After arriving at 羽田空港 Haneda Airport, we quickly retrieved our bags and took the Keikyu Airport Line to 大鳥居駅 Otorii Station. We then walked a few blocks to the east to reach the メルキュール東京羽田エアポート Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport.
We first stayed at this hotel last year in December. During that trip, staying at this hotel, which opened at the end of 2023, allowed us to have a modern room for an excellent price. This time around, it was the same situation. While the location isn’t exactly right by any places of interest to most tourists, it is a short train ride away from 品川駅 Shinagawa Station and has frequent service as a result of it being on the line to Haneda Airport.
We were able to check in to our room upon our arrival at roughly 1:45pm.
An information sheet was provided about the hotel.
Our room was a good size and had a modern design. It was basically just like our previous stay last year.
The bathroom wasn’t too big but at least wasn’t tiny.
The bathroom had a tub, which we appreciated.
One nice feature of this property is that there are complimentary items in the minibar.
And just like our previous stay, our room was at the back of the hotel with a view to the south.
Lunch
After settling in to our room, we headed back out at around 3pm to get a very late lunch. Or would this really be a very early dinner? We went back to Otorii Station to catch a train to 新橋駅 Shimbashi Station.
Of course, our train had mascots! けいきゅん Keikyun, テル Teru, and ハナちゃん Hana-Chan! It turns out that this train is actually a collab between 京急 Keikyu and 臺鐵 Taiwan Railway, referred to in Japanese as Taitetsu. It is the 10th anniversary of their “friendship railway agreement”. Keikyun is, obviously, the mascot of Keikyu. The other two, Teru and Hana-chan, are mascots for Taiwan Railway. We don’t know what their names are in Chinese.
Shimbashi is one of the more confusing train stations in Tokyo. We managed to not get lost though and exited the station and started to walk to the north. This unique building contains offices for the 静岡放送 Shizuoka Broadcasting System (SBS).
We walked a few blocks to reach Wagyu Sukiyaki 極 Goku. As the name suggests, this is sukiyaki restaurant featuring Japanese beef. The beef used is listed as A5 grade, though not one of the regional brands. While this means the beef isn’t as good as for example Kobe beef, it isn’t nearly as expensive. We ordered two of the 300g sets, each of which cost about $50 USD. While hardly cheap, it was still quite a good price.
The beef was nicely marbled, although the cuts were a bit fatty at times.
An egg is provided for dipping the beef after it is cooked, which is a standard sukiyaki thing. Unlimited rice is also available which was nice as we ended up eating quite a bit of it to go with the sukiyaki.
Tokyo Midtown Hibiya
The last few years, we’ve managed to visit Tokyo during the Christmas season. There are plenty of illuminations all over the city to see. Today, we decided to start at 東京ミッドタウン日比谷 Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. This is one of the newer developments in Tokyo that was completed in 2018. We walked to the north to get there.
The Christmas display here is named the Hibiya Magic Time Illumination. The plaza at the northeast corner of the development features a large colorful Christmas tree.
This year’s tree features Disney‘s Zootopia 2.
This short clip includes a bit of Shakira‘s Zoo from Zootopia 2 before going into a welcome message in Japanese and English.
The tree has periodic musical performances.
The music was a bit more like background music. Here, it is playing Idina Menzel and Aurora‘s Into the Unknown from Frozen 2.
We happened to be around when the music changed to Let it Go from Frozen in Japanese! The song in Japanese is just as catchy as the song in English! Disney may be a mega-corporation that dominates film and TV but they sure are good at content and marketing!
There were clusters of illuminated presents around the tree.
And, there was also a colorful illuminated Welcome Hibiya sign.
These stairs were illuminated as well.
We walked up the stairs to get an elevated view of the plaza.
There is a famous Godzilla statue across the street.
Marunouchi Bright Holiday
We walked to the north to reach the 丸の内 Marunouchi district on the west side of 東京駅 Tokyo Station. 丸の内仲通り Marunouchi Nakadori, a street two blocks to the west of Tokyo Station, is illuminated during the winter with lights the trees on both sides of street. This is a surprisingly pleasant area of Tokyo in what is otherwise just a big business district.
It can be pretty busy here but there is lots of room, particularly with the roads closed to vehicular traffic.
They do a very good job with lights on the trees here!
The main event that takes place here during the Christmas season is the Marunouchi Bright Holiday. Last years theme was Super Mario and this year it is back to Disney. Its all very big and corporate as things tend to be here but its fun.
A booklet is available listing all the venues with Marunouchi Bright Holiday displays. There is, of course, also merch available as well as special items for sale at various retailers and restaurants. There is also a stamp rally, which is a pretty Japanese thing where you collect stamps and possibly exchange for some sort of prize. Participating in this stamp rally requires buying a stamp book. Or you can just collect them for fun using your own stamp book or just on any old sheet of paper.
MARUNOUCHI BRIGHT HOLIDAY 2025
Everything shines brighter when shared.
From the illuminations you gaze up at after work to the moments spent with friends on your day off — sharing them turns ordinary times into heart-stirring experiences. This winter in Marunouchi, you will discover a special holiday filled with moving moments shared with those who matter most. It is a time brimming with joy, woven together with the magic of Disney stories. Gathering the small, everyday miracles scattered throughout the city and transforming them into sparkling delight. Come, let us share these irreplaceable moments together.
– Text from a the second page of the booklet, translated using Google.
This display, (6) on the map in the 新東京ビル Shin-Tokyo Building, is Happy Honey featuring Winne the Pooh. Its amusing as it shows the scene both inside and outside of the tree. Of course, the inside is filled with honey!
Happy Honey <Winnie the Pooh>
Winnie the Pooh is overjoyed to have found some honey!
This display playfully recreates the humorous scene where Pooh—having eaten his fill of his favorite treat in the Hundred Acre Wood—gets stuck in a hole and can't get out. Snap some photos from various angles with the adorable Pooh!
[Viewing Hours] 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Until 8:00 PM on Sundays and holidays)
– Text from the map in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
This yellow Santa Claus was outside the Shin-Tokyo Building in a window that looks in to a clothing store, Mademoiselle Non Non by Papas.
There is art out on the street along with some scattered Christmas market stands, seen here in the background.
We came upon this Christmas tree while walking around outside.
This display is outside at the 丸の内ブリックスクエア Marunouchi Brick Square. Our first time at this pleasant outdoor plaza was actually last year during the Super Mario event. It is (5) on the map and named Zootopia Moments.
Zootopia Moments <Zootopia 2>
The mystery behind the creation of Zootopia is revealed...
A monument themed after the Disney movie *Zootopia 2*—hitting theaters on Friday, December 5—has arrived. Set in the dream city of Zootopia, where animals live just like humans, Judy (a rabbit police officer) and her partner Nick (a fox) confront a mystery sparked by the appearance of a new character: Gary the snake.
[Viewing Hours] 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Until 8:00 PM on Sundays and holidays)
– Text from the map in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
We went inside the building to take quick look around. There was a London styled Zootopia 2 bus.
And we even came across a vending machine! It is selling some sort of drink with a Zootopia themed removable sticker on the can.
We found a second machine! There doesn’t seem to be anything that indicates what the drink they’re selling actually is. It costs ¥800, very roughly $5 USD, which is insanely pricey compared to the typical vending machine drink.
We photographed this sculpture last year when we were here as well. It is notable because we’ve seen a larger version of this sculpture in Switzerland! It is here because of the 三菱一号館美術館 Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, an art museum which is in the background here.
This facade has a rather historic appearance. The text simply states the name of this building, the 丸の内パークビルディンダ Marunouchi Park Building.
Just one of many illuminated trees…
Is this the entrance to the Batcave? This is TOKIA within the 東京ビル Tokyo Building. So why is there a bat theme? Google Gemini has some ideas which of course have references but of course the references have nothing to do with the AI output.
Not one but two adjacent vending machines! These feature Winnie the Pooh on the outside but have the same random selection on the inside. Ah, gacha…
This entrance really shows TOKIA’s bat theme!
This display showed various Disney themed images.
Back outside, we noticed this beautiful momiji! This was, by far, the best fall foliage we’ve seen during this trip so far! And, we recall this particular tree looking fantastic last year as well!
We walked over to the 丸ビル Marunouchi Building for the main event, (1) on the map, the Mickey & Friends Celebration Tree.
Celebration Tree <Mickey & Friends>
Warm light embracing the holiday season drifts down from the sky. Layers of these diverse lights come together to bring a sparkling moment to you.
Disc-shaped ornaments, cascading down as if from the heavens, brilliantly capture the city's festive sparkle and the joy of sharing moments with friends. Mickey and his friends—dressed in outfits exclusive to this display—have also arrived to admire this beautiful monument. Strike a pose alongside them and capture your own special memories.
November 13, 2025 (Thu) – January 4, 2026 (Sun) *Excluding January 1 (Thu/Holiday)
Marunouchi Building 1F, Marucube / Viewing Hours: 6:00 AM – 12:30 AM
*The start time on November 13 (Thu) will differ due to a media event.
Special Presentation: Daily from 17:00 to 21:00 (every 15 minutes) | Duration: Approx. 3 minutes *Subject to change
*Enjoy a special presentation set to Mickey's new official theme song, "What We Got."
– Text from the Celebration Tree page in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
The area in front of the tree is typically pretty crowded, particularly when the show starts. The trick here is to go upstairs and look down upon the display.
The little firework explosions were pretty cool. But, otherwise, this year’s tree was a bit underwhelming.
This sign showed the Disney franchises that were featured in this year’s event. As in past years, there was a gift shop on the ground floor here next to the Celebration Tree. One year, we bought Star Wars soup spoons, which were actually pretty special. There was unfortunately nothing particularly special this year.
We ended up finding this little outdoor area on the east side of the Marunouchi Building.
It faces the beautiful west facade of Tokyo Station! It’s particularly nice at night when illuminated.
There was also a small Disney themed Lego display.
Back outside, this sculpture was just installed this year! It is Whirling Journey by 中村萌 Nakamura Moe.
Marunouchi Street Gallery
中村 萌
NAKAMURA Moe
Whirling Journey 2025
作家蔵
Collection of the artist
主催 三菱地所株式会社
Organized by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
– Text from a sign.
That’s what we’re here for! Marunouchi Illumination!
Another Lego display, this time featuring Frozen.
Within the 新丸ビル Shin-Marunouchi Building, this display is (2), Sisterly Bonds, featuring Anna and Elsa.
Sisterly Bonds <Frozen>
As the ice melts, the bond between Anna and Elsa is restored.
This display captures the story's finale, where the kingdom—once locked away by ice magic—is set free by the sisters' love. Making the most of the atrium’s open, airy space and beautiful lighting, the scene depicts the castle gates opening as Anna and Elsa welcome the smiling crowds gathering in the square.
[Viewing Hours]
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Until 8:00 PM on Sundays and holidays)
– Text from the map in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
This particular display was one where you can queue up to get your photograph taken. It was somewhat busy so we just looked at it from afar.
There was a sign with a map here which pretty much mirrors what’s in the booklet.
We headed back outside to continue on to the next building…
This one was (4) Magical Golden Glow in the 丸の内テラス Marunouchi Terrace building. It features Rapunzel from Tangled, Disney’s take on the famous Rapunzel fairy tale. Although Tangled came out in 2010 without any motion pictures since then, there is a new live action movie that is supposed to start filming next year in 2026.
Magical Golden Glow <Tangled>
With her long hair flowing beautifully, Rapunzel moves forward, believing in the future.
This monument features a design inspired by Rapunzel's signature long hair and serves as an outdoor photo spot for you to enjoy. Keep an eye out for Pascal, Rapunzel's chameleon best friend, who also makes an appearance here.
[Viewing Hours] 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
(Saturdays until 10:00 PM; Sundays & Holidays: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM)
– Text from the map in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
Continuing on, in 丸の内オアゾ Marunouchi Oazo, we saw (3) Happy Toy Box featuring Toy Story.
Happy Toy Box <Toy Story>
Fun-loving friends bursting out of the toy box. A colorful, playful display inspired by Andy’s bedroom has arrived. It is an exciting space where toys like Woody and Buzz look as if they might spring to life at any moment.
[Viewing Hours] 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Until 8:00 PM on Sundays and holidays)
– Text from the map in the Marunouchi Bright Holiday booklet, translated using Google.
This building is a bit off the beaten path compared to the other venues along the Marunouchi Nakadori.
There was also a Toy Story Lego display.
This little Christmas tree featured some of the same images that we saw earlier.
We continued on to the furthest of all the Marunouchi Bright Christmas locations, the Tokyo Torch Terrace, which is northeastish of Tokyo Station. This might be considered within the Nihonbashi district? We came here to get the final stamp for our collection.
This is the first time we got all the stamps! All twelve!
By now, it was around 9pm. Time to head back to the Mercure! The most sensible way to get back given where we were was to walk to the east to 日本橋駅 Nihombashi Station to catch the next Asakusa Line train going to the south. If we were lucky, it would be a Haneda Airport bound train. Otherwise, we would need to transfer at 泉岳寺駅 Sengakuji Station where the Keikyu Line starts.
This area isn’t particularly lively at night.
Although there were some illuminated trees, it wasn’t as nice as in Marunouchi.
We went down into Nihombashi Station and returned to the Mercure to end the day.