Light Between Sky and Sea “Winter Fantasy” at Sanuki Manno Park

 At Sanuki Manno National Government Park in Kagawa Prefecture, the annual illumination event Winter Fantasy is held from November 29, 2025, to January 12, 2026. Now in its 20th year, this season’s theme is “Light Connecting the Sky and the Sea.” Using approximately 650,000 LED bulbs and spotlights, the park is transformed into a luminous landscape inspired by the sky, the ocean, and the creatures that inhabit them.

I visited on Sunday the 28th. With the year-end and New Year holidays already underway, many people had likely returned to Kagawa from other prefectures. Admission requires payment at either the North or West gate for both entry and parking, but the roads leading to the gates were backed up for nearly two kilometers. It took over an hour just to get inside the park.

Sunset comes around 5:00 p.m. at this time of year, so I had hoped to enter shortly after 4:00 p.m. and enjoy a walk through the park while there was still some daylight. In reality, the crowds were far heavier than expected, and by the time I finally entered, it was already past 5:30 p.m., with dusk settling in.

I have always loved that brief moment after sunset when the sky deepens into a rich indigo, while a faint band of orange still lingers along the western horizon.

The temperature was around 2°C (36°F), so cold that my fingertips went numb while holding my smartphone. I regretted not disabling fingerprint authentication beforehand and bringing gloves with me.

Even so, it was a wonderful experience, almost as if I were spending time beneath a sky filled with countless stars. Next year, I plan to visit again, but this time I’ll be sure to avoid the busy year-end holiday period.