Hiroshima Dreamination

Each winter from mid-November to early January, Peace Boulevard in Hiroshima is strung with colored lights for Dreamination, a free outdoor festival running nightly from 5:30 to 10:30pm. The displays change every year around themes of fantasy and fairy tales, with glowing tunnels, illuminated trees, and themed set pieces stretching from the boulevard all the way to Hiroshima Station. City trams are decorated with lights for the season. Families come to spot characters among the displays, and couples make it an evening out. The event has run since 2002 and has become a reliable winter fixture in Hiroshima's calendar, drawing both locals and visitors in from across the region.