■Self-Introduction
Ciao! (“Hello” in Italian) I am Leti from Italy, a country that has produced many world-famous painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, and is ranked first in the number of world heritage sites. Last time, I introduced the Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum in Mie Prefecture as a place I recommend to visit in Japan, and this time I would like to introduce the charm of the "LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO" event being held at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens.
■Did you know that Kyoto has Japan's first public botanical garden?
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens is located in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, where Kifune Shrine, the head shrine of the God of Water, and Jisho-ji Temple (commonly known as Ginkaku-ji Temple or The Silver Pavilion), built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the 8th Seii Taishogun (great general who subdues the barbarians) of the Muromachi shogunate, are located. Kyoto is famous for being a place where traditional Japanese culture still remains strong and attracts many tourists from Japan and abroad every year, but surprisingly few tourists know that Japan's first public botanical gardens, which has been open since 1924, is also located in Kyoto.
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens is currently holding a nighttime-only event called “LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its opening.
I visited this event with a friend last month and found it to be a new kind of immersive experience beyond what I had imagined.
※Kyoto Botanical Gardens website： https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/plant/
※Kyoto Botanical Garden website
■What is “LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Kyoto Botanical Gardens?
"LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO” is a limited-time lighting event held from 18:00 to 21:30, which is not usually open to the public.
Participants can explore rooms divided into four zones, experiencing a fantastical world within the botanical garden.
- Event Theme: Biodiversity
- Duration: October 18th (Fri) to December 26th (Thu), 2024
- Time: 18:00 - 21:30 (Last entry at 20:30)
※Closed every Monday.
※For more information, please visit the event's official website.
■Four Experience Zones
Normally, the viewing greenhouses in the Botanical Gardens are used to recreate seven different natural environments, but for this event, the greenhouses were divided into four different zones, and we participants followed a route through each of the four different zones.
【ZONE 1】 LIGHT WILL FIND YOU
In this zone, tropical tall trees are cultivated, and colorful lights pour down from the high ceiling of the greenhouse, casting a gentle light like dappled sunlight that illuminates the plants and us. Additionally, there is a flowing water feature in this experiential zone, and when I passed through, blue light was shining down, accompanied by smoke, creating a fantastical atmosphere as if I were walking through Pandora, the largest moon of Polyphemus, inhabited by the indigenous Na'vi from the movie "Avatar."
【ZONW 2】 MEMORY OF WATER
In this zone, tropical fruit trees and other plants are cultivated, and I felt as if I were wandering around a planet in a science fiction movie because of the rainbow-colored lights piercing the ceiling of the space, which is surrounded by deep blue light.
【ZONE 3】 INVISIBLE
In this zone, plants are mainly cultivated in arid regions, and in the pitch-dark greenhouse, colorful, narrow lights like cactus spines illuminate the plants. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, the light trembled and blinked in small increments, giving the impression that the strobe effect was expressing the changes that occur inside the bodies of living creatures that are normally invisible to the naked eye.
【ZONE 4】 FOREST FREQUENCIES
In this zone, rare and colorful flowers such as orchids and ananas are cultivated, but unlike the previous zones, the atmosphere is a bit more lively.
In this zone, light is produced on the scientific basis that “plants communicate with each other by emitting sounds that humans cannot hear,” so I felt as if I were participating in an orchestral concert of plants through light and sound.
※All four experience zones were great, but my personal favorite zone was “LIGHT WILL FIND YOU” in 【ZONE 1】. This is because, in this zone, there was not only a display of colorful lights cascading from the ceiling, but also a projection of small, dot-like lights on the plants. These lights reminded me of the fireflies I used to see with my family when I was a child. As I watched these small dots of light slowly flashing, I was reminded of my childhood memories and felt very nostalgic.
■Admission hours and Access
★Entrance Time: We arrived around 17:30 and there were already many people lined up in front of the gate.
★Entrance: There are two entrances to the Botanical Garden. We took the subway and entered from the Kitayama Gate, but you can also enter from the Main GATE on the south side of the Botanical Garden.
★In the garden: Since the event is held at night, it seems quite dark when you enter the garden. However, there are signboards both in Japanese and English, and the path to the viewing greenhouse where the event is held is illuminated, so even if you are not good with directions, you can easily find your way.
■Note
Please be careful not to slip on the wet floor of the viewing greenhouse. In addition, you may be asked by staff not to stand still in order to avoid crowding although it is possible to take photos and videos in the greenhouses. When taking pictures in the Botanical Garden, please be careful not to disturb others. Benches are provided in each area, so if you wish to take your time and take pictures, please feel free to use that space.
■Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the charms of the “LIGHT CYCLES KYOTO” event currently being held at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. This event will be held until December 26th (Thu), so why not visit with your loved ones or family during this Christmas season? An immersive experience in the mysterious world of plants and the latest technology will surely create wonderful memories. If you are even a little interested, please make sure to visit. Thank you for reading to the end.
