Musashino Woods Park
Julian KlobyLocated within Saitama Prefecture's Tokorozawa Sakura Town is Musashino Woods Park. The park has several greenspaces, a playground, and plenty of walking paths. However, what makes this park such a magical place is its collaboration with teamLab. They are an art exhibition company and have many exhibits throughout Japan and even overseas. Their main goal is to create art that is interactive and capable of creating unique experiences. [photo id='234374'] After you scan your ticket, staff will walk you through some of the park’s rules (there are English signs) and provide hand sanitizer. Upon entering, you will see LED lights displaying a range of RGB colors—think blues, reds, greens, and purples. The origin of these lights is a collection of 3-foot-tall egg sculptures scattered throughout this section of the park. The interesting part about these eggs is not just that they light up, but that they are reactive. They create soothing music, make unique chimes, and change colors when touched. They even react to each other, sometimes creating a wave of color throughout the park as people touch and admire them from different spots. [photo id='234372'] Many of teamLabs’ attractions can be quite crowded and full of wait times, especially during peak tourist season. However, this park is relatively remote and not frequently visited, meaning that you can enjoy this experience without being bothered by large crowds and potential noise. [photo id='234373'] When leaving the park, there's a small cafe that serves snacks and drinks, like coffee and tea. Once you leave the park, you cannot re-enter, but you can enjoy it for as long as you want. The park opens at 4 pm and closes at 9 pm. Tickets cost 1,100 yen—with students and children being cheaper—and have no entry-specific times. You can make a reservation online for slightly discounted tickets. [articlelist places='491' tel='true' website='true']