Pokémon Illumination In Sagamiko Pleasure Forest

The amusement park Sagamiko Pleasure Forest, in Kanagawa Prefecture, puts on an illumination event every winter, but this year they have something special -- they are doing a collaboration with Pokémon. The collaboration started on November 14 and I visited it on the first day.

The fee for entering the Sagamiko Pleasure Forest park just to see the illumination is 1,000 yen for adults. You can enter after 16:00. You can also get free passes that allow you to ride the attractions in the park as much as you want for 2,600 yen. However, in order to get to the Pokémon Area of the park, that is situated in a higher area, you have to ride a lift. The return ticket for the lift is 700 yen per person, so technically it costs 1,700 yen to see the Pokémon illumination. The website says you should purchase tickets in advance online but I saw people purchasing them at the venue as well.

Every Saturday and Sunday you can enjoy a special Pikachu performance on a small stage just before the illumination is switched on, however, you will need a special ticket to view it. 

Additionally, you have the chance to participate in a lottery for a Pikachu photo shooting every day if you sign up at the souvenir shop before 16:30. The lottery is free of charge and if you are one of the lucky winners, you can take photos of Pikachu in front of the illumination for a few minutes.

The Pokémon area of Sagamiko Pleasure Forest is actually not that big, but together with the regular illumination, you have a lot to enjoy. There are also some limited bonus items you can get for dining at restaurants in the park. You can get Pokémon luncheon mats and coasters when dining at the "World Dining" restaurant, however, you need to purchase certain items on the menu so be sure to check the official homepage which items are eligible. When buying souvenirs you can get a Pokémon tote bag if you purchase more than 3,000 yen's worth of souvenirs, including at least one Pokémon item. 

I did enjoy the Pokémon illumination as it was really cute, however, I did not like the system with the lift. I got up to the Pokémon area at around 17:00 and was done viewing it at around 18:00. As I was lucky enough to win the lottery I was able to participate in the Pikachu photo shoot, which was held at 19:00. I could have used the time to look at the regular illumination but for that, I would have had to purchase another lift ticket just to get down to the lower area and back up again later. I don't really understand why they force you to use the lift. If you purchase a free pass you can use the lift as much as you want so that might be something to consider.

As far as crowds go the illumination was pretty crowded on the first day and I don't think they were limiting the number of visitors. Also, when people get excited they tend to forget about social distancing and the staff did not really do much to remind the visitors. But at least everyone I saw was wearing a mask. When visiting the illumination you might want to be extra careful in regard to virus prevention.