Roppongi Hills' Christmas festivities commence early to mid-November and culminate punctually on December 25th. The winter event, held within the privately owned public spaces of the Roppongi Hills complex, comprises a range of themed attractions. Highlights include a German-inspired Christmas market at O-Yane Plaza, Christmas trees decorated throughout Mori Garden and West Walk, post boxes placed around the grounds for sending season's greetings, and, indeed, the iconic Keyakizaka Illumination.

Keyakizaka-dōri, a 400-metre east-to-west street lined with Keyaki (欅), or Zelkova, trees, forms a boundary between the commercial and corporate core of Roppongi Hills and its residential towers to the south. The name, translating to "Zelkova Hill", traces its origins to the Edo period, long predating the modern development of Roppongi Hills. Keyaki trees, a resilient species, have become a mainstay of Tokyo's urban landscaping. Keyakizaka-dōri gently slopes downward to the east, revealing an unobstructed view of Tokyo Tower framed by the Zelkovas.

Approximately 800,000 white and blue lights intricately woven through the Zelkovas create a complementary palette with Tokyo Tower's orange glow against the night sky during the designated illumination period. The result is a perfectly designed view corridor, the ideal Christmas card for Tokyo city life. Still, I can't help but feel a certain sadness for the Zelkova trees. These steadfast stewards of streetscapes across the city must endure the adornment of LEDs to claim even a fraction of the admiration lavished on cherry blossoms or plum trees.

I remember a time when the Keyakizaka Illumination was a more tranquil scene, with couples on Christmas dates leaving the shopping centre to stroll arm in arm along the street. Today, it's a busier spectacle—crowds pour into the middle of the road as the traffic lights turn red, each visitor determined to capture the perfect postcard shot on their phone. Passing by last winter, I witnessed the chaos: an ad hoc scene managed by a lone man in high-visibility clothing wielding a loudspeaker, barely able to prevent disruption to the traffic. This year, from the images I've seen online, management seems to have recognised the issue and has introduced more organised measures. A team of marshals equipped with barricades now contains the crowds effectively.