We have pretty high standards when it comes to holiday lights. After all, places like Rockefeller Center and Champs-Elysées have seriously raised the bar with their out-of-this-world Christmas decorations. But just when we thought we'd seen it all, Japan illuminates one of the coolest displays we've ever seen: tens of thousands of lights glittering on a rice field.

The incredible display in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture comes courtesy of Aze no Kirameki ("Twinkling of the Ridges"), an annual event in which the Shiroyone Senmaida rice paddies are transformed into a holiday fantasy-land. According to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, hundreds of local volunteers gathered back in early October to set up some 21,000 solar-powered lights, which will remain up until mid-March.

This year's mass lighting is just as stunning as years past, with the LEDs running along each of the field's 1,004 individual rice paddies. The lights automatically turn on when the sun sets, and change from yellow to pink every half hour. Visitors can walk along the field's paths to view the rows of bulbs up close and enjoy this year's addition: a cricket sound effect placed in devices along the walkways, chirping every time the colors switch. Or, you can see the entire spectacle from a viewing platform up high.

The first Aze no Kirameki festival took place seven years ago, organized by the town of Shiroyone to attract visitors during the cold winter months. Shiroyone Senmaida, about seven hours north of Tokyo, had already gained some popularity as a summertime destination and was named a "special place of scenic beauty" by Japan's government back in 2011. The nine-acre area is indeed gorgeous during warmer seasons, with its verdant, terraced fields set along the Sea of Japan. But thanks to the addition of these twinkling lights, the site remains impressive (arguably becoming even more impressive) when the temperatures drop.

To see this display in person, get yourself to Tokyo (there's a flight deal for that!) and then take a plane or train to the Noto Peninsula. A little bit too much effort for you? We won't judge you for staying home and drooling at the event's photos on Instagram.