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From post-Olympic pride to the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of China as a nation, China is a very vibrant place. In this country where government is central, we discovered elaborate, but regulated lighting, lighting embellished by economic development, and traditional lighting. The old and new intermingle along the streetscape of this constantly changing city. An air of excitement in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. One of the largest plazas in the world, it is brilliantly illuminated and crawling with tourists late into the night. The elaborately controlled lighting is overpowering, a possible symbol of the nation’s authority. A relic alleyway from the Ming Dynasty winds through a residential area. Traditional neighborhoods are built to the human scale with the glow of lantern light dispersed among the alleyways. People are drawn to the lit doorways and their energy spills out into the streets. After 10pm the facade lighting dims and the architectural structure of the National Stadium, or “Birds Nest” is highlighted. The icon seems to be wrapped in a silent kind of glory. Many of the high-rise buildings in the CBD are illuminated at night, a reflection of the recent economic boom.

Hoi An was once a flourishing intermediate city of trade. Now, the city is trying to protect the traditional streetscape to appeal as a tourist destination. The nostalgic lantern festival, which was held every full moon, is being reintegrated, as they take on a “back to the basics” attitude towards modern city life. Compared to cities developing vigorously, but blindly economically, Hoi An growth is more diverse. Street vendors line alleyways with festive displays of lanterns. The fantastic atmosphere raises the mood and adds a functional amount of light to these dim side streets with out any street lighting. Built in the 16th century, the Japanese Covered Bridge is a focal point of the old streetscape. Many lanterns hang from the ceiling and spotlights mounted between the roof and bridge softly highlight its features. Inside, cafes are also filled the lanterns, great for creating a relaxing environment. At first glance candles or incandescent lamps seem fitting, but these lanterns are actually all fitted with fluorescent lamps.

20 March 2006 Redevelopment in Tokyo is at an all time high, but with big construction comes consequence. On this city walk 26 lighting detective set off on a river tour to rediscover Nihonbashi and Sumida Rivers. As more and more light is spreading throughout the city, we set out to rediscover the contrast and shadows of these closed off rivers. Survey by: Teruhiko Kubota An Artificial Darkness Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza….All places that come to mind as hot Tokyo night spots, and all places a glow in a dull brightness. All are crowded, loud, and built-up with as much lighting to match. But on this city walk along Nihonbashi and Suimda Rivers, my impression of Tokyo changed. In contrast to these areas of obnoxious light, the river ways were filled with shadows. They weren’t gloomy, dark shadows, but man-made shadows under bridges, overpasses, and highway junctions. I was pleasantly surprised to see these places left in Tokyo; especially under bridges it was pitch-dark!! Darkness and shadows don’t leave one with a warm-fuzzy impression, but this river trip awoke something in me. We go through each day and night in such brightly lit places that we might be taking dark places for granted that they will always be somewhere. After this experience on the “dark side” the main areas of Tokyo seem extremely bright. As a lighting designer, our job is to create space using light as our tool, I realized…

Date of Issue：21 September, 2017 ・Activity1／Tokyo Survey:Tokyo Bay Cruise（2017/07/24） ・Activity2／Lighting Detectives Workshop at Singapore Night Festival 2017 （2017/08/18-26） Lighting Detectives Newsletter Vol.82　Download PDF Tokyo Survey:Tokyo Bay Cruise 2017/07/24　Kouki Iwanaga + Syosaku Takahashi Tokyo Bay is surrounded by glittery cityscape with lighting of industry and entertainment facilities such as Haneda Airport, Ooi Container Terminals, Rainbow Bridge and Disney Resort. These lights reflect on the black water surface. 360°View from the boat Survey route We were curious about how the nightscape of Tokyo appears when we view from the bay. We surveyed the nightscape while cruising this time. First, the boat started from Hinode Pier. And passed under Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Gate Bridge, and passed by Haneda Airport. And finally backed to Hinode Pier. ■View from Hinode Pier We thought the view from the sea which was inner side from Rainbow Bridge was the best point because we could overview 360°Tokyo nightscape. We were excited at the gathering of glittering or colorful lights came from bridges, offices and residences. We usually feel downtown in Shinjuku and Ginza are too powerful for their lighting, and sometimes they look violent. However, if we see these districts from a distance, they looked calm and beautiful. It was one of our good surprise. The sky above main downtowns and office areas were illuminated, and we found excess light as light pollution. We thought one of issue to improve the nightscape was that miscellaneous lights were…

Roppongi has many faces including, an entertainment district with a foreign twist, new offices for daily business, and is developing as a center for the Tokyo art scene. The Lighting Detectives sped around on their bikes in April to discover what kind of light exists in this multi-functional area. The presence of the entertainment district is strongly felt at Roppongi intersection. Most people recognize this intersection as the center of Roppongi, but in recent years new development has created two new areas of focus, leaving the center of Roppongi very ambiguous. Points of reference include Mori Tower, Midtown Tower, Tokyo Tower and the metropolitan expressway, that cuts through, dividing this area of Tokyo. Large-scale luminous signage and a collage of other miscellaneous lighting dominate the view. Looking toward Roppongi from Aoyama Cemetery. The 3 towers that stand pronounced over Roppongi are a product of power and force, but appear alien in this setting. The towers look close and, yet, far off, as this scene can play tricks on your eyes.