2025.11.10 Noriko Higashi We held a review session for the Gakugei-daigaku night walk survey conducted in October. A total of 14 participants joined the retrospective, with 10 attending at the secretariat and 4 participating online. The second salon of the year at the Lighting Detectives’s office focused on the review of the Gakugei-daigaku night walk survey. Each leader from the three groups shared their findings. Participants noted that Gakugei-daigaku was perhaps the most compact neighborhood we have surveyed to date. With the station, shopping districts, and residential areas so closely integrated, the night walk survey was relatively short at 90 minutes, yet it offered a wide variety of urban “expressions.” Similar sentiments were echoed throughout the salon. One of the biggest surprises for many was the discovery that there is actually no “Gakugei University” in Gakugei-daigaku(university)! Research revealed that the university moved in 1964; it hasn’t been there for 60 years. While we began the walk expecting a student town atmosphere, we were struck by the relative lack of students and the strong presence of families and young professionals instead. The most common impressions shared during the salon were that the town is a “mixture of the old and the new,” featuring “elaborate streetlamps” and “stylish redevelopment under the elevated tracks.” The streetlamps, in particular, were a major topic of discussion. In any other neighborhood, their overly ornate designs and inconsistent color temperatures might have labeled them villains due tothe…

2025.10.17 Shino Yabuta + Yua Miyakoshi + Shiho Fujita Gakugei-daigaku was the only district in Japan selected for the “Coolest Neighborhoods in the World” rankings by the British media outlet Time Out. It is a town where “new” and “old” intersect, featuring lively shopping streets favored by the youth alongside quiet residential areas just a short walk from the station. We set out to uncover the secrets behind this neighborhood’s appeal, which has captured even international attention. Gakugei-daigaku is a popular station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, extending from Shibuya. Bustling shopping streets spread across both the east and west sides of the tracks. Here is our report on the nighttime charm of Gakugeidai, an area celebrated by overseas media. ■Team 1: North Area Team 1 primarily explored the northern side of Gakugei-daigaku Station. We walked north along the elevated tracks, passing through dark alleys before emerging into the bustling commercial district. As bright streets and dim lanes appeared alternately, we searched for heroes and villains while experiencing the contrast between light and shadow. Stepping just one block away from the streetlamp-lit main thoroughfares plunges you into immediate silence. I felt that this contrast between light and dark is a defining characteristic of the Gakugei-daigaku neighborhood. The lighting we selected as heroes highlights the unique personality of this town. Spotlights illuminating restaurant terrace seats appeared suddenly after a stretch of dark alleys, signaling the start of the entertainment district. The…

Singapore Archifest 20252025.07.18 Josephine Kwan As part of the annual architecture festival in Singapore, Archifest 2025 invited us to host a special Lighting Detectives session in the East Coast.The Katong–Joo Chiat district, celebrated for its rich history, heritage, vibrant food scene, and evolving lifestyle, became our exploration ground. ■ IntroductionWith a total of thirty participants comprising both industry professionals and those from outside the field, we embarked on two routes to uncover the night time charm of this Peranakan cultural enclave — a place whose unique character and timeless beauty continue to capture the hearts of many. ■ History of Katong-Joo Chiat DistrictIn the early 20th century, members of the wealthy Peranakan community began moving out of the crowded city areas such as Telok Ayer, Ann Siang, and Tanjong Pagar. They sought peaceful, more spacious suburban residences in the East Coast — particularly in Katong-Joo Chiat — where land was more affordable and the sea was close by. In Katong-Joo Chiat, Peranakans built rows of houses and shophouses featuring distinctive Peranakan architectural details: intricate façade tiles, vibrant colours, ornate wood carvings, and floral motifs. Many of these homes served a dual purpose — both as family residences and as small businesses, such as beadwork ateliers, bakeries, and houseware shops. As more Peranakan families settled in, Katong-Joo Chiat blossomed into a thriving cultural enclave. Temples, kopitiams (coffeeshops), tailors, and food vendors reflected the vibrant Nyonya traditions, while festivals, weddings, and rituals…

The Lighting Environment of a Cultural Hub 2022.11.25 ＆ 26　　Naoko Oguchi, Shinichi Sakaguchi, Ryuji Hatta, Tomoya Furukawa, Azumi Okubo, Mutsuo Honma For the first time in three years since 2019, we held a night walk survey where everyone gathered in one location.Under the theme of “Lighting Environments in Cultural Hubs,” we explored two cities: Shimokitazawa in the Kanto region, where a series of exciting new developments have recently been completed, and Kobe in the Kansai region, known for its stylish urban atmosphere. Before the arrival of full-fledged winter, we conducted our first large-group night walk survey in about three years. The theme was “Lighting Environments in Cultural Hubs,” held in two locations: Shimokitazawa in eastern Japan and Kobe in the west.In Shimokitazawa, participants were divided into four groups. Two started from Odakyu Line’s Setagaya-Daita Station and the other two from Higashi-Kitazawa Station, each heading toward Shimokitazawa Station on foot.In Kobe, the walk began after taking in the nightscape from the summit of Mt. Rokko. ■Shimokitazawa – Group 1 Group 1 walked the route from Setagaya-Daita Station to Shimokitazawa Station. The path from Daita Station to the onsen ryokan “Yuen Bettei” was composed of modest stand lights and uplights on the trees, creating a lighting environment that felt calm and atmospheric. While the pole lights were somewhat glaring, their low color temperature provided a unified tone that made the glare less bothersome. Considering safety, the overall brightness felt appropriate, and the…

2025.04.25 Shinichi Sakaguchi + Naoko Oguchi + Noriko HIgashi The enormous terminal station of Tachikawa, with a combined daily ridership of about 410,000 passengers on JR and the Tama Toshi Monorail. The Lighting Detectives had visited Tachikawa in 2021 for a small-group night walk survey on a rainy day with just three people, but this time we decided to revisit with a larger group. This survey focused on the differences between the north and south exits of the station. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the small-group night walk survey in Tachikawa took place just after the large-scale development GREEN SPRINGS had opened. The live commentary showed scenes of walking from there. Due to the pandemic, there were almost no people around, giving a somewhat quiet atmosphere, but many expressed interest in visiting the calmly lit landscape there. We also wanted to investigate the bustling Friday night around Tachikawa Station, which ranks third in ridership after Shinjuku and Tokyo stations on the Chuo Line rapid service. Therefore, we split the walk between the north and south sides of Tachikawa Station to explore the area. ■Group A: Towards Tachikawa Station North Exit Group A, led by Captain Mende, conducted a night walk survey mainly around GREEN SPRINGS near Tachikawa Station North Exit. Starting from Tachikawa Station and along Sunsun Road under the Tama Toshi Monorail, there was some surprise at how the vast space immediately near the station is dedicated exclusively…

2025.05.27 Momoe Nomura + Noriko Higashi A follow-up meeting was held to review the night walk survey in Tachikawa conducted in April. Members gathered at the LPA office in Tsukuda and enjoyed lunch boxes while engaging in lively discussion. Plans for future activities were also discussed. A review session was held at the LPA office to reflect on the night walk survey conducted in April 2025 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. Despite all being within walking distance from the same station, each area of Tachikawa revealed its own distinct character, along with unique attractions and challenges. In particular, the large commercial complex GREEN SPRINGS, located on the north side of Tachikawa Station, was noted for its thoughtfully designed spaces. One especially memorable feature was the lighting on the staircase at the main entrance. The blue light, flowing like water down the steps, created an immersive, cave-like atmosphere when viewed from above—evoking a dreamlike ambiance. Participants also praised the pole lights that used RGB lighting to project overlapping colors onto the ground, turning illumination into an experience rather than merely a visual aid. These elements received high marks for their creativity and attention to user experience. However, in some parts of GREEN SPRINGS, it was pointed out that certain shops used bright white lighting, which clashed with the otherwise warm-toned atmosphere of the area.Near GREEN SPRINGS, under the monorail, several issues were also identified. For example, lighting on public artworks was overly intense,…

Yaesu & Otsu Night Walk Review 2023.04.28　　Noriko Higashi For the first time in about three years, the Lighting Detectives held an offline (actually a hybrid connecting with Kansai) Lighting Detectives Salon. This was the first salon since the Lighting Detectives office moved from Shibuya to Tsukuda. The excitement of the members who were eager to come to the new office was beyond imagination, so much so that I had to raise my voice a few times because I couldn’t hear the group members who participated online. The content of the salon was a review of the night walk survey in Yaesu and Otsu and a discussion of the theme for the next city walk. In the review of the Yaesu night walk survey, some people expressed their hope that the nostalgic red chochin lanterns with a rich Showa-era atmosphere that still exist in the midst of steadily advancing development would remain, there was a presentation on the various street lights in the Yaesu area, a review of handmade lights on the cherry blossoms that were just in full bloom, and a discussion of the light environment in the newly completed Yaesu Midtown and the Yaesu Underground Mall that is undergoing renovation. In the Otsu review, a student member of Ritsumeikan University who had just joined the group reported on the light environment along and around Lake Biwa. The color lighting of the Lake Biwa Hana Fountain reflected on the lake’s…

2023.03.24 & 04.21　Satoshi Tamura+ Amane Kotani+ Noriko Higashi+ Shouya Koizumi+ Moana Osakabe+ Hina Inagawa The first Lighting Detectives activity of 2023 was a night walk survey in Yaesu, where Midtown Yaesu opened in March and large-scale development is planned for the future. They documented the pre-development area and at the same time looked around the new light environment in the area where development is underway. Mr. Suzuki of the Honda Foundation, whose building is scheduled for demolition, joined us on the survey and explained the history of the area and the Honda Building. ■ Group 1: North side of Yaesu Street Group 1 toured mainly the north side of Yaesu Street. Although many areas were surrounded by temporary fences and inaccessible during redevelopment work, we were able to see the old drinking area and old buildings that were in use before the redevelopment. Although there were some villains in the old buildings, the drinking area was unanimously voted as a hero for its nostalgic impression with a moderate brightness of 55lx, 4,500K. The majority of the participants were of the opinion that they would like this townscape and atmosphere to remain in Yaesu after the redevelopment. The greatest hero of the day was the rows of cherry trees along Sakura-dori Street. We were able to walk under them just as they were in full bloom on the day of night walk survey. Here, temporary lighting was installed later and the…

2024.10.25 Noriko Higashi We held a round table discussion at the LPA office to review the Musashi-Kosugi city walk that took place in early October. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos!) As we walked through different areas of Musashi-Kosugi, each with its unique characteristics (development areas, old shopping streets and residential areas, and the area connecting Musashi-Kosugi and Shin-Maruko stations), we discovered a variety of issues, challenges, and positive aspects, both specific to each area and common across them. It was surprising to find such diverse characteristics within walking distance of the same station. One common issue we observed in all areas was excessive brightness and excessive darkness. While the glare from streetlights and security lights is not unique to this city, we found that even in quiet residential areas and newly built high-rise apartments, there was an abundance of glaring light. During the discussion, we heard various concerns about lighting in dark areas. For instance, participants mentioned that it was difficult and scary to enter the back of first-floor parking lots due to insufficient lighting, and that the lighting was too bright at eye level but dark at the feet. Some also pointed out that trees had grown too large, blocking the lights. Additionally, at Musashi-Kosugi Station’s bus rotary, the color temperature differences between the bus stop lights and the streetlights created an inharmonious space. This issue was attributed to different management entities within a single space. While…

– From Industrial Zone to Japan’s Leading Tower Mansion City –2024.10.04 Yutaka Enomoto + Yuko Nakayama + Noriko Higashi Musashi-Kosugi, a major transportation hub served by the Tokyu Toyoko Line, Meguro Line, JR Nambu Line, Yokosuka Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, and the Sotetsu Line, offers convenient access to both Yokohama and Tokyo. Over the past decades, the area has undergone rapid development, leading to a significant increase in its population. However, the station area still retains traditional shopping streets and izakaya districts, creating a striking contrast with the towering high-rise buildings. This walk focused on exploring the coexistence of these new and old elements of the area. Historically, Musashi-Kosugi flourished as a boat crossing on the Nakahara Kaido during the Edo period. Later, it became home to numerous factories. However, as these factories relocated, redevelopment plans were initiated, transforming the city’s landscape. The changes over the past decade have been particularly dramatic, with a population increase of 60,000 compared to 20 years ago. ■Group 1 Group 1 focused on exploring areas with a nostalgic atmosphere, including low-rise residential neighborhoods and traditional shopping streets. The shopping streets had implemented creative lighting installations to enhance the atmosphere. In particular, an “analog interactive lighting” system that lit up when a hand-operated handle was turned generated both positive and negative reactions. The view of high-rise apartment buildings from the lower levels is a unique sight in Musashi-Kosugi. While the lights spilling out from the high-rises…

Investigating the lighting of Kagurazaka known for its charming blend of Japanese and European cultures, reflected in its history, culture, and dishes.2024.11.18 Amane Kotani + Akira Tawarada + Noriko Higashi Our final city walk of 2024 took us to Tokyo’s Kagurazaka. This popular area is lined with small alleys filled with trendy cafes, restaurants, and izakayas. Tucked away behind the distinctive cobblestone streets are high-end ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants) and French restaurants without signs, creating a hidden gem atmosphere. It’s a perfect neighborhood for strolling, but what about its lighting? We divided into two groups of eight and set out to explore. Kagurazaka is a town with a hidden charm, blending the atmosphere of Edo with French culture. The cobblestone streets are lined with historic buildings and unique shops, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. The area is particularly known for its dining options, with hidden restaurants and cafes offering delicious food and wine, making it popular with tourists. We explored the nighttime scenery of this charming town. ■ Team 1: Kagurazaka Alleyway Exploration RouteTeam 1, under the theme of “Kagurazaka Alleyway Exploration Course,” started from Iidabashi Station and explored various alleys. We were deeply impressed by the entire neighborhood’s high level of interest in lighting. There was a wide variety of lighting, such as illuminating shop signs while ensuring the safety of pedestrians and installing footlights on shop walls. As soon as we started our walk, we came across the illuminated…

Historic Meet Light @ Hong Kong Island Mid Level2023.09.05 Makalin Wongchinchai This year, Hong Kong Lighting Detectives organized a night walk event at Hong Kong Island Mid-Level. We invited some college students and designers to join us. Let’ s explore the night walk with us and see when historic lights meet. Detectives explored the special relationshipand imapct lighting in the architectural environment . The old central area of Hollywood Road in Hong Kong is well known for its rich architectural heritage, featuring a mix of Eastern and Western styles that reflects its colonial past. We have curated a route that allows us to discover some of the most significant historic and modern-day elements. In addition, a walk through the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, where we can still find traces of his revolution left on this land. This time, we invited college students and designers . As we were exploring the historical site, we found that the route was relatively dark . Most of heritage architectures, such as medical sciences museum, Man Mo temple or the stairs during the night walk, don’t have lighting. So it makes these heritage buildings disappear at night and creates the dark area on the stairs, which makes it difficult and unsafe to walk through these stairs. The light trespass and glare are also the main issues in this area where you may know that Hong Kong is one of the cities with the most light…

Review of Kyoto & Sangenjaya Night Walk 2023.10.27　　Yuki Ito Very lively discussion on the theme of darkness Today’s salon was a review of the night walk surveys focusing on the darkness of the city. It was a hybrid session with online participants from Kyoto as well. There was a friendly atmosphere in the LPA studio even before the session started, so much so that the students from Kyoto who participated online might have felt a little left out. Under the theme of darkness, we discussed what kind of darkness lurks in each area and what kind of light lurks in the darkness. For the Kyoto city walking review, the presentations focused on historical buildings and cityscapes unique to Kyoto. While some participants commented that they felt a sense of calmness in dimly lit spaces with only streetlights lining the precincts, they also discovered that some streetlights were too bright and were harming the darkness of the precincts. The LPA office was impressed by the keen perspective of the surveyors in Kyoto. Since the theme is darkness, the entire slide is finished in black In the Sangenjaya Night Walk Survey review, each group walked mainly along the greenway and talked about the various dark spots they found along the way. The opinions of each group were divided about the streetlights lining the greenway. Some said that the light blocked by the trees was not good for illumination, while others said that the…

～Let’s Go Search for Darkness～2023.09.26　Shinichi Sakaguchi ＋ Tomoya Furukawa＋Ryuji Hatta ＋ Ryuma Shiota＋Noriko Higashi This time, our night walk survey was themed “Exploring the Darkness of the City,” taking us through the green paths of Setagaya in Tokyo and visiting shrines in Kyoto where darkness lingers. Typically, our walks focus on the lights of the city, but this time we decided to take a different approach with the theme “Let’s Search for the Darkness of Tokyo”. While parks, shrines, and cemeteries are places with inherent darkness, we thought there wasn’t much room for discussion. Instead, we focused on Setagaya’s green paths, which are commonly used at night for commuting, school, and jogging. Although these paths are very pleasant during the day and popular for strolls, we wanted to see what the nighttime environment is like, so we divided into three groups to explore. (Noriko Higashi) ■ Group 1: Ikejiri-Ohashi to Sangenjaya The first group walked along the Meguro River Greenway and the Karasuyama River Greenway from Ikejiri-Ohashi to Sangenjaya, which are connected by a single greenway, and we were able to feel the various expressions of the greenways from different places. The atmosphere, brightness, and sense of safety when walking at night seem to vary greatly depending on the surrounding environment. The atmosphere of the tall streetlights and security lights was greatly influenced by the surrounding trees. I got the impression that places with thick trees and narrow greenways were…

Observe the nightscape of the newest spot, Azabudai Hills~Toranomon Hills2024.0 ５.10 Shinichi Sakaguchi + Amane Kotani+ Naoko Oguchi+ Yuko Nakayama Eight months have passed since the last city night survey in September last year. The first city night survey in a while took place in Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills Station Tower, two of the hottest areas in this year. A large group of 43 people enjoyed walking around this newest spots. A walking tour of two new hot spots in Tokyo, Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills Station Tower.Due to the abundance of sights, most groups focused on Azabudai Hills, and ended up speed-walking through Toranomon Hills Station Tower as time ran out. ■ Group 1 Group1 focused on Azabudai Hills. At the entrance to the Garden Plaza, the first building in Azabudai Hills, the unanimous hero of the survey was the lighting embedded only in the automatic doors as a “modest welcome mat”. Conventionally, downlights on the ceiling surface would be used to illuminate the entrance, but integrating them with the doors keeps the doors out of the shadows and makes for a more beautiful entrance. By using this method, there is no need to worry about interference from guide lights, etc., and the floor can be well illuminated. Once you pass through the garden plaza and step outside, the lighting in the landscape is much more subdued, and you are drawn to the lighting of the stores. What…

2024.05.30 Noriko Higashi A review of the May 10 City Night Survey was held. 20 people gathered at LPA on Friday night to discuss the lighting in the newest spot, Azabudai Hills.We did the review of the May 10 Azabudai Hills & Toranomon Hills Station Tower City Night Survey. The leaders of the groups summarized their opinions and made presentations using photos of the heroes and villain of each group. The report from each group seemed to have more heroes than the past town walks.I would like to report some common points and notable contents from each group’s presentation ■Media ceiling behind the eaves of Toranomon Hills Station Tower　Most of the teams had never seen a media ceiling before and highly evaluated it as an interesting new landmark. Some commented that the ceiling’s moving projections led visitors’ viewpoints upward, making the space appear larger. The digital lighting is very symbolic and suitable for the entrance of a new city which makes it deserve to be a hero. ■Azabudai Hills Landscape LightingA slightly darker lighting scheme that makes people naturally want to visit the brightly lit storefronts in the back of the building. The approach to the commercial area is less bright, making the store facade more conspicuous. The uplighting of trees, which usually tends to be a villain, was also well-lit, although there were some too dazzling spots depending on the type of tree. Opinions about the lighting at the…

Hong Kong Island Mid Level2023.09.05 Makalin Wongchinchai This year, Hong Kong Lighting Detectives organized a night walk event at Hong Kong Island Mid-Level. We invited some college students and designers to join us. Let’ s explore the night walk with us and see when historic lights meet. Detectives explored the special relationshipand imapct lighting in the architectural environment . The old central area of Hollywood Road in Hong Kong is well known for its rich architectural heritage, featuring a mix of Eastern and Western styles that reflects its colonial past. We have curated a route that allows us to discover some of the most significant historic and modern-day elements. In addition, a walk through the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, where we can still find traces of his revolution left on this land. This time, we invited college students and designers . As we were exploring the historical site, we found that the route was relatively dark . Most of heritage architectures, such as medical sciences museum, Man Mo temple or the stairs during the night walk, don’t have lighting. So it makes these heritage buildings disappear at night and creates the dark area on the stairs, which makes it difficult and unsafe to walk through these stairs. The light trespass and glare are also the main issues in this area where you may know that Hong Kong is one of the cities with the most light polluted in the world….

2022.11.24　　Bryan Yan After long pause of the activates, Hong Kongdetectives finally made one night walk event atthe West Kowloon Cultural District. We invitedvarious professions in architecture, interiorand lighting design to join us, and 17 peopleperticipated. It has been 6 years since the last Lighting Detective event in 2016 in Hong Kong.  Lighting Detectives event was organized after three years COVID-19. Although there are still some restrictions on the gathering due to COVI D -19 in Hong Kong, it cannot stop our passion to explore interesting places at nighttime. West Kowloon Cultural area is one of the most exciting places in Hong Kong recently. Huge landscape area for people to gather and enjoy the fresh air. New modern art museum M+ and Palace Museum are the attraction spots for people. How the lighting is facilitated in this new development area. We also explored how they were planned and designed to meet the people needs and to the community. The night walk event was completed with a lot of joy. Throughout the night walk, our guests found some interesting points of view and rethought about the lighting’s purpose and what the appropriate lighting should be. Lighting design for a city is always evolving with the perception of people. By exploring and discussion, we will know more about what we need. (Bryan Yan)

2021.07.09　Tomoya Furukawa + Shinichi Sakaguchi+ Naoko Oguchi+ Hikaru Kawata+ Mutsurou Honma+ Rie UomoriYao Yuan+LIU Xinyu+GUO JIANGHAO+ Noriko Higashi　 In the middle of the Covid19 Pandemic activities are still restricted.  However, in order to make this event accessible to more members, we broke up into small groups and went to eight different locations for this city walk.   Each area was interactive with a live broadcast. As the number of those infected with covid19 continues to rise, meeting people and going out is still limited, as are Lighting Detective activities.  However, we still want many people to be able to experience a city walk, so this time we set up a live broadcast city walk. Participants in Tokyo broke up into three groups and spread out over the city to broadcast from the lastest hot spots. In Kyoto members broadcast from the timeless tourist spot, Fushimi Inari Shrine.  In China, members broadcast from three cities for a very full menu. ■Public Park Restrooms in Shibuya The image of a public park restroom is summed up with the 4K`s, Kusai (smelly), Kitanai (dirty), Kurai (dark), Kowai (scary).  Using the power of design to shake this image, The Nippon Foundation is in the middle of developing “The Tokyo Toilet” project in Shibuya Ward.  We surveyed a few locations in Shibuya. The public restrooms in Yoyogi Fukamachi Park and Haruno Ogawa Community Park have transparent walls, a totally alternative way of thinking and impractical design. …

Remote Salon/Light within a 100 meters from Home 2020.05.19　Noriko Higashi While we are forced to postpone our explorations around town due to the coronavirus, we held a salon online. 25 participants reported on the lighting within a 100 meters of their homes. The Shomei Tanteidan’s very first ZOOM Salon. We had lively discussion for 2 hours with 25 participants. Due to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19, a state of emergency has been declared and our Shomei Tanteidan Members restricted to their homes. Our team had to cancel our stroll about town planned for mid-May. While we cannot leave our homes, online events for people with other hobbies have started popping up, leaving us the challenge to organize an event in a completely different situation than before.While there were voices that were raised of concerns regarding an online event being slightly contradictory to the Shomei Tanteidan’s usual fieldwork style. However, considering the unknown of how long this situation will last, after discussion with our Stroll about Town Planning members (SQUAD), we decided to organize an online salon. Trespassing by LIGHT! The theme was ‘Light within a 100 meters of your home’ which was hopefully one that allowed individuals to remain in their houses or venture outside only slightly while exploring. Honestly, we were worried about how much conversation and discussion we would be able to find, but to our surprise, all 25 participating members had their own topics. Some…