Singapore Night Walk＠Marina Bay Urban Nightscape 2018/03/28　　Mayumi Banno + Sunyoung Hwang + Sherri Goh From the completion of land reclamation in 1992, Marina Bay has grown and developed into Singapore’s iconic skyline. With skyscrapers, heritage buildings and a spectacular water-show lined along the Waterfront Promenade, there is no lack of personality in the well executed Masterplan from URA. Members of ligthing detectives held Singapore’s first night walk to hunt for the heroes and villains of light in Marina bay as well as peeking into the current iLight installations along the way. Our first group picture! Group Sherri Group Mayumi Group Sunyoung ■Singapore Night Walk 1: Urban Nightscape – Marina Bay Singapore just held their first Lighting Detectives Night Walk with the theme of Urban Nightscape and it was opened to members of the public. There were 18 people that turned up at the meeting spot Rain Oculus at Marina Bay Sands on the 28th March 2018, 1900h. We started our walk slightly late while waiting for the heavy rain to subside and started the self-introductions as well as Lighting Detectives on the international stage. Our first foray as Heroes and Villains was to look at the Financial centre together with Fullerton Promenade as a macro perspective. Most of the participants did not come from design backgrounds but they had great insight and interest in the design of the environment and its lighting. We began by examining lighting fixtures such as…

Vol.57 Night Walk：ＴＸ（Tsukuba Express）Area The last developed major railway in the capital region, Tsukuba Express – The lighting for the development of railway line succeeded? 05/12/2017　Satoshi Tamura + Yusuke Wakata + Sinichi Sakaguchi + Tomoya Furukawa More than 10 years have passed since Tsukuba Express (EX) was opened in 2005. The areas along the railway line, where used to be vacant sites at EX opening time, are being developed. We explored the towns along the railway and new shopping mall to find out how the new towns have been developed from vacant sites, and how the urban lighting has been designed. Kashiwanoha-campus Station : T-site Apartment in Kashiwanoha : Does it affect for the balconies? Kashiwanoha : Temporary lighting with 3000K for the boundary wall of construction site Nagareyama-ōtakanomori SC : It’s new and we liked the overall lighting Nagareyama : The dark road in the old residential area ■Group A : Kashiwanoha-campus Station We walked around Kashiwanoha-campus Station. (Station square→LaLaport→Mitsui Garden Hotel→High-rise apartment area→T site→Station square) This area was designed as “Smart City”, and uniform color temperature using 3000K. It looked comfortable mood, and we expected we could find a lot of Heroes. The followings are “Hero and Villain”, which we found in this city walk. The designs of light pole in the station square and at the bus stop looked nice and we liked them. On the other hand, the lighting of the platform of TX didn’t look…

New Face Shibuya : Searching for the Double Line of Light 2018/10/02 Tomoya Furukawa + Haruka Takano + Noriko Higashi The redevelopment of the former Tokyu Toyoko Line Shibuya Station platform and the surrounding railway site along the Shibuya River has brought about the creation of Shibuya Stream, Shibuya Bridge, a revitalized Shibuya River, a promenade, and green spaces. In this highly anticipated area, we looked for lighting heroes and villains from three different perspectives. The successful launch of Shibuya Stream and the Shibuya River revitalization project are turning the area into a new community hub Redevelopment has been ongoing in Shibuya for many years. This Night Walk Survey started at Shibuya Stream, which opened in September. The walk proceeded along the Shibuya River promenade to Shibuya Bridge, serving as an examination of the “Challenge of the Shibuya River Restoration.” Taking the theme of “Searching for the Double Line of Light of the Shibuya River and the Toyoko Line Trace,” we divided the walk into three teams, each focusing on the perspective of the pedestrian, the creative worker, and the urban environment. Members listening attentively to chief Mende’s explanation The Shibuya River, with the river surface along the wall illuminated by blue laser light ■Team1(Creative Professionals’ Perspective） Team 1, consisting of 11 members including chief Mende and four first-time participants, conducted a Night Walk Survey through the lens of a “creative worker,” seeking out lighting that stimulates and captivates the…

Let’s go see the cherry blossom illumination along the Meguro River! 2019.03.25 　　Naoko Oguchi + Takashi Ota + Arata Ishikawa + Noriko Higashi　　 The Meguro River is one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo. For this night walk survey, we divided into two routes—Nakameguro to Meguro and Gotanda to Meguro—to investigate how the cherry blossoms are illuminated in each area. Cherry blossoms around Nakameguro illuminated by high-color-temperature white light Team 1　(Tokyu Toyoko Line Nakameguro Station → JR Meguro Station)Our night walk survey took us from Nakameguro to Meguro. Along the Meguro River near Nakameguro Station, the lighting went beyond simple illumination; the light from food stalls and restaurants created a lively atmosphere, and the cherry blossoms were powerfully lit with highcolor-temperature (6500K) floodlights. While there was some debate regarding this choice of color temperature, the high Kelvin value seemed to make the whiteness of the petals stand out impressively. However, depending on the installation points, some lights were at eye level for pedestrians, causing uncomfortable glare. Alongside the floodlights, countless lanterns stretched on endlessly, producing a bustling and festive cherry blossom season. In areas with few streetlights, these lanterns also served to ensure pedestrian safety. As we moved toward Meguro, past Komazawa-dori Street, the floodlight illumination ceased, leaving only lanterns and occasional independent lighting by adjacent restaurants. These shops showed various creative efforts, such as spotlights mounted on walls or portable floodlights, but those aimed upward…

Night Walk @Singapore Botanic Gardens Landscape and Parks 2018/10/11 Mayumi Banno＋Sunyoung Hwang ri Goh Two walks in the month of October with professionals from the landscape and lighting industry. One in the real nature and the other in the concrete jungle! Group picture at the wrap-up session! This end of year had us finishing off with 2 walks in the exciting month of October! We had a walk at Singapore Botanic Gardens where it was the first time that we solely focussed on inviting professionals to participate. Shortly after that, we conducted another Heroes and Villains walk at Marina Bay in conjunction with PLDC Singapore 2018. Measuring lux levels at the visitor’s entrance Heroes and Villains review! On the way to the Bandstand for the Guerilla light-up activity ■Singapore Botanic Gardens Walk On Thursday 11th October, Lighting Detectives Singapore chapter organised a walk to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site on the sunny island, Singapore Botanic Gardens. Only recently awarded the title in 2015, the garden consists of three lakes, the signature National Orchid Garden and a Rainforest amongst many other attractions. It is also the third garden in the world to be listed as a World Heritage Site. 　 Landscape and Parks was our theme for the third walk and we wanted to examine what was so different in the lighting environment of the nation’s pride and joy and how the government balances the concern they have for the…

Night Walk @Marina Bay for Professional 2018/10/26 Mayumi Banno＋Sunyoung Hwang + Sherri Goh Group picture at the start of the walk! Introduction to Lighting Detectives Discussion at the commonly chosen Hero of tree uplight Interesting conversations about the skyline of the bay area ■PLDC Professional Walk at Marina Bay 　 The first PLDC (Professional Lighting Design convention) outside of Europe was held in Singapore on the 25-27th October 2018. There were moderated discussions, pre-convention meetings, conferences, exhibitions, evening walks and rounding off with a gala event. 　 Singapore Lighting Detectives initiated a Heroes and Villains night walk at Marina Bay in conjunction with the PLDC as an opportunity to interact with lighting designers from all over the world. It was a nice contrast to our first walk held in the same area to keep track of the progress made in the entire year, aside from different perspectives 　 We started with 15 participants at Marina Bay Sands Rain Oculus sculpture that comprised of lighting designers, educators, manufacturers and even a couple from the general public. 　 It was natural for many of the participants to pick up details of the lighting environment whilst the majority of time was spent discussion the nightscape of Marina Bay from a visitor point-of -view in comparison to various places around the world. 　 It was interesting to note that there were many similar pictures chosen from the participants as their Hero and Villain, but…

Singapore Night Walk@Geylang Serai Street Culture 2018/06/08 Mayumi Banno＋Sunyoung Hwang＋Sherri Goh Geylang Serai is one of the oldest Malay settlements in Singapore. The significance of early Geylang Serai lies not in its architectural features but in its reputation as the Malay emporium of Singapore, known to Malays in the Malay Archipelago including Malaya, Brunei and Indonesia. Geylang Night Walk attendees outside Wisma Geylang! Festive Lighting at the main street between Eunos and Paya Lebar. Gathering attendees at the crowded square outside the MRT station. Dark open plaza between two shopping malls outside the MRT station. ■Singapore Night Walk No.2 – Street Culture: Geylang A week before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Lighting Detectives set out to see what the hustle and bustle in Geylang Serai was all about. The heart of the festival was set in the eastern fringe of Singapore. Boasting more than 800 stalls selling food, drink and wares, this old Malay settlement was swarming with hordes of people soaking in the festivities. We had 7 participants from the public meet at Paya Lebar Exit A at 1900h on Friday 8th June 2018. It was extremely crowded and we had a tough time looking to gather the attendees. After introductions, we set out to survey the open plaza area between the new malls at the station. Singpost Center had a structure at the entrance in celebration of the festival, despite it being out of the Malay village. There were no…

2018/04/06　　Naoko Oguchi + Shinichi Sakaguchi + Daisuke Miura + Wenyuan Zhang Night Walk Map Jiyugaoka, a neighborhood renowned for being fashionable. Each street has a name, such as Jiyudori, Gakuen-dori, Marie Claire-dori, Maple-dori, and Megami-dori. They are lined with a high concentration of shops selling miscellaneous goods, cafes, and sweets that make you want to stop and browse.We investigated whether the nighttime lighting was as stylish as the neighborhood’s reputation. Jiyugaoka also ranks high on lists of “most desirable places to live.” This time, we conducted a Night Walk Survey on the various streets extending from Jiyugaoka Station, focusing on their “stylish” appeal. Member Oguchi Explaining the Night Walk Survey Overview Hiro Street, which received many votes as a hero Streetlights Attached to Residences on Shirakaba Street In the side alleys, there were also small streets that felt like you were being drawn in by the light of the paper lanterns The Unbalanced Streetlights of Green Street People Relaxing on Benches on Green Street Street light at residential area　(4300K、19lux at ground level) Too many spotlights were installed on the wall surface The Get-together After the Night Walk Survey ■Team A (Shirakaba Street, Gakuen Street, Residential Area)Team A first walked along Shirakaba Street, a small path between the station rotary. It’s a street where old and new stores coexist, and we saw a rare sight in Japan: old-style streetlights attached directly to the walls of residences. The color temperature of the…

Night Walk:Kamata Search for borders of Kamata’s lighting where is four train lines’ intersection and experiencing transformation transient 2017/08/25　Tomoya Furukawa+Simeng Huang+Shiho Narimoto+Eiki Takeuchi Kamata Night Walk MAP Kamata has variety feces. Does the border of lighting exist in Kamata? We devided JR Kamata line area into four parts and researched them. Bourbon road that has the Showa feeling Teaching tips of night walk for 5 people participating first time Entrance of the Sunrise Road, arcade goes through for 400 meters ■Group 1: JR Kamata Station-West exit, Tokyu line Group 1 went from Granduo West Building→400 meters arcade, “Sunrise Kamata” →”Sun Road”, place where canopy was first provided in 1965→”Bourbon Road” which has many attracting restaurants. Members were surprised of how dark it was around the entrance of the station when they came out from the West Bldg. There were no light dust on neither on the road nor vertical surface, and it was about 10 lux. Down lights under the eaves were not lighting up. Many people felt lighting should improve for safety and reassurance. On the Tokyu Plaza Façade in front of the station, there was an advertisement with LED emitting strong light, and a banner advertisement. However, there were some opinions saying lighting quantity of a banner advertisement was way less than the other lighting of advertisement, and was not so effective. Sunrise Kamata was reasonably bright because of straight tube type FL that directly lines with the…

Night Walk #59: Tokyo Winter Lights Tour Let’s see around winter lights and cityscapes in central Tokyo! December 20, 2017　|　Written by: Yuriko Hagimoto, Shinichi Sakaguchi, Daisuke Miura, and Sho Kato Speaking of winter in Tokyo, variety of holiday lights decorate streetscapes at night. In our City Night Walk this time, we visited major holiday lights locations in central Tokyo and researched the reason why people are attracted by light displays. Green Christmas lights around Yurakucho station Christmas light displays are now established as winter tradition. Every year, variety of tasteful light decorations beautifully color cities up. We look forward to it so much that even TV news broadcasts lighting ceremonies. We the Lighting Detectives have held all sorts of City Walks in the past, but somehow we haven’t done ones that focused on holiday light displays, which is one of the biggest events that many people visit during winter. This time we finally had a City Walk event around Marunouchi and Roppongi districts to find out why people come to see winter light displays and if there were the villains of lighting. Winter light decorations at Tokyo station plaza Marunouchi-Nakadori, themed with champagne gold Existing street lamps utilized for the Christmas decorations ■ Group 1: Tokyo Station + Marunouchi area　 Group 1, composed of five team members with Mende leader, did a research about Christmas lights around the Tokyo station. We first went to Tokyo Station Marunouchi Square, and then…

2017.02.15　Eiki Takeuchi + Kanako Zakoh This night walk shifted its perspective from the usual city streets to focus on how lighting is used to enhance exhibits. We explored the specific techniques behind these visual displays and investigated where “Lighting Heroes and Villains” might exist within such a setting. To study these indoor facility lights—which offer a different flavor compared to urban street lighting—we headed to Sumida Aquarium, located at the foot of Tokyo Skytree. A view inside the exhibit where you can observe penguins perched on the rocks from eye level The overall space is dark, yet light is precisely directed where it is needed ■Overall ImpressionThe night walk survey was a great success, with over 30 members gathered for the event. This time, we divided into four groups, with two groups each focusing on the themes of “Lighting to See” and “Lighting to Enchant.” Sumida Aquarium spans two floors (5th and 6th), with three different routes connecting them, allowing visitors to explore freely without a fixed path.While all groups started together in the natural aquascape zone, they eventually branched off to survey at their own pace due to the open layout. Since it was evening, the entire interior was bathed in a blue light for atmospheric effect. We were surprised by the complete absence of any unpleasant odors typically associated with indoor penguin and fur seal pools. In front of the “Ogasawara Sea Life,” chairs were provided, and we…

The 53rd City Night Walk in Yokohama Bashamichi and Isezaki-cho 18.March.2016　　Yuki Takeuchi + Eiki Takeuchi + Ginko Mochizuki + Huang Simen + Shinichi Sakaguchi We divided into two groups walked in Bashamichi and the other two in Isezaki-cho, Northside and Eastside of JR Kannai Station in Yokohama. Those two areas are geographically close but have different characters. ■Over 150 years old gas lamps and early modern architectures create nostalgic scenarios in Bashamichi. Most elements and buildings have been modernized to suit for urban life style in Isezaki-cho. Both Bashamichi and Isezaki-cho are on the same stretch of the city, but have totally in contrast of these characters. We started exploring those two areas to find Heroes and Villains of light, and to reveal what kind of light defines the character of each area. Contrast between gas lamp and shop interior light. ■Bashamichi Area Bashamichi was the first place that gas lamps were installed in Japan. Before those gas lamps were produced in Japan, people carried portable lanterns with candle light. We started the walk, imagining how people felt when they saw gas lamps at the first time. Group 1 started at Kannai Station. Arriving at Bashamichi and walking further down to the junction, first light to note was stadium lighting. We still had a long distance to Yokohama Stadium though, the LED light from the stadium looked very bright and stinging to the eyes. The gas lamps installed along Bashamichi…

08 January, 2011 The collective theme for the Lighting Detectives this year is “gathering.” To start off the New Year, club members gathered to visit the seven shrines of good fortune near Nihonbashi, Tokyo. While the pilgrimage is called “The Seven Shrines of Good Fortune,” there are actually Eight as the God of Fishermen, good fortune, commerce, and honest labor, Ebisu, is enshrined in two of the shrines along the tour. The group gathered just before dusk at Suitengu Shrine. From there we visited Matsushima Shrine, Suehiro Shrine, Kasama-inari Shrine, Suginomori Shrine, Takarata Ebisu Shrine, Koami Shrine, and Ochanoki Shrine. With map in hand, the detectives set off to discover what kind of lighting environments each shrine portrayed. The back streets along the way were dim and we had to stop under the fluorescent street lamps every so often to check our progress. Seven Gods of Good Fortune Walking Tour of Nihonbashi Suitengu Matsushima Shrine Suehiro Shrine Kasama-inari Shrine Suginomori Shrine Takarata Ebisu Shrine Koami Shrine Ochanoki Shrine The Seven Gods of Good Fortune City Walk Route Three Lighting Detectives Select the Most Impressive Shrines on the Tour Lanterns hung along the streets near Suitengu Shrine The soft lantern light along the main street is very striking, but all over lighting elements are not to the human-scale, but for traffic safety. Street lights, window light from bars and small eateries, and moonlight guided our way. 1. Detective Fujimoto: Koami Shrine…

16 September, 2010 Previously in March 2006 the Lighting Detectives navigated the Nihobashi and Kanda Rivers. It was such a unique experience leaving the Lighting Detectives wanting more, that we have tweaked the Tokyo river float tour to include the Sumida River and a view of the Rainbow Bridge, for a dramatic 3-hour tour. While most of the elevated highway system puts a cap on portions of the center of Tokyo, this creates dark spots with a colorful nightscape in the background, best viewed from, where else, but on the rivers. Survied by: Noriko Higashi, Haruka Sakoda, Genki Watanabe The 3-hour Tour. Lighting under the elevated highway system. Kanda River Kanda River Ochanomizu Station Platform Akihabara Rainbow Bridge Starting from Hamamatsucho Station, 40 Lighting Detectives boarded a houseboat rented from Nawasada Houseboat Company to navigate the Nihonbashi, Kanda, and Sumida Rivers of Tokyo in the cold and sprinkling rain. The Nihonbashi River, which is shielded mostly by the elevated highway system, started off the tour. From there, we navigated the more open canal of Kanda River, past Ryogoku Bridge, back to the Sumida River, and headed towards Asakusa. After viewing the Sky Tree, still under construction, the captain made a U-turn floating directly towards Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge. In spite of the rain and cold weather, tour participants, all decked out in rain ponchos, boarded the boat and continuously snapped photos along the tour route, all seemly enjoying the…

3 June, 2010 The hottest tour in recent years is the famous Kawasaki Factory Night Bus Tour. Upon news of an upcoming tour, sales agents are bombarded with seat reservations, and within minutes the limited space is fully booked. This is the popular night tour the Lighting Detectives sought to hitch a ride on. The tour would take us to all the popular night viewing spots in the area, as tension escalates with a climatic drive down factory lane! Survied by: Daisuke Yano, Syunichi Ikeda, & Noriko Higashi Inside the tour bus. The guide relays facts and history to Lighting Detective members. The bus picked up Lighting Detective members and departed from Kawasaki Station, headed for different observation spots such as Kawasaki Rinko Warehouse roof and Higashi Ougishima East Park. Through the silent darkness along the Port of Kawasaki, bright-white factory security lighting shone like beckons and we could almost feel the heat inside the bus from gigantic flare stacks. Below are three accounts from members on the tour. Kawasaki Factory Night Bus Tour Route Depart Kawasaki Station 　　　　　↓ Kawasaki Mari-en Observation Hall 　　　　　↓ Municipal Wharf 　　　　　↓ Rooftop of Kawasaki Rinko Warehouse 　　　　　↓ Higashi Ougishima East Park 　　　　　↓ Drive along Metropolitan Expressway from Kawasaki Interchange (Viewing from bus window) 　　　　　↓ Drive down Ginza Chuou Blouvard (Viewing from bus window) 　　　　　↓ Arrive at Tokyo Station and end of tour Tour route in the Port of Kawasaki. From here, the bus took…

23 October, 2009 TV commercials featuring famous teenage heartthrobs are dissolving the trashy image of horseracing and making it more accessible to the public. For a change of pace, the Lighting Detectives gathered at Tokyo City Keiba for the Twinkle Race. Galloping full speed around the track or walking gracefully in the paddock, lights blazed down on the thoroughbreds during race operation hours and the Lighting Detectives were there to capture and record it all. Enormous Lights Illuminated the Racetrack Metal halide floodlights are crammed together in a perfectly straight line to brightly illuminate the racetrack. Club members were caught with gaping mouths, as they turned away from the racetrack towards the stands and immediately were blinded by the lethal amount of light. Without thinking, Chief dug in his bag for his luxmeter. Without much effort, trackside vertical luminance was over 1000 lux. With that many fixtures there has to be excessive light shining on the track and also going every which way, but taking a look around only the track seems to be brightly lit. Hmmmmmm… Moving away from the track the glare seems to be minimal. Aha, the lamps must be super narrow beam lamps! 2009 Illumination: Shogo Kariyazaki x Fantastic Canvas When racing is not in progress, images under the theme “The subtle changing and colorful show of seasonally blooming trees and flowers,” created in collaboration with flower artist, Shogo Kariyazaki, are projected on a HUGE 8m…

26 September 2008 The Lighting Detectives are always up to something unusual and for this city walk we rented a double-decker, open-air bus to cruise the streets of Tokyo. A specially planned route took us from Marunouchi→around the Imperial Palace→past the Diet Building→through the middle of Ginza→across the Rainbow Bridge→around Odaiba→back through Toyosu→across Kachidoki Bridge→up Haruumi Avenue→back to Marunouchi. It was a neck-kinking, eye-popping, wind-in-your-hair tour! Sore Neck after a Magical Tour of Ginza Group photo in Marunouchi before the start of the tour. An air of excitement and anticipation as members boarded the bus for the 2-hour night tour of Tokyo. Driving through the heart of Ginza was the highlight for many on the tour. New and old methods for street and facade lighting were on parade, an excellent opportunity for comparing and contrasting lighting eras. Office tower lighting and residential condominium lighting dominated the scene on the drive back from Odaiba to Marunouchi. While white fluorescent lighting was the predominate color some condominiums glowed a soft orange. Members all had stiff necks after 2-hours of continuous looking up, but nobody seemed to mind. Chatter even died down as the bus started along the route, as members seemed to take this opportunity very seriously. On this bus tour I accomplished something that I am too embarrassed to do any other day; Crank my head back and look up as we drove through the streets! As anybody knows, Tokyo is…

23 April 2008 On this cool, spring evening we took our city walk to the Hachioji Campus of the Tama Art University to investigate the new library, completed in the spring of 2007. Professor Satoshi Tabuchi, who has been coordinating the architecture and general campus planning for the Hachioji Campus, was kind enough to give the lighting detectives a personal tour of the library and campus. by: misa fujii / hiroyuki miyake Library during the Daytime Reading is the focus and concentration of a fixed line of vision over a long period of time and sharp shadowing can disturb this concentration. During the daytime, daylight creates soft shadows and a slightly changing atmosphere through out the library. Natural light penetrates thin, white curtains helps to soften the lighting along the seating near the windows. The silhouette of the Zelkova trees and curtain pattern fall onto the desktop with spots of sunbeams that stream through the tree leaves to create a relaxing reading atmosphere. The indirect fluorescent lighting overhead reflects off the concert ceiling to recreate the impression of a cloudy day. Each space seems very personal, like one would want to curl up by oneself with a book on a rainy day. These two types of light meet in a perfectly, soft gradation of light and shadow to create a very comfortable reading a studying environment. Tray of Light The sloping 1st floor and spiraling staircase to the 2nd floor…

10 December 2007 Winter Blues Winter is a cold and quiet time where people gather indoors, drink hot cocoa or coffee, and maybe reflect on the year before and ahead. But Christmas in the city always gives us something to get out and about and see?Christmas illuminations. The Lighting Detectives gathered in Roppongi to shake off some of those winter blues and experience the new trends in Christmas illuminations. We tackled the big two: Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown. Tokyo Midtown The theme for Tokyo Midtown was “Someone is always Santa Clause for someone else;” a lovely theme, but not very decipherable from the illuminations. A quick overview includes a sparkling rendition of the aurora borealis in the Plaza, a colorful display of stained glass in the Galleria, and a brilliant blue Milky Way in the Garden. In the image of the northern lights a dangly curtain of waves and motion was hung in the plaza. The installation seemed more crystal-like as the lights where mostly white colored. In the Galleria the Kiriko tree of cut stained glass continually changed colors and seemed to gather the most attention. At 8m tall it was quite impressive and visible from the far end of the garden. The ocean of little blue lights that covered most of the grassy area in the garden was actually the Milky Way with swirling stardust and shooting stars, all accompanied by music. Now this might have been…

28 Septmber 2007 Night Gazing in Yokohama …by: natsuko ueda It has been a long time since the Lighting Detectives have been walked Yokohama. This autumn evening 24 members participated in the walk, along with member of the Yokohama City & Urban Design Group. Our first stop on the tour was the Yokohama Marine Tower, not usually open to the public, but with special arrangements our group climbed to the top to view the night scene. The industrial area along the bay had an orangish glow from low-pressure sodium lamps, in contrast with the residential area, which had a whiteish glow from mercury lamps. The lighting surrounding Minato Mirai is a large part of the whole lightscape with signature lightmarks like the Landmark Tower, the colorful lights of the ferris wheel, and flood lights from the baseball stadium. Every direction in our 360-degree view presented a different story for the city. After climbing the tower and jumping aboard a boat to see the best of Yokohama nightscape from the water, our last stop was the newly opened commercial complex, Yokohama Bay Quarter, followed up by the all-important post-walk dinner and discussion. The Lighting Detectives were able to hear straight from Yokohama City & Urban Design Group about invaluable topics concerning the city and how the nightscape can become even more dramatic and dynamic. My impression was not just of a typical waterfront city with dots of light everywhere across the…