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.

A city for the young and young at heart, Shibuya. The area is composed of a mess of streets all with a different atmosphere, including a few main streets connected by narrower alleyways. Each street has developed its own personality and role, including lighting conditions to create the Shibuya night. From the scramble intersection in front of Shibuya Station, 3 distinctive roads, Dogenzaka, Center Gai, and Koen Dori radiate. After dusk, the lights come on and the personality of each street is even more clearly defined. As the title implies, Center Gai is the center of Shibuya geographically and caters to the young as the center for shopping and entertainment. This street is full of light. Each shop seems to be competing for the brightest facade with infinite amounts of luminous signage and advertising, creating a 3-dimensional playground. Dogenzaka is a festive street with a steady flow of pedestrians, but turn down one of the narrow side streets and the atmosphere changes immensely. The facades of many love hotels packed into the area are saturated with color creating a seedy blend of light and young couples prowling the Maruyama-cho area.

The Marunouchi district in the center of Tokyo has been transformed in recent years from a business and financial center to the latest redevelopment to intertwine commercial and office space. Our survey started in Marunouchi, as we closed in on the infamous Tokyo Tower to view the sprawling Tokyo nightscape. Marunouchi Central Street is enclosed on both sides by buildings all at the same height of 31 meters. Facade lighting and streetlights throw an even light over the street, creating a flat nightscape with no rhythm of light and shadow. Quite possibly occupying the staring role in the production of the Tokyo nightscape is the Tokyo Tower. The ironworks structure of this tower is illuminated from underneath, beautifully generating a glowing symbol for the city. At 250 meters, looking down on Tokyo from the tower is a beautiful site. Glare is blinding and there is no visible unified pattern to the lights of Tokyo, but lights twinkle all over the city and continue as far as the horizon. Things always look better from a distance and the Tokyo nightscape is one of them!

From up above Tokyo looks like an overturn jewelry box, the night streets glitter with lights and it a fairly beautiful sight. Once back on ground, the glitter has turned harsh. It is an economically advanced nightscape, an efficient nightscape with needless light and light pollution. An aerial view of Tokyo at night. The dark area in the center of Tokyo, the Emperor`s Palace, is surrounded by clusters of lights that resemble precious stones. From this view it is unclear where Tokyo begins or ends. The Tokyo nightscape is illuminated in bright white light. Mercury lamps and florescent lights in the background of Tokyo Tower control the nightscape of this city. Old-fashioned houseboats gather in the foreground of the Odaiba District and the Rainbow Bridge.

It was 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945 when the first of two bombs dropped on Hiroshima then Nagasaki. Sixty-one years have passed since this memorable day and every year victims are remembered in a peace memorial ceremony attended by 50,000 people. On this night thousands of lanterns are placed in the Motoyasu River near the Hiroshima Peace Memorial as part of the remembrance and prayer for peace. As the main part of our lighting survey we wanted to see how these lanterns changed the face of city on this one night. We also visited Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and downtown Hiroshima. One of the World Cultural Heritage sites, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine. Unfortunately, the lighting is not the most faltering and lacks punch that could emphasis great architectural detail. However, looking from the bow of a boat past the large shrine gate, the main hall floats elusively in the surrounding darkness. This is the angle for a truly spiritual approach. Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a World Cultural Heritage site and the remains of a symbol of sacrifice and crime committed against humanity. Nearly buried by the surrounding city lights, but this dim gloom cast over the rubble suits its history and expresses it in the present day for all to remember. Full of prayers for peace and a symbol of remembrance, softly lit lanterns were set afloat, creating a new river of light. The lightscape created by the lanterns floating…

In the heart of Tokyo, Nihonbashi River lies hidden under a system of highway overpasses and the Sumida River is wide and commanding and it cuts through the city. With a variety of bridges, both rivers assert their own unique presence in the Tokyo cityscape. On our own river tour, we encountered the particular water and lightscapes surrounding the bridges and shores of each river. The newly built Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower next to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge. This is the first skyscraper in the Nihonbashi area and as the sun sets, the facade detail is elegantly illuminated. At the historical Nihonbashi District, a variety of lighting methods are on parade, but the highway overpasses keep most of the river hidden from view. Rumors of reconstructing the highway system underground would help revive the scenery along the Nihonbashi River. The main structure of the Chuo-Ohbashi Bridge is beautifully illuminated. The many bridges along the Sumida River compete with each other for top beauty marks, as each is illuminated in a multitude of colors.

Kyoto is an ancient city of Japan that was planned based on feng shui, or Chinese divination. Although the streets of Kyoto are a typical gridiron pattern, unique spatial conditions derived from the machiya, or Japanese style townhouses, are found all over the city. All of these spatial features nestled into the city’s framework lead us to lighting environments only found in Kyoto. East of Kyoto, a frequented nightscape viewpoint, Shogunzuka looks out over the city. From this birds-eye view, street lights and other ground level lighting softly illuminate the volume of buildings in Kyoto, appearing as of more a cluster of shadows then light in the night. The Gion area of Kyoto. Here, traditional facades and buildings still exist and reflect the intention of the people to preserve and recreate the architectural and lighting atmosphere of this historical place. Instead of bright lights in this area, light is impressively filtered through cracks, crevices, or bamboo lattice of the buildings to spectacularly fulfill this area’s lighting requirements. Kyoto`s rich waterscape. Light from Pontocyo, along the Kamagawa River, filters out and reflects on the surface of the river, one of the many sophisticated nightlight waterscapes of Kyoto. 　　　　　　　　 KYOTO: A Multitude of Autumn Colors (2010.11) Autumn colors decorate the City of Kyoto every year with special illumination displays during the season. Moss, dew and other delicate natural colors standout during the freshness of daylight, compared to the fascinating illumination of fall…

Kobe, very similar to the port town of Yokohama, is full of great spaces for pedestrians, including, the main strip, Flower Road, many arcades, underground passages, and the Kobe Meriken Park. While most of the lights in this area are white mercury lamps, Kobe Port Tower glows a brilliant orange. Looking from Port Island across the bay towards the Kobe waterfront, Meriken Park and Harbor Park, both places of escape for Kobe residents, are clearly visible. Another great way to enjoy this view is to hop on one of the many night cruises for a tour of Kobe Bay. The stage for the Hanshin Tiger’s victory parade, Sannomiya Station and Flower Road in downtown Kobe, a very a pedestrian friendly area with wide sidewalks for pleasant strolling. From the Rokko Mt. observation deck, one cannot only view the lights of Kobe, but also its neighbor, Osaka, and on a really clear day, the Akashi Strait. Maya Mt. observation deck on the next ridge over, is a local spot, but also an incredible view of the Kobe nightscape.

Compared to many cities, Yokohama is a relatively open city. Even with large high-raise buildings close-by you don’t feel enclosed and the added factor of a waterfront can help make anyone feel refreshed. The continually changing point of view from the Cosmos World Ferris wheel is a great way to observe the city. The Landmark Tower is often thought of as the symbol of Yokohama, but the Cosmos World Ferris Wheel could be the runner-up. In the dark night sky the Ferris wheel draws a perfectly beautiful circle of transparent layers of light, adding a deep appeal to the Yokohama nightscape. Looking south from the top of the Yokohama Cosmos World Ferris wheel. The illuminated Red Brick Warehouse expresses its self beautifully as it blends with the surroundings area and the blue twilight settling in on the Yokohama Bay. Ohsanbashi Pier and Yamashita Wharf complete the background. Looking from the vicinity of Yokohama Customs towards the Landmark Tower. In this newly developed area space is comparatively open. With only a few high-raise buildings, and reflection on the water the city seems bigger than it really is.

Nagasaki is said to be a melting pot of cultures and people, this also describes its city lighting plan. The city is rainbow colored, with streetlights illuminating white light one moment, orange the next, and green the next from all different types of poles and light fixtures. Lighting is predominantly for street surfaces, but another feature of the Nagasaki nightscape is the illumination of many historical buildings including churches, bridges, and the old trading post. Formed in the hills sloping towards Nagasaki bay, the City of Nagasaki as seen from Mt. Inasa. The faint lights dotting the hills are the many lanterns along the numerous stairways and slopes leading up the hillside. A hot nightspot along Nagasaki bay, Nagasaki Dejima Wharf attracts many after hour visitors looking for a late dinner or drink. The cool breeze from the bay and warm light from the many outdoor restaurants provide a relaxing atmosphere on hot summer nights. The network of cars, streetcars, and pedestrians connect at the busy intersection of Tsukimachi Avenue and Kanko Avenue in downtown Nagasaki. But, as the shops close and the city shutsdown for the night, streetlights specific for road surfaces are the main light source remaining.

While the streetscape and lighting environment are very individualistic, an overall unity exists throughout Fukuoka. Throughout the city, a skilled balance between lighting for public and private areas is implemented. The lighting in the underground shopping center of Tenjin is composed of intense incandescent lamps, creating a unique atmosphere of warm light for shoppers. The neon lights of the Nakasu District reflect in the Naka River creating a dramatic perspective image of the streetscape. The street vendors are a place for people to relax and a trap for tourists, but they also create a unique nightscape in the city.