First Light-up Ninja in China!2025.06.11-06.12 Huangyi Lin Lighting Detectives debuted Light-up Ninja in China (June 2025, Guangzhou). Students created temporary night art with communities, combating light villains through sustainable urban darkness and cultural storytelling. From June 11 to 12, 2025, the “Light up Ninja” flash mob popped up in Nanting Village, Guangzhou University Town—lighting up the night for a moment, then quietly withdrawing. This was the first-ever ‘Light up Ninja’ event in China. We co-organized it with the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, whose faculty members Prof. Lin Hong, Yang Yiding, and Lu Haifeng were excited to join. The event also received support from the Guangzhou Lighting Society and sponsorship, including technical expertise, from CDN Lighting. The main purpose of the event was not to light up the monumental kind, often found extravagantly lighting up towers, bridges, or castles. Instead, it involved simple experiments to find appeal in the typical, by illuminating scenes buried in daily life. We wanted students to learn not just about adding light, but also about eliminating unnecessary or unpleasant light to create beauty and comfort in the nightscape closest to us. ■ DAY 1: June 11Around 30 students, along with LPA and CDN staff and professors, gathered at GAFA’s Art and Light Environment Lab for the opening ceremony. Prof. Lin Hong gave a talk on “Nightscape Lighting for Nocturnal Living,” while Mr. Mende presented “Future of Urban Lighting” and “About Lighting Detectives.” Noriko Higashi then…

■Light Up Ninja Returns 2014.08.29-08.30＠School of the Arts Singapore (West Plaza Steps) Following a successful run of last year light up Ninja Event, this year was held in conjunction with National heritage board as part of the　Singapore Night Festival . This year theme was to encourage participants to “Come play with Light and Shadow” with some inspiration　from the summer festivals of Japan. It is held at local art school, School of the Arts (SOTA) which is also in the bustling art district of Bras Basah at the town area. The day of the event Many people visited the venue, School of the Arts Singapore Event poster The day of the event Over 40 members of lighting detectives and volunteers gathered at the location at 3pm on the first day, to have a run through of the flow of events over the next 2 days. After which we split into our respective to begin preparation work, expecting the event to start at 7.30pm. Even before the time, there are many passerby curious to what is the event about, and we have started to engage them. The turnout was better than expected as there was a period of heavy rain during the first day of the event, still the mood was not dampened after the rain. As there are many people queuing at the different installations that we have prepared when the rain had stopped, it is very encouraging for the detectives!…

2014.08.18-08.20　　　Noriko Higashi A 3-day workshop and Light Up Ninja event was held on August in Sao Paulo, Brazil. During the city walk we not only looked for hero and villains of light, but also discussed what kind of nightscape is needed in Sao Paulo since public safety and other issues are of concern in the city. During Light Up Ninja we illuminated one of the city’s iconic buildings, Copan, for two hours. This workshop was a great hands-on opportunity to not only exercised regular night walk, but we also debated and did actual experiments with several viable lighting proposals. Lighting plan that won 1st place in the lighting proposal competition was carried out. ■Workshop Venue：Copan The building Copan, the light up venue, was originally desinged by a representative Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and interrupted several times afterwards, but it was completed in 1964. It is a large building consisting of the largest number of households in the upper part and the commercial facility　lower part.　Copan is standing in the old town with parks, churches and banks.There were hardly any new buildings around, which seemed to be built from the 1960’s to the 1980’s. Workshop venue, Copan ■Day 1：Orientation Mr. Mende, chief of Lighting detectives,is giving a lecture. There were about 25 participants in the workshop.Most of them were either lighting designers and lighting manufacturers, and had a wealth of knowledge about　lighting.　However, they rarely have opportunity to discuss and learn lighting, so…

Kisyamichi Promonade, Yokohama 14 November 2008 Light Up Ninja Yokohama Team on initial survey fieldwork trip. Voluteers and staff hard at work on the day of the event. Underwater lighting revealed pretty clear Yokohama Bay waters! Lanterns placed over existing bollards along the promenade were a little too delicate for the surrounding lighting environment. Three different features of the Light Up Ninja experiment. LED luminaries fit inside the bridge trusses illuminate the metal framework. Using different colored lighting, the bridge structure has been turned into a work of art. Group Photo. Good Work, everyone! Yokohama is a city blessed with a rich waterfront. The interwoven contrast of water and urbanscape creates a unique charm that attracts many visitors. However, Yokohama at night is in complete contrast with the dark waters creating a barrier in the lightscape. In cooperation with the City of Yokohama Department of Urban Design, Light Up Ninja focused on the relationship of water-people-light to create appeal in the Yokohama waterfront. Light Up Ninja Project Go! The three-man team of Yamamoto, Yano, and I, Itakura, were in charge of this Light Up Ninja project and we decided to move our feet, early, with some initial fieldwork in May. We had no idea what kind of undiscovered charm could be found in the city, but rented bicycles to cover as much area as possible. (and paid for it the next day!!) Exploring Yokohama The journey took us under the…

Jacob Ballas Children`s Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 11 October 2008 Archifest08 + Light Up Ninja Junior In conjunction with ‘Archifest 08’ event sponsored by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), the Lighting Detective Singapore Chapter held a new version of an old event, “Light Up Ninja Junior.” The last Light Up Ninja event was three years previous, but this Junior event is tailored towards children. We didn`t really know what to expect for young Lighting Detectives, but we did our best to prepare! Jacob Ballas Children`s Garden This was the first ever Lighting Detectives workshop tailored towards children, and if all goes smoothly, maybe a platform for other events to come. The first challenge was to agree upon a venue. Out of many possibilities, and with support from NParks, the Jacob Ballas Children`s Garden inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens was chosen. Light Up Ninja Junior Planning: Playing and Learning from Light Next, what kind of lighting event would be most intriguing for 30 children ages 4 to 10 years old? We tried to prepare an interesting, but simple event that would make light fun. The event came to center on hand-made lanterns by the children. After completion, the lanterns would be set around the garden for the children to experience the softly growing light in a dark environment. We also planned to use flashlights to light up different trees on a night stroll through the garden. Planning…

Duxton Plain Park, Singapore 19 & 20 November 2005 Go, Go Ninjas!! Light Up Ninja Logo The Light Up Ninjas have a long history with the Lighting Detectives. The purpose of the original event was to sneak around illuminating the ordinary and everyday “street corner” and then sneak away without being detected. This one-night event’s original title was “Light Up Guerillas,” but because of unstable political conditions in southeast Asia “guerilla” was no longer an appropriate title. While the principal remains the same the name has been changed to the Light Up Ninjas. The Tokyo and Singapore Chapter collaborated to brainstorm for a new name. Singapore`s Yah Li suggested “Light Up Ronin,” a wander on a quest for the purpose of life, or light in this case. A very fitting title, but the word ronin does not have the same ring in Japanese. The word ronin means a student who failed to get accepted to a university of his or her choice and is seeking another chance. Or from a more historical point of view, a masterless samurai! The final naming came from an American Tokyo member, Rachel Nakyama, who suggested “Light Up Ninja” for their deftness and indefectibility, also a word that most people around the world can relate to. Singapore Design Festival For Singapore’s first Design Festival the Lighting Detectives were invited to participate with an even of their own. There was a lot of discussion about event…

Bali, Indonesia 25 & 26 August 2005 The Lighting Detectives in Bali? The Lighting Detectives traveled to Bali this summer for two reasons: 1. To join in the fun of the famous Bali Kite Festival and show off our luminous kites and 2. To witness the powerful Ketcha Dance and add our own lighting element to the dancer’s costumes. The Lighting Detectives have done the lightup guerrilla “illuminate and run” scheme in Japan, but this was a first to bring the event overseas and also coordinate activities with the locals. There was no running and hiding this time!! LIGHTING UP THE WIND Once an evening in Bali brought a constant humming from the sky – with the cacophony of frogs and crickets. Mesmerized. Alluring. This sound actually came from the hummers that are attached to giant Balinese kites. This memory stayed fresh. As ideas for the workshop of Lighting Detectives came in for 2005, we thought to illuminate this Balinese experience. Though invisible, the wind makes its presence on everything it touches. The kite is man’s way of the wind’s revelations. Illuminating this rhythm against the black hue of the Balinese night sky should be enchanting, magical. The main kite was flown in Sidakaria, home of the champion kite team in Bali. It was similar to the Balinese traditional kite, the Janggan (dragon). 40 x 50 feet, with a 300 feet long tail. Light sources adorned the tail. Kites made…