2019/02/18 Yuichi Anzai On the Lighting Detectives Facebook page, we have been sharing the “World Lighting Journey” every weekend. As a summary of our activities in 2018, we conducted an interview with our chief, Kaoru Mende. At Café RÉFECTOIRE in Meiji Jingu-mae —In 2017, there were many posts featuring aerial nightscapes, but the 2018 posts were rich in variety. Among them, the most-viewed post was the toplight of the Pantheon in Rome. This was followed by the light-filled landscapes of Bologna, and then Stockholm during the “blue moment.” What are your thoughts on these results, Mende-san? Aerial nightscape during the “blue moment,” Stockholm Chief Mende: I imagine most of the people viewing these posts are in Japan. We are always drawn to things that are startling, unfamiliar, or from a culture different from our own. That’s probably why people see the Pantheon and think, “Wow, that’s incredible!” I suppose many of the World Lighting Journey posts feature beautiful photos taken abroad? The toplight of the Pantheon, Rome —That is not necessarily the case, but since it is for the weekend, we do select beautiful photos for everyone to enjoy. Chief Mende: I understand the desire to share many photos of “good” light, but there is also unpleasant lighting and scenery all around us. On the Detectives’ page, I think it would be good to post things that make us think, “This would be even better if it were done this…

2019/02/04-02/09 | Aleksandra Stratimirovic Belgrade of Light event, organised by Belgrade Lighting Detectives, opened a new decade of activities with programme Imagine Light during the period 4th to 9th of February at KC GRAD (Belgrade, Serbia). ■Lighitng Detectives Belgrade ChapterBelgrade of Light 2019 was held for 6 days at KC GRAD. Five artists, art groups and collectives, with their dynamic performances, installations and exhibitions played with motion, light and sound, transforming gallery at KC GRAD, into entirely different experience every night during the event. THE BOX | Q / TI / JA by Radio.Nica ■Day 1：THE BOX | Q/TI/JASpectacular performance by Radio.Nica – [THE BOX | Q / TI / JA] opened Belgrade of Light 2019. The performance was inspired with “The Ray of the Microcosm” by Petar II Petrovic Njegos, and with the help of the graphoscopic alchemy, lasers, crystals and other analog sources of light, Radio.Nica was creating pure magic on the stage.Radio.Nica is a flexible and ever-changing group of artists with different backgrounds (theater directors, designers, dramaturges, performers, circus artists etc.) experimenting with light design. LUMINESCENCE by Incredible Bob ■Day 2： LUMINESCENCEHigh quality, dense, Belgrade’s dark and Luminescence in it – a light installation by Incredible Bob. This darkness intercepted with light from various light sources, accompanied by sounds created a kind of a hypnopompic atmosphere for audience on the second day of Belgrade of Light. Incredible Bob is a Belgrade scene desperado. He walks a thin…

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…

Colombo ⇒ Kandy ⇒ Galle 2018/10/23-28 Momoko Muraoka + Yuri Araki We surveyed the relationship between lighting and people’s lives in the Buddhist nation of Sri Lanka, traveling through three distinct cities: Colombo, which has seen remarkable development in recent years; and Kandy and Galle, both designated as World Heritage Sites. ↑↑The nightscape of Kandy, a World Heritage Site. The illuminated Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic can be seen on the right, across Kandy Lake ↓With few buildings featuring facade light-up or sign lighting, the nightscape is primarily formed by light spilling out from shop interiors ■What Creates the Night Streetscape of Sri Lanka Kandy is an ancient capital and a World Heritage Site in central Sri Lanka. In the heart of the city, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic—a sacred site for Buddhists—stands by the lake. Directly across from it is the colonial-style Queen’s Hotel, which evokes the British colonial era. During the day, this diverse streetscape allows you to feel the history of Sri Lanka. However, the streetscape takes on a different appearance in the evening. Very few buildings have facade lighting, and even the Queen’s Hotel, a city symbol, is plunged into darkness. Since shop signs lack extravagant electrical decorations, the nightscape is primarily formed by light spilling out from the interiors. Compared to the streetscapes of modern cities, the scene is like a figure-ground reversal. Even the city’s largest road has no streetlights for…

2018/10/13-23 Mikine Yamamoto + Kouki Iwanaga This was our first South American survey in about 15 years. We tracked the light expression of Rio de Janeiro, a port city marked by both entertainment and poverty, which hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 and has become increasingly international. While possessing famous coasts like Copacabana and Ipanema and being counted as one of the world’s three most beautiful harbors, it also has the “favela” slums covering its hillsides. Surrounded by magnificent nature, Santiago, Chile’s largest city, has annual rainfall of only about 360mm, meaning it is sunny for most of the year. We investigated the lighting situation of this city blessed with natural light. The nightscape from Pão de Açúcar: A beautiful contrast created by the rich topography Viewing Copacabana Beach from Pão de Açúcar Favelas built on the mountain slopes ■Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Rio de Janeiro is an international tourist city that hosted the Carnival and the Olympics in 2016. It is said to be a microcosm of the country, where light and darkness coexist: scenic areas with beautiful topography blending nature and culture are situated next to slums. We surveyed the light expressions of this city, which has various faces, including the glamorous light of tourist and resort areas, and the strangely glowing light of the favelas (slums) where poor communities gather, reflecting the lives of the people.The suburbs leading from the…

2018/04/16-19 Misuzu Nakamura + Sherri Goh It was interesting for me to juxtapose the two cities and their evident priorities with the implementation of lighting masterplan. In Hokkaido for the first time, I felt that the two cities were greatly different for their appeal to tourists. Even though Hakodate’s night view was greatly famed and did not disappoint, Sapporo seemed to be the more popular place to be at night and for its nightlife. City view of Sapporo City view of Hakodate Hakodate streets at night Sapporo streets at night Well illuminated pathway to Sapporo TV tower Dim pathways towards Hakodate Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward despite many fixtures This survey of both cities suggests that there might be a compromise between the balance of two objectives; planning for a potential attraction and planning for functional use. As Sapporo is the larger and denser city, it makes sense to cater to comfort of the people that roam the streets after working hours. From the junction pictures, you can see that there is more lighting on the floor level in Sapporo in comparison to Hakodate. Despite the numerous dotted light fixtures, we felt that the pedestrian pathways and roads were generally darker in Hakodate.And for Hakodate, turning the nightscape into an economic tool could also be the better solution as most of the streets were empty after 1900h, with major attractions closing by then. It was also strange that Mt…

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…

2018/07/21-07/22 Yumi Honda + Simeng Huang + Noriko Higashi This tour was planned to make up for last year’s U-turn over Hachijo-jima. We took a chartered bus from Tokyo to Achi Village in Nagano Prefecture, which has been selected as the village with the most beautiful starry skies in Japan. A total of 15 participants enjoyed the summer stars and sun. Waiting to see the stars at Heaven’s Sonohara ■The Starry Sky as a Tourist Resource Even on a bright night with strong moonlight, the number of stars was completely different from what you would see in a city People lying down on the mountaintop, waiting A guided commentary on the stars using a laser pointer Tsumago-juku, the 42nd post town on the Nakasendo trail. A sight unique to the mountains: a roof thatched with wood and held down with stones The waki-honjin’s irori-bata and high windows. The seat for the head of the household is in the foreground A nostalgic streetscape This “Achi Village Starry Sky Tour” was devised as a way to attract tourists back to Hirugami Onsen—which had been popular until the time of the Aichi Expo—by using the ski resort during the summer. While reading an interesting article on the bus, we, the Lighting Detectives members, learned that the event, which was started by villagers about five years ago, has now become a year-round attraction. With that in mind, we headed from Tokyo to the western…

Go Out into the Night City and Search for Lighting Heroes and Villains!2018/07/26　　Noriko Higashi + Leon Hitsu + Hikaru Kimura + Yuri Araki + Shosaku Takahashi + Aiko Kanda It was a lively workshop with a total of 49 participants A Look at the Orientation We recently held a Lighting Detectives Jr. workshop for the first time in a while in Tokyo’s record-breaking summer heat. 24 energetic children and their guardians searched for lighting heroes and villains around Omotesando and Cat Street. The LPA conference room was filled with children in late July, just as summer vacation began. The Night Walk Survey workshop was held for the first time in three years, and 24 children, ranging from first graders to ninth graders, gathered, even though the capacity was only 15. The staff discussed how to get children, who don’t usually think about lighting, interested and what lessons they should take away. The workshop targeted the following goals: ■OrientationFirst, chief Mende explained the basics of lighting. He offered a simple breakdown of the history of lighting, starting with fire, the impact of different color temperatures on people, and the differences in lighting placement between homes in Japan and abroad. Following that, he introduced the participants to the elements that make up a city’s lighting and explained what constitutes a lighting hero and villain before the group set off for the walk. Children sharing their opinions during the Night Walk Survey Measurement…

City Survey in Qatar/Azerbaijan 2018/02/12-02/17　　Masahiro Iwata + Hikaru Kimura We went to Qatar and Azerbaijan from 12th to 17th February for 6 days for lighting survey. Both of countries are oil producers, and have been developed with oil money. Qatar and Azerbaijan are located on similar longitude, however each urban landscape has been developed in different ways according to their history. Qatar is an emergent country, which benefits from oil money. High-rise buildings has been built on vacant huge desert, and the gulf coast has been developed for attracting wealthy class in around the world. On the other hand, Azerbaijan still faces a problem which a lots of refugees by the past war have hard lives, even it is in bubble boom and it benefits from oil money as much as Qatar. They have redeveloped the old town, which is world heritage. We surveyed lighting in these two countries, where electricity expenses are free by benefit of oil money. Sketch of the road lighting ■Qatar, Capital city Doha Doha used to be described as “the most boring city in the world”, where there were no accommodation and entertainment facilities according to its closed policy. Today luxury hotels and huge shopping malls has been built, and it has become a bustling city. There are lots of buildings painted the current president’s face on the façade. These buildings are by pocket money of president or owned by the government. The buildings along…

2018/05/08　　Simeng Huang + Noriko Higashi Since we felt there weren’t enough chances to hear from our members directly, we decided to hold the first “General Meeting” in Lighting Detectives’ history. It was a lively event where the conversation flowed freely, and everyone had a great time enjoying delicious food and drinks. An easy-to-understand explanation of photography tips you should know for a Night Walk Survey We also presented on tools such as illuminance meters and luminance meters They shared the stories behind why they joined the organization We also exchanged ideas about which cities the Lighting Detectives should visit next We held a Lighting Detectives General Meeting & Night Walk Survey Introductory Workshop at the LPA office in Shibuya. This was the first-ever general meeting and the first introductory workshop in four years since the last one in 2014. A total of 24 people, including chief Mende, participated. For the first time, we live-streamed the entire event on Facebook and Instagram simultaneously, which allowed those who couldn’t attend in person to participate. By the end, over 160 people had watched the stream.First, chief Mende gave a presentation on the history and activities of the Lighting Detectives, from its founding to its current publications. He reported that the group, which was formed with just six members in 1995, has grown into a large organization with 980 members this year. After that, there were detailed explanations of the group’s “seven tools” (optical…

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…

Jiyugaoka Night Walk Review2018/04/16　　Mikine Yamamoto + Noriko Higashi Jiyugaoka is a popular town, even in Tokyo. It was totally worth the hype. It was bustling with many people during our Night Walk Survey. This time, with “style” as our theme, did each team manage to discover a stylish street? 24 people met on the second floor of LPA for a Night Walk Survey review We reviewed the Jiyugaoka Night Walk Survey that was held on April 6. The theme of the survey was “Find the Stylish Street.” Was Jiyugaoka’s night scene as stylish as we had imagined? We announced the best stylish street chosen by each team, from A to D, who were separated for the Night Walk. Highlights from a Presentation A presentation of the compiled impressions and opinions from the Night Walk Survey by each team The presentation materials show great ingenuity It was a pleasant gathering while having light meals The cobblestone and brick-style streets, which are often seen in Jiyugaoka, look stylish and create a fashionable atmosphere without any extra effort compared to streets paved with asphalt. We heard comments that the streetlights on these streets used shades that directed light only downwards, which was likely done to prevent glare and light pollution, showing consideration for pedestrians.In general, Jiyugaoka’s streetlights have a high color temperature, while the light spilling from the shops is often low in color temperature. Although there was a difference in color temperature,…

Zurich ⇒ Bern ⇒ Basel2018/04/12-04/17　　Yumi Honda + Kyoko Takubo We visited Switzerland in search of places with light where people gather. Celebrating the longawaited arrival of spring, we found that more people than we expected were relaxing outdoors from morning until night. During the day, they enjoyed the abundant nature and beautiful cityscapes, soaking up the natural light. At night, people were chatting and laughing in a soft, gentle light. We climbed a dark hill for an elevated nightscape shot, but even there, it wasn’t tourists but locals who were gazing at the nightscape. We were able to find a city light in Switzerland that makes you want to spend a long, leisurely time there. People enjoying the sunset on the shores of Lake Zurich People Gathering on the Riverside in Basel, with Beers in Hand ■Waterside at DuskOn a warm spring evening, people gather on the shores of Lake Zurich. In open areas with a view, everyone enjoys the passing of time in their own way—a unique luxury. After the sun sets and the sky turns indigo, historical buildings from the Middle Ages are softly lit and reflected on the water’s surface. The reason this atmosphere can be enjoyed comes from a combination of historical background and urban planning.First, the number of cars is overwhelmingly small compared to other cities. The city is not obstructed by wide roads or traffic jams, so you can feel close to the river,…

2013.11.22-23 @Edo Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum As the 3rd children`s workshop to be held at the Edo Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum in Tokyo, the children crafted lanterns in the shapes of buildings and trees to create a miniature city of light after a parade through the park. Build town of light As a part of Autumn event “Light up Autumn Foliage at Edo Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum, we were invited to do children workshop. Theme of this time was to experience the dark and candle light, to make house shape lantern and to create a town. Lantern with shape of tree and house In two days, about 50 children and 63 parents joined this workshop. College student volunteers were responsible for preparing for the workshop and explanation on the day. Children chose from three shapes of tracing paper for lanterns. The most popular shape was tree lantern！！A lot of branches extending from a round base transformed into a fantastic forest。 A lots of founding during lantern making Children who participated were wide in age, even if template of lanterns were the same, each one of the completed works was different. The base of lantern was colored paper and tracing paper. Drawing a picture as they like on the base, using six color cellophane, using scissors to drill a hole, or changing to an entirely new form, children were able to think freely to create their original lantern.　With the limited materials,…

2013.09.01 Xue Xue Institute, in Taipei 2013 TNT Forum＠Taipei Special content “Akari Children Workshop” In Xue Xue, the venue for Transnational Lighting Detectives Forum, they put an emphasis on children’s education and we received a request to have Akari’s workshop for children. We did a “Dark experience workshop” which is also done in Japan to teach “the importance of a small light”. After experiencing a completely darkened classroom with about 25 children, then light one lighter. We believe that children realized how bright the room the only lighter illuminates. Then compared with other light sources such as fluorescent lamps and LEDs, we learned how lively they are in the bright space.

2013.08.02 Zou-No-Hana Park, Yokohama Summer Holiday Children`s Workshop @Zou-No-Hana Park, Yokohama Down by the Bay Seventeen children and their parents gathered at dusk at Yokohama`s Zou-No-Hana Park to observe, experience and draw the Yokohama skyline. The children and their parents spread out over the grassy area in full view of the Landmark Tower, World Porter`s Ferries Wheel, Queen`s Square, Red-brick Warehouse, and bay area with front row seats to the gradual shift from daytime to sunset to night. workshop contents 17：50～　Meet and brief orientation 18：10～20：00　draw before and after sunset scene with having lunch box 20：00～20：30　Presentation by each child Drawings in the Night The children had no problem starting their drawings! They each selected what they thought was the most interesting building and set to work. As the children worked drawing the skyline, some noticed the changes in the sky and a few lights here and there began to shine. Some children concentrated on the more concrete objects and buildings of the cityscape, but when pointed out they started to take notice of the changes in the sky and lights of the buildings, ferris wheel, boats, and reflections on the water. Light, natural or artificial, is an abstract concept and especially hard to express for the first time in a drawing. Each drawing turned out different as each child saw the city and its transformation from day to night in their own unique way. The children drew the sky in shades…

2012.11.23-24 “Light Up Autumn Foliage in Edo Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum” At the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, “Light up Architecture and Autumn Foliage” was held during a three day holiday in November. The first two days included a children’s lantern making workshop and walks through the trees to experience darkness in the woods. With children, we had a wonderful time enjoying old houses, irori fire place and a night without light. Contents we had were as below ・Lantern making workshop ・Lantern Parade ・Experience the dark ・Experience old time fire place, Irori.

2011.10.22 Experiencing dark & Light Up Ninja Experiencing Time Travel and Akari Workshop Edo-Tokyo Open-air Architectural Museum is located in Kodaira-city. In the museum, there are 30 buildings from edo-period that have been relocated or reconstructed. In this unusual atmosphere that children might feel they are time-tripping, we had a lantern making workshop and parade in the museum and having dinner sitting by irori, Japanese fireplace. Lantern Making Lantern Parade Experience the Dark / Light Up Ninja Jr. Dinner at Irori fire place