Wearing many hats -writing, singing, tea ceremony, diving, skiing, golf etc all besides being a busy lighting designer Interviewer:Gaurav Jain Gaurav:How do you do it? Do you know of other designers who have similar diverse interests? What inspires you to keep yourself so engaged? Mende: I am a workaholic – I like to do so many activities or hobbies because I need to check myself. By that I mean, I am always keeping myself in check that is this the right way, or is there any other way? It is a kind of introspection…. When I sing traditional Japanese songs, it’s a completely different Mr. Mende. I see myself from a different perspective, I lose myself in what I do. Or when I ski, its very joyful for me. The 2-3 days of skiing are very immersive, I try to forget myself, my profession. But when I return from my ski trips, I return back to my world with more clarity – with different points of view. I suggest that a designer has to be interested in many different experiences. Gaurav: did these interests/hobbies develop early? Even before becoming a lighting designer? Mende: These interests did not start very young. Some of these I started after I became a lighting designer. I started skiing at the age of 50. I started diving at the age of 64. Gaurav: Do you give your 100% to these hobbies? Mende: Yes, very much…

Theme: The Benefits of Traveling Interviewer: Xu Xiao XU: Today I would like to talk about the benefits of traveling with Mr Mende. Traveling could open our minds to new things, experience new culture, meet new people and make new friends, get to know their stories and see how other people live, get relaxation from regular life, increase knowledge, create memories for a lifetime, try different food in different cities, face challenges. I have learned snorkeling from Tioman Island trip & Phuket trip, and I have found that is a very exciting activity. MEN: Previously you did not swim? XU: No, I could not swim previously, as my hometown is surrounded by mountains, I have never seen beach before. Does Mr Mende also have experience of the benefits of traveling? MEN: Yes. There are different kinds of traveling, for example: 独り旅(ひとりたび) 1 person traveling, 二人旅(ふたりたび )2 persons traveling, 団体旅行(だんたいりょこう) group traveling. For me, たび is different from りょこう, たびis more sensitive, just for making mind free, escaping from daily life, it is healthier for the life, such as 心の旅(こころのたび). 独り旅(ひとりたび) 1 person traveling is the most important kind of traveling for me, sometimes I have二人旅(ふたりたび )2 persons traveling together with my wife, but I have never been tried group traveling because it is only for paying the charges and you have to wait for many people. What is your priority of those benefits? XU: Maybe “experience new cultures” and “try…

Teaching about light Interviewer:　Sachiko Segawa It is important to be sensitive to and sense light in one`s immediate presence. A class experience on the three primary colors of light. Segawa：Today I would like to talk about “Teaching about Light.” Mende：If I`m not mistaken, you are one of my former students. Do you have an interest in education? Segawa： Yes, I do, but the number one reason I chose this topic is because I am a mother. My mother was a teacher, so when I was younger an “educator” was always an immediate presence. At home, she was always our mother, but to other children, she was the “teacher.” She always wore those two hats. I didn`t progress into the field of education, but at work, I have had to train new and part-time staff. I have come to realize that teaching somebody about light is a difficult task. You taught at Musashino Art University for 10 years. Did you find it challenging at times? Mende：I never really thought of it as challenging. My studio class was titled “Lighting Seminar,” but not everyone was motived to become a lighting designer. Maybe two or three students out of 10 wanted to be a lighting designer. The other students had different interests and motivations and I would struggle with whether it was best to teach them from a technical point of view of or sensory point of view. Segawa： I would think that…

Theme:What is the meaning of working? Interviewer:　Yuhang Zhong Yuhang：Today I`d like to talk about “working.” I become a member of the workforce four years ago and I continue to struggle with the question “Why do we work?” One reason I went to graduate school was not because I didn`t want to work, but I couldn`t comprehend the reason for working. At that period in my life I was able to prolong working and escaped to graduate school. 職務中の鐘 真剣に食器を洗う Mende：So going to graduate school was kind of like a suspended jail term. Yuhang： Yes, maybe something like that. Do you ever question why you work? Mende：When I was younger, I really liked to work. I was one of those people who didn`t question why I worked, but also after four years of college I felt a responsibility to work. Yuhang：Four years goes by really fast and I really didn`t take much time to reflect on my life. At graduate school, I was soon forced to face reality and start the process of looking for a job. At interviews I was repeatedly asked “What do I think about having a job?” I memorized a pretty phrase and got by, but I couldn`t envision myself working five years or ten years down the road. When asked about my motivation for working, I keep coming back to the original question, “Why do we work?” Here is this question, again and again. Mende： In…

Theme：Raising Creative Children Interviewer:　Rachel Nakayama Rachel：Today I`d like to talk about children and design education. I think design education should be about developing free thought and the capacity to use free thought to solve problems. There is a weekly TV program on NHK called “Design あ;” I believe you had the opportunity make an appearance on the show. The program takes everyday objects and ideas and explains their design process in very simple animation, going right to the foundation or origin of that object. For example, “Why is a plastic bottle cap shaped like it is and why does it screw on?” My three kids and I really look forward to watching it every week. samples of the contents “Design A” ①one pair of formula、②My circle and square、③ design people 、④Everyone’s「Ah」 Saturday Morning：All three children are obsessed with A”Design A” Mende：You and your kids wake up at 7:00 on a Saturday to watch the show? Pretty early for the weekend. Rachel： Yes, we are early risers, but sometimes we sleep in and miss the show. Everything in the program, from music to color scheme to word choice is easy to understand and beautifully artistic. I think it`s an interface than to appeals to children and adults, alike. Mende：You describe this program called “Design　あ” using the word design, but I think it is more of asking “Why?” of everyday things. Asking questions and solving the mystery, is very important. Rachel：Yes, you…

Theme：Conquering Personal Faults Interviewer:　Hu Lin Lin：Today I`d like to ask your advice about my personality. Compared to other people, I feel like I live on an intense emotional rollercoaster. For example, in the morning I can be just fine and at night I am totally depressed. I have a hard time controlling my emotional state of mind. 練習と経験は何回も必要 恥ずかしがりや Mende：Really?! Your emotions can really go so high and just plummet in such a short period of time?! In just one day?! Lin： Yes, in just a few hours. I can be feeling great, but then all of a sudden I`m really down. In fact yesterday was like that. I just didn`t feel like talking to or interacting with anyone. When I have days like that I can`t explain myself very well in Japanese and I have a hard time communicating. Mende：Lin, I don`t think this has to do with your personality. I think it might have more to do with balancing your emotions. I don`t think it is a problem with your personality, but more of your temperament. Lin：By temperament, do you mean physically speaking? Mende：Not physical as in your actual body, but I was thinking more of mental tendencies. Everyone has different characteristics, physically and mentally. Your personality may lean towards more cognitive thinking and emotion, just like others could be described as shy or bossy. Lin：I think I have one more personality flaw. I can`t speak to people…

Theme： Architects of Light Interviewer:　Mikine Yamamoto Yamamoto：Today is a nice day. Japan is lucky to have four seasons and to be able to experience the changes that natural sunlight displays. When I joined LPA 8 years ago I really wanted to design daylight in architecture. Architects like Eero Saarinen, Louis Kahn, and Tadao Ando really incorporate daylight into their buildings and I am inspired by how the architecture, itself, seems to function like a light fixture. When I was a student, I spent most of my free time visiting architecture, especially museums. The space in museums is so dramatic and compelling. I think it is really important to just experience architecture. Spend time enjoying the spaces and be moved by the various expressions brought on by changes throughout the day. That being said, the fundamental and emotional incorporation of light in Scandinavian architecture and Asian architecture is very different. Kimbell Art Museumby Louis Kahn Kresge Chapel : MIT Chapel by Eero Saarinen Mende：I can`t say which is superior, but I believe Scandinavian architects are intuitively keen to detail. The angle of the sun is very low in Northern Europe and Scandinavia and it penetrates to the interior of buildings. It feels like the towns of Northern Europe and Scandinavia seem to be designed with the rising and setting of the sun in mind. The long shadows leave a lasting impression and because there are shadows the light really stands out…

Interviewer:　Ai Sohara Theme：Fashion and Light , or maybe Women and Light Sohara： Today, I thought we could take a walk and visit Laforet Harajuku. Mende：Did you come shopping here when you were younger? Sohara：Oh ya!! I am a Tokyo native, so I have shopped here since jr. high. As women continue to develop their position in society, I think it is really important to dress up and look trendy. So of course, lighting is also very important when selecting items. Laforet HARAJUKU Women have beautiful curves, so soft light looks good Mende：So, have you ever bought something just because the lighting is good? Or something like that? Sohara： I think window shopping is the basis for many women shoppers. Take for instance today, we are just walking along and looking a various shops we come across. So, yes, the first impression, as shoppers passes by a shop, is very important. Mende：Yes, it is important to entice shoppers inside. As we walked around, I never realized the variety of shops in Laforet. There are boutiques with pendant lights or studio-like lighting, even shops using glareless fixtures, I never would have guessed! The characteristics of each shop design seem to be transposed in the lighting. I suppose to differentiate themselves from the other shops. Sohara：I don`t think the younger generation has noticed, but I really feel that lighting effects create a sense of elation while shopping. However, I think the most important…

Interviewer:　Simen Huang Theme：Why Chinese people love colors Simeng　Today I`d like to discuss the reasons why Chinese people prefer bold or vibrant colors. In recent years, LPA has landed many projects in China. I`m sure the clients ask for bold color choices. Mende　 Yes, it seems to be that way. Simeng　 I, myself, along with most Chinese people feel a sense of enthusiasm toward bold or vibrant colors. I don’t think it is just because we like glitz and pazazz or don`t understand the quality of single color luminaries. In my opinion I think this phenomenon is rooted in our cultural background. China night scene using extreme color lighting Forbidden City-Chinese Culture That Loves Color Mende　You mean to say that Chinese clients prefer colorful lighting, not because it is trendy, but a completely different deeper reason? Simeng　That is correct. I think I had this realization around the time when the length of my stay in Japan became the same as my time living in China. I remember feeling that Japanese seem to conform to those around them and have the habit of blending in with the crowd, while Chinese like to assert their individuality. We don’t like to be the same as those around us and have a strong conscious feeling that “I am different from you.” Mende　Yes, we even have a saying in Japanese “The nail that sticks out get hammered down.” We are a culture that lives by conforming…

Interviewer:　Yumi Honda Theme: An Encouragement of Morning Honda　 Mr. Mende, you are a morning person and come into the office early, but that lifestyle and working as a lighting designer seems to be contradictory. I am also a morning person, so today I would like to discuss waking up early and how we spend the hours in our day. As lighting designers we have late on-site meetings which leads many to become nightowls. Intrinsically, the city lights and nightscape are the reason why many choose to become lighting designers. How about you? Have you always been a morning person? Remnant of the night and light in the morning Refreshed by sun light in the morning during vacation Mende　Ok, so I take it that today’s theme is “recommending being an early riser for lighting designers.” I have always been an early riser. How about you? Do you feel better in the morning? Honda　Not always, but I like to take in the morning sun. Mende　 If I have a choice, I think I’m more of a evening person. Honda　Yes, I like the evening too, but I really like the refreshing feeling of the morning sun. Even if I have not had a good night’s sleep the sunrise is refreshing. In the book Makurano Sohshi, or The Pillow Book, the opening line is “In spring, the dawn – when the slowly paling mountain rim is tinged with red…” Or “Winter, the early morning…”…

Interviewer:　Shunichi Ikeda Theme：Lighting for Lighting Design Office Ikeda　Today I`d like to discuss the lighting in a lighting design office.   I have always wondered about architects and interior designers who design their own offices based on their own style preferences.  I find it kind of interesting.    So, I was also wondering about a lighting designer`s office?  Is it a place to test elaborate lighting design methods?  If you don`t mind, I`d like to pick apart the LPA office. When I first came to LPA I noticed that all of the lighting is a warm color temperature.  If it was a restaurant or place of leisure I would understand, but as an office not many places are  equipped with all warm color temperature lighting.  Also, the ceiling indirect lighting, non-glare desk lights, 2F studio lighting controls were all impressive and dramatic.  When you are designing office lighting, what things do you care about most? Stuio  at party Working Space  Task & ambient lighting with incandescent lamp color Mende　It is all a presentation for guests.  I want them to think, “Hey, I really liked that lighting style at LPA, so I`ll try to copy it.” I want to design lighting that makes guests think this.  This is the place to display our theories and logic.  What is good and what is bad.  And it is absolutely unacceptable if the light sources are directly visible. Ikeda　The 2F studio is used for visitor reception and…

Interviewer:　Takafumi Kubo Mende :  I heard that you practice Ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement.  What style are you learning?  It’s amazing that you find time when work is so busy. Kubo : I am learning the Sogetsu style of Ikebana.   We work with not only classical flower  types, but also pursue innovative and unique expressions with flowers.  It is very interesting.  I also had a piece displayed at an exhibit. Mende :   I don’t think I got an invitation. Kubo :  Sorry about that.  Working with flowers is very invigorating.  I feel like a student again. Mende :  What do you learn at your lessons? Kubo :  Generally, a  basic flower arrangement is  arranged with three branches and flowers.  The three branches are labeled, Shin, Soe, and Hikae.  Depending on the length of a branch, angle of insertion, how one displays the water, how branches are hung, and other factors, each arrangement looks different.  So even if we all used the same flowers, there would never be two arrangements that are the same.    So even if one is not very good, if they fill the requirements, it is a flower arrangement.   It is very interesting. What do you do at your Shinnai lessons (Japanese  theatrical music  lessons)? Mende : The teacher for our Shinnai lessons is an older gentleman and we basically just mimic what he sing-says.  So we basically try to come as close as we can to what and…

Interviewer:　Hiroyuki Miyake Theme：Development in Technology and the Changing Role of Light in 2050 Miyake　Today I`d like to discuss the “Role of Light” in the future over a broad span of time.  In interviews conducted with 100 people for the Tokyo Nightscape 2050 Exhibit, predictions for the future, such as fixture modifications, developments in luminous materials, shifts in people’s preferences in brightness were all based on existing parameters.   But I don`t think that is the whole story.  I think the role of light is going to change dramatically. A poster of the exhibition “Tokyo NIghtscape 2050” held in November, 1998 at Tokyo Design Center Mende　Light has two basic roles.  One is the ability to help us distinguish shapes, read words, and do work.  Second,  light is used to make people feel good, comfortable, or inspired. Miyake　I think the timing and necessity will suddenly arise for changes in the role of visual tasks because of technological revolutions or lifestyle transformations in the future.   For example, task lighting may not be needed for reading while doing work on a computer monitor. Mende　Yes, I suspect that the value of standard brightness or levels of brightness  will wind down and the methods used to judge the value of these standards will change.  Naturally, this will lead to a reduction in the number of fixtures needed and the improvement of each fixture in terms of quality and function.  I have always said that street lamps will…

Interviewer:　Misa Fujii A Love letter from Kaoru Mende: Dear Misa, I think you are a person with a lot of vitality and an amazing lighting designer.   When I say “Feel free to think freely,”  you always seem to come up with a killer idea, unlike anyone else.   I think that if we wait and see, you are headed towards becoming an incredible woman of unbound spirit. Fujii :　 I`d like to start today by recalling the love letter you wrote me. Mende : 　Oh, yes… I wrote this on the flight coming back to Tokyo from Shanghai.  I think I had finished a couple glasses of champagne. Fujii :　So, you were feeling good and scribbled out this love letter. Mende :　 I just wanted to  acknowledge and praise the innocent  power of imagination dwelling inside of you.   This purity and devotion is an irreplaceable qualification for not just a lighting designer, but any designer in general. Fujii :　Well, how about you?  Are you pure and innocent? Mende :　That is a good question!  I don`t think I am innocent, but maybe pure.   I have been told I play favorites to all sides of the field. Fujii :　Really?! Mende :　Oh, yes and maybe they are right.  In business situations, I try not to be too opinionated so we can all get along.  In other words, there are times when you have to suppress your opinions and listen to what the others have to say. …

Interviewer:　Tsutomu Nagatsu Moonlight in the City, Moonlight in the Mountains Nagatsu　Today I`d like to talk about moonlight in the mountains.   I like to go mountaineering, how about you?  Do you climb mountains? Mende　I don’t have any experience climbing real mountains as you do, but  I have hired a Sherpa and gone on a 3-day trekking excursion through the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal.  We stayed in tents and the starry sky I saw when I woke up in the middle of the night brought me to tears. Nagatsu　Really!  You can get so much more from nature on an overnight trip compared to a day trip.  The gradual transition of time and the nightlife is exciting.  Whenever I go to the mountains you can almost always find me carrying a tent and plans for at least one night’s stay.  I find tenting is more versatile for night wanderings than staying in a cabin. All of my mountaineering has been within Japan and  I have climbed the Japanese Alps from the northern regions to the south.  Every year I have a  20kg pack on my back and make a few trips to the mountains.  In the mountains, dusk is an exceptional time of day.  Only those that make the trip can really experience this time of day.  After dusk, it gradually gets darker and darker until you find yourself surrounded by the ink-black night.  Then, all of a sudden, moonlight illuminates your surroundings…

Interviewer:　Motoyo Ogawa Mende　Some kids just really love Disneyland. Ogawa　Yes. I am one of them. Mende　At what age did you start to really like Disney? Ogawa　 I first went to Disneyland when I was in Kindergarten.  When I started elementary school I was in love.  I went with my family every year until I was in the 8th grade.  The first time my parents took me to the park we watched the electric parade and they said the look on my face was the best they had ever seen and they decided they needed to bring me to the park every year. Mende　 Yes, I have also seen the electrical parade.  That type of sparkling and twinkling lights are very typical of Disneyland. Ogawa　 Yes, very much.  I have been wondering about something…Do you like sparkling and twinkling lights?  Or maybe it’s not your style? Mende　 Well, I really like the flash and fizzle of fireworks.  Although it is part of the job, I don’t really think I like the illuminations that many people find uplifting and exciting. Ogawa　Yes, I think many at LPA feel the same way.  However, I don’t mind illuminations at all.  Illuminations are just one expression of many in lighting and I find it very charming. Mende　Regardless of thoughts and beliefs,  I appreciate the image produced by sparkling effects and  I don’t mind sparkle or twinkle in the dark night.   Thirty years ago when I saw the illumination of…

Interviewer:　Misuzu Nakamura Thme：Waterscapes with Light Nakamura　Ok.  So, today I thought we could talk about waterscapes with light.  I just got back from a trip to survey the urban lightscape of Bangkok.   The scenery along the rivers and surrounding waterscape, such as the Chao Phraya River and the floating markets in outlying areas, was very impressive.  The river water was very murky, but the reflection of lights on the surface at night was so pretty.   Right now, I am also working on a project where the waterscape is a very important feature of the project.   So I have been thinking a lot lately about what is so charming about waterscapes with lights. Mende　Water and lighting design are deeply rooted.   In terms of urban lighting, the most prominent cities that underwent development long ago were surrounded by water.   In terms of Bangkok, the lighting along the waterscapes is not especially good, but the illumination of Wat Arun and the elevation along the riverside reflects beautifully in the water. Nakamura　Upon reflecting in the water the lighting then becomes beautiful. Mende　In lighting design glass and water are two very important materials.  Their properties are also very similar.  Both are not very easy to work with, but very interesting.  Frosted glass or textured glass is very good at replicating light, but clear glass is not.  It doesn’t reflect light at all. Nakamura　Glass will uniformly receive and transmit light, but the surface of water simmers, creating…

Interviewer:　Momoko Muraoka Theme：The role of a designer Muraoka: Today I would like to talk about the role of a designer.  Of course, there is our regular work consulting on design projects, but also as lighting designers, we have helped launch a professional organization and are now engaged in recovery projects for the Great East Japan Earthquake.  All of these extracurricular activities have started me thinking, and as a designer, I want to be more subjective to the value of production in the world.  Mr. Mende, what do you think the role of a designer is? Mende: hmmm…That’s a  good question.  What do you think? Muraoka: Well, this is a little idealistic, but to scoop up things that aren’t yet seen or noticed and mold them into a form that is helpful and makes everyone`s live just a little bit happier. Mende: Yes, a designer might be a craftsman who makes people’s dreams and little bits of happiness a reality.  A designer is an artisan and a thinker and simply put, a hostess or entertainer for society. Muraoka: There are many different types of designers and a lighting designer might be particular in that there is really no solid form of our work. Mende: But what about musicians or chefs there is no real solid form here, either.  A massage or theatrics also makes people happy through healing or a performance.  Is this design?  Is good food a design? Muraoka: Oh,…

Interviewer:　Genki Watanabe Theme: Architectural Lighting and Stage Lighting Watanabe:　Today, I`d like to talk about “Architecture Lighting and Stage Lighting.”   At the university, I majored in stage lighting. Mende:　What sparked your interest in stage lighting? Watanabe:　Since I was little, I love to watch movies and theatre.  After graduating high school I had the vague idea that I wanted to go abroad, so I decided to go on a language exchange in China.   After about a year, I had the opportunity to go to a college theatre production.  Chinese stage lighting is very flamboyant!  This is the first time I really thought about stage lighting.  Later I decided to study at this university. Mende:　Why did you move towards architectural lighting while you were studying stage lighting. Watanabe:　While studying stage lighting, I realized and felt like there were limits or constraints in this field.  I felt like I needed to work with lighting design that is closer to our daily lives and society in general and started to focus on architectural lighting. Mende:　Don`t you think there are any constraints or restrictions in architectural lighting.?!  What is the difference between stage lighting and architectural lighting? Watanabe:　I think there are several differences. Even during the design phase of stage lighting, it is a very hands-on approach to design.  A Lot of time is spent at the theater and directly working on the stage. Mende:   I see.  With architectural lighting, after about 80% of the work…

Theme:　Disaster Area Lighting Interviewer:　Yukiko Saito Saito　I was born in Rikuzentakada City, Iwate Prefecture, an area devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. I would like to talk today about “Disaster Area Lighting.” Mende　Have you visited the area after the earthquake? Saito　Yes, three times. Mende　It is just one year ago this month. They are starting to slow clear away the debris and reclaim the area. Saito　Yes. In December most of the debris was hauled away and two stop lights in the downtown area were erected. Seven months after the disaster in November there were still no street lights of any kind. This story made the new since it was so dark and a little scary at night. Is there anything we can do as lighting professionals? Mende　The city was devastated by a natural disaster that wiped out all power poles and even underground electrical wiring and ducts. It’s a tough situation to even get electricity to the area. However, solar panel mounted street lights don`t need any electrical wiring. It might be wise for the government to buy and issue solar power lighting to these areas. Even in times of a power outage, lighting with capacity to generated electricity from a natural source is a good backup plan. Saito　When we drove through the debris cover area, we only had the car headlights for navigation with a few house lights in the distance. I`m just an amateur, but I can`t help but…