Interviewer: Reiko Kasai       (Mr. Mende’s Toilet Paper Theory at the beginning.) Mr, Mende has experienced an empty toilet paper holder twice since he established the LPA office and was extremely annoyed. ‘Who didn’t replenish new toilet paper after it was empty? You should stop being a designer right now.” In other words, the Mende’s theory is that design is about caring for those around you. If you are not able to do so, you are not qualified to become a designer. This is the first time we have publicly introduced the toilet paper theory. With the founder of LPA, Mr. Mende, and the three current directors, Mari Kubota, Kentaro Tanaka, and Reiko Kasai, we would like to look back on the 30 years of LPA and discuss what kind of company we are. Today, Kasai will be the facilitator. Conversation starts: Kasai: Oops, I do not see any 2400φ(diameter) round tables in the new office (in Tokyo) that we have just moved into at the beginning of last year. Kubota: LPA is now too big to fit around a singular round table. Kasai: When you started LPA 30 years ago, did you think that it would expand to become a company of this scale? What was the state of the world at that time and what was the environment surrounding lighting design? Mende: I started my career in lighting design 43 years ago, and at that time there…

Interviewer: Junko Nagatomo Nagatomo：Today’s topic is the art of decluttering or living a minimalist lifestyle.  Decluttering is a thought process of yoga.  I didn’t know this, but in Japanese the three characters that make up the word Danshari, or decluttering, each have a  meaning. 断―(dan) the refusal of things coming into your home or life 捨―(sha)  the discarding of unwanted things 離―(ri) to abandon the obsession of possessing things So, decluttering is not just about throwing things away, but also about organizing your surroundings and reducing fixations on having possessions, which in turn reduces mental stress.  I became interested in decluttering about three years ago when I was in the process of moving. I had so many things packed into a small closet like a tetras puzzle.  When I finally took everything out, way in the back were many things I had forgotten about or already had a duplicate.   So when I moved, I threw away so many things that weren`t being used and now I really try to avoid possessing and keeping unnecessary things.  Mende：However, I think many Japanese feel that fewer possessions doesn’t really relay a lived-in, at-home feel.  In western culture it isn’t uncommon to continue using a pair of your grandfather`s shoes, bag, or other items for tens of years.  But Japanese seem to use things for a shorter cycle or just single usage.  Experts also say that Japanese consumers are not satisfied unless there is…

Interviewer: Xueying Piao Piao：Today I`d like to talk about patterns of a healthy lifestyle. Mende：Healthy life.  That is a heavy topic.  Why did you choose this topic? Piao：Health can be divided into two parts: mental and physical.  Now that I am a working member of society I feel a little insecure about my mental health and ability to control my emotions. Mende：Really?!  You are feeling insecure?  How old are you? Piao：I am 26. Mende：When I was 26 I was married.  I was still a graduate student and I had so many things I wanted to do.  I don’t think I was feeling anxious about anything. Maybe you feel anxious because you left your home country and are working abroad?  Were you anxious as a student? Piao：I was just fine as a student.  This all started after I started working. Mende：So, you were wondering about healthy lifestyle habits and felt you needed to make some changes in your own life? Piao：Yes. So, I want to know what other members of the workforce think about healthy lifestyles.  Mende：Like you said there are two parts to a healthy life; problems of the heart and mind and problems of the physical body.  The heart, mind and body are not separate entities, but work in conjunction with each other.   Therefore if you are like me and have a strong physical body, you can also maintain mental stamina.  If you are wondering which comes first, mental or…

In the warm family picture painted by Yasujiro Ozu there are two types of natural light;  glaring, bright sunlight and the incandescent lamp, symbolic of a cozy family.  In the film, daytime scenes always seem very carefully calculated.  Doors and windows are always wide open and abundant light streams into the rooms.  Family life is constructed against this bright external background.   In other words, even indoors the presence of nature outside is sufficiently felt, as if one is outside when they are actually inside.  So, in the film when a outdoor scene directly follows and connects to an indoor scene there is nothing unnatural about it and the screen flows uninterrupted.  Nothing feels so good as when the sliding paper doors, sliding lattice doors, and storm shutters are all completely open in the house.  Fresh air rushes in and moves about freely.  This is characteristic of Japanese lighting culture and unique to old family homes built using a wooden framework construction style. The “Tokyo Story” uses this feeling of openness during the daytime extremely well.  The presence of the outdoors is sensed by bright sunlight or a cloudy sky and these backgrounds and natural light subtlety expose the delicate emotional bonds of the family. After sunset, the second form of natural light emerges in the film.  Compared to the feeling of openness during the day, a single incandescent lamp represents the warm family bonds.   I typically call lamp light the…

Interviewer: Satomi Yamaguchi Mende：So, today’s topic of conversation is “What is your favorite season of the year?” So… What is your favorite season of the year? Yamaguchi：Spring.  Especially early spring.  Plants are shooting up, budding cherry blossoms, trees covered in pastel pink flowers.  It makes me feel so excited.  Mende：You could almost say late winter.  Where did you grow up?  Did you wait out long, dark winters for springtime? Yamaguchi：I am from Tokyo.  Since I take care of many plants, I have really become more conscious of the seasons.  What is your favorite season of the year? Mende：When I was growing up it was probably summer.   During the last few years of elementary school I took up playing music, after that I really began to enjoy the fall.  The turning of colors and preparations for the long and lonely winter ahead is very moving.  I think I’m a romanticist.  The fish tail rows of light, fluffy clouds are very different from the aggressive thunder clouds of the summer season.  These clouds reveal the first glimpses of autumn.  Although, I really don’t dislike any season of the year, which is my real answer, but I do love the cultural atmosphere of the fall season.  I think it is the real season of love.  Yamaguchi：I think the saying goes that people fall in love and the spring and break up in the autumn.   Mende：When I was younger I never liked the confused…

I ran across a manuscript from a series published in Housing Magazine 25 years ago.  There was no magazine title or published date, but for the series titled “From Screen/ I want to copy this interior design!”  I used to analyze the lighting in scenes from movies.   After all these years I reread them and they are very interesting.  So I`d like to share two excerpts among them.  I wasn’t a person that had seen a lot of movies, but after accepting this column I became a regular at the movie theater.   Movies should be seen in the theater and the things to learn are unlimited.  “Diva” Blue Light and Shadow in a Paris Apartment  This scene is in a large loft in a renovated house.  Circular neon lights mounted on the walls glow.  The morning sun streams through a window, creating long shadows of the window grate.  At the tip of this rhythm of light and shadow, a white enamel bathtub stands alone.  A mysterious man is seen smoking a cigar through the steam while he soaks in his morning bath.  A Vietnamese women returns home. Quietly, the man says, “If you ever do that again I’ll send you back to Vietnam.”  “Don’t be mad.  I`m in a good mood right now.”  “Wait.”  “….”  Then the Diva`s angelic voice resonates throughout the loft.  “ The man can’t hide his surprise.  He takes the cigar out of his mouth and…

Interviewer: Niken Wulandari Mende: Niken, do you like traveling? Niken: Yes, I do. I brought photos that I took from my trips, and we will talk about street lighting. I started to pay more attention to this since I did my thesis. During the time, I surveyed and compared the view during daytime and nighttime. That is when I noticed there are many designs of street elements that are visible during the daytime and not very noticeable during night-time. Mende: At the beginning, in Asia, everyone understood that lighting design is for the shape of the pole element. They care less about the lighting effect and the environment at nighttime, just focus on the beautiful shape of the street poles. Niken: I found that a lot of streets in European cities are using catenary lights, so they don’t have a lot of elements on the streets. When we walk, we don’t notice where the lights are coming from, we can enjoy the street view because it’s not obstructed by the poles. That’s why I like the concept of using catenary light. Mende: It is quite difficult for us in Japan or other Asian countries to implement this method to the buildings, it is not allowed in Japan. In Europe, they also mount wall-scones to the building. We have been suggesting so many times to use catenary light or wall-mounted street lighting in Tokyo and other cities in Japan, but it…

I started writing this column about 22 years ago.  Detective Note number 000 was released on August 9th, 1998.   Since then there have been blank periods with no posts, but today I am writing number 80.   I have reread bits and pieces of the previous 79 notes, which reveal glimpses of a wham-bam, comic show stretching over the past 20 years.  Each episode is entangled with unique light and shadow.  My point-blank approach is very me and amusing after all these years.  In the past month, and in the shadow of the raging coronavirus outbreak, I have reread some difficult books still on my bookshelf after tens of years and a few of my more light and humorous essays. In my younger days, it seems I found  it easier to write more transparent material.  As I have gotten older, my writing seems to be more self-conscious.  It isn’t interesting or beautiful writing at all.  This coming June I will reach a milestone of my 70th birthday, I think I`d like to take this opportunity to write and not worry about what others think.  Fortunately or unfortunately, LPA`s spacious new office was ready to move into this last February.   And here I sit all alone in our new office.   All staff are telecommuting from home, but I communicate with them daily at our regular morning ZOOM staff meeting and exercise session.   Although, I have to say, working by myself is very…

Interviewer: Jio Yeung Jio： I always wanted to become a video game designer, unfortunately I had to give up my dream.  I am just a beginner when it comes to design so I am looking forward to learning a lot from our talk today.  First, I would like to ask; What does design mean to you? Mende：  If you look up the word design in the dictionary it is written: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan.  But I think it is intent or purpose.  Little fixes or twists in everyday life.  There is also design without any shape.  Taste,  touch, hearing, sight, and smell, design can activate the five senses.  Cooking is also design.   Various materials all whipped together can really make people happy.  Jio：Ok.  Well, what do you think is good design? Mende ：Something that is an upgrade in daily life and universally stimulating.  Kind of  like the door to happiness.  Jio : Yes, I think so too.  Stimulating and makes people feel happy, these are important points.  However, design does seem to be a personal preference? Mende ：Of course, there are likes and dislikes.  For example, taking a very Japanese design and introducing it to China or India, it might not go over very well.   However, there are reasons good design is liked by many people.  Maybe, culturally, health-wise, or for environmentally-friendly reasons.  Even a single pen, the shape or how it is held are all…

Interviewer: Erina Hosono Hosono： This might be out of the blue, but the reason I wanted to become a lighting designer is because lighting helped get my chronic problems with sleeping under control. Whether it is narcolepsy or insomnia, I want to help people with sleep problems. So, today, I thought we could talk about lighting that might be of use in tackling sleeping issues. Mende： What kind of sleeping disorder do you have? Hosono： I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia. While I was studying or eating or even walking down the street, I would be spasmodically overcome with abnormal sleepiness. For 15 years, I lived with these problematic symptoms. I even went to study in the US so I could get certain therapeutic medicine. Mende： Do you still have problems? Hosono： Now, I am able to live just like a regular person. Mende： Do you have a system so that it becomes really bright in the morning in your room? Hosono： PhI use the Wake-up Light by Philips. It mimics the time and operations of the sun, becoming very bright to wake me up. I also have three other decorative lights; all equipped with the Philips hue smart lamp. This smart lamp also works as an alarm and becomes bright. One of the decorative lights is a large free-standing floor lamp and the shade is situated right above my pillow so I can feel the light rays directly on…

Interviewer: Namiko Watanabe Watanabe：In terms of human interaction, I would like to talk about the generation gap between you and me, today. You and I have a lot in common and sometimes I even feel that our sense of value is similar. Mende：I think some people intuitively feel the gap in age while others don’t seem to recognize it or can move beyond any age difference. I don’t feel a huge gap between you and I even though there must be more than a 40 year difference. Watanabe：I like to meet various types of people no matter what their age. I prefer to interact with a wide range of people. What about you? Mende：In general, I don’t think it is a good idea to arbitrarily interact with people. I think it might be a little offensive to let your guard down as one gets older, but there are different levels of interaction depending on the person. In my generation we would protect ourselves while bashing our opponents. You see it in politics; lovers in private, but it is important they hold their own in public. We randomly meet various people for various reasons, and I can really sense something in those instantaneous moments of contact. Watanabe：I gain alot of knowledge when talking with various people. It always surprises me to know that all sorts of people exist. For someone like you, who has gained many life experiences, what do you…

Theme: Understanding Millennials Interviewer: Clement Lee Mende： This is a very interesting topic for me, because communicating with younger generations is a little headache to me. I have been teaching Lighting Design for 10 years in universities, where I also come across so many different thinking styles and working approaches. Clement： The reason I ask this question is to learn how your generation feels about the younger people. I would like to share our views so that we could realign ourselves to create more awareness and understanding between different age groups. Mende： Your generation is the most interesting generation so far. I feel that Millennials prefer to be left alone and secretive. My generation, on the other hand, loves to share and communicate verbally even if we don’t understand each other. Clement： Millennials do prefer quiet time sometimes as we believe certain information can be sourced online, but we value knowing how other people think about topics. Luckily for me, I was born in the beginning of the 90s before technology bloomed to enhance life and most people were still getting used to this new luxury. Mende： I feel sometimes that Millennials tend to communicate better via digital devices rather than verbal unlike us. Do you think sometimes an old guy like me gets noisy? Clement： No! I do find your generation very interesting. Having caught in between post-tech and pre-tech, I am always wondering what it is like to…

Theme:Self-Promotion as a Designer Interviewer: Yuichi Anzai Anzai：Today I`d like to talk about something that is troubling me as a designer with not a lot of experience. I`d like to talk about self-promotion, something that I am lacking in. When I was an exchange student in NYC we had many opportunities to present our ideas in class or while job hunting, but each time I failed miserably at presenting an appealing picture of myself. There were language barriers, but I think it was more a fundamental lack of composer and confidence and an inability to communicate about myself or dictate to the audience. I think, as a designer, the ability to promote oneself is necessary to persuade clients about new projects and to strengthen trust while working together. Mr. Mende, when you were new to the profession or just starting to build up LPA did you have any specific troubles or points of strength? Mende：I`m not one for a showy sales pitch, but I wanted to do good work on good projects. At my previous job I was able to meet and work with several architects, so I had a good base to work with when I started LPA. Just being oneself is ideal for self-promotion. As a designer, getting good feedback and reviews from the public is not because one has a showy sales pitch, but it reflects good results which speak for themselves. Good results, does not only…

From Your Bed to Your Desk Brien Ng Mende: Today we’re sharing our daily routine. Brien, how long does it take from your bed to your desk? Brien: It takes almost 90 minutes. Mende: That’s quite long. What is the first thing you see in a day? Brien: The sunlight coming through the gap of the curtains. Mende: How long does it take to your office? Brien: Pretty long. The bus stops about 20 times. As there is one lane per direction in this road, it’s easily caught up in a traffic jam. After 30 minutes, it enters a road to Hong Kong Island. Then I switch to MTR at Sheung Wan. Mende: The bus alone takes one hour already. Brien: Along the route, I see villages with different development status. The highest building is four-stories, even our law permits up t０ three-stories. They break a law to build one more floor over a rooftop to gain additional 700-square-feet. Mende: Is everything the same every day? Brien: View from the 6:50 am bus and the 7:45 am bus are distinct. In the earlier hour, I would see the sun rising from behind mountains. The atmosphere is a mixture of gold and greyish blue. Mende: You like morning time? Brien: Yes. Mende: That’s rare. Brien: Maybe because I am not a party person. Mende: Same here. Brien: What I still see around my neighborhood are old-fashioned bus stops with iron tubes…

This column was written on June 3, 2017 and recently found while I cleaned my PC. Barcelona`s La Rambla basks in the spring sunshine. It has been awhile, but I am just wondering today with limited cash, a credit card, and iPhone in my pocket. I usually have a backpack slung over my shoulder with various pens and paper, PC, laser pointer, wallet, date book, and a collapsible umbrella inside. I noticed that without the burden of carrying a bag, one`s way of walking is different and things that catch your eye are different. Today I even have the freedom to take a second glance at the women walking by. I didn`t bring anything with me today because La Rambla is a very vulnerable place for tourist carrying stuff. I suspect blending in like a local, elderly gentleman is a better option. There are many great places to visit in Barcelona and the Market La Boqueria is one of them. In any city, a trip to the market will reveal rare ingredients or hints to the local food life, but you can also find various emotions among the people, like delight, anger, sorrow, or pleasure. Of course, the products and items for sale are interesting in themselves, but the exchange between vendor and customer is also very interesting. Every day is business as usual at the market, but each city has its own style. From the use of a butcher…

Theme: Into the Water Interviewer:Yusuke Hattori Hattori：Your first diving experience was five years ago near Malaysia`s Tioman Island, is that right. Was it really your first time? Mende：Yes really. I wanted to go diving and so I went. I got my diving licence with a really strict Japanese instructor. I was 64 years old at the time and now I go diving every year. I am still a beginner, but I have done about 30 dives. How many dives have you done? Hattori： I have about 100 dives and an advanced diving license. The first time I went diving, I was so moved by the lighting experience underwater, I wanted to capture it in photographs. So I just went out and bought an underwater camera. Underwater photography is so interesting. Mende：Are there any differences between photographing underwater or on land? Hattori：Underwater you are floating, so shooting the camera is very difficult. Also you can`t use a tripod so it is hard to use auto focus when your body is floating and moving. I can really understand the distinction between a regular photographer and underwater photographer. Their diving skills need to be very advanced. Mende：Divers are all interested in different targets underwater. Some divers are interested in only sea slugs or really big fish or such. Hattori： I like underwater terrain. The dynamic landforms get me really excited! The fish are pretty, some look good to eat, but that is the…

Environmentally Friendliness Interviewer: Sherri Goh Mende: So are we talking about environmentally friendly lighting design or environmental friendliness in lighting design…? Sherri: I’m not sure if I explained the topic clearly to you as there is a wide spectrum to be discussed. As we both have experience in Product Design and whether we consider that in what we do for lighting design. I wanted to ask what do you think/when did you start thinking of environmentally friendly lighting design. Mende: I have a Master’s degree in Environmental Design. After 4 years of studying Industrial Design, I changed my mind, as it was about designing very short shelf-life products, which is like garbage. Sherri: Lighting design has been meaningful, and you do consider the environment in terms of how we place the light. But I do think it could go further by considering how each product is produced from specific manufacturers and consider the manufacturing process. I’m not sure if LED fixtures are really more environmentally friendly than its predecessors, so that is the approach I had for this topic of discussion. Mende: Lighting design needs many sophisticated lighting fixtures as tools. But physically, we don’t need any product or lighting tools when making indirect light, or we can finally provide for natural daylighting. This is the goal of architectural lighting design. Sherri: Do you think we should consider who we work with and their production methods of fixtures in the…

Education between student and staff Interviewer:Zooey Li Mende：Hello Zooey, Education between student and staff is today’s topic, It’s quite interesting. Zooey：Yes, Mr. Mende, I thought you were a very good lighting design professor in a famous university and also are a very successful company leader. So I thought you should have powerful and rich stories of education for both of them. At the same time, I hope we will have a better understanding of each other through this topic. Mende：Sure, I am very happy to talk with you. For me, sharing and communication are very important. I do not think this talk is my personal interview. I am also very interested in what you guys are thinking. Zooey：Yes, indeed. Firstly, I would like to talk a little about why I chose this topic. Actually, my idea came exactly from this meeting room around three months ago. We had an internal design meeting with Itakura san. Also, we had a Video Conference with Tokyo colleagues in this room. On that day, I remembered Itakura san and Kentaro san were very kind and patient teaching us how to install the lighting fixture, and explaining the reasons and details. At that moment, I really felt the atmosphere was more like a school rather than a company. It was really nice and peaceful work environment as my viewpoint. Mende：HAHA, Really? Interesting! How did they teach you? Did they ask your ideas? The reason I…

Childhood memories which influences you as a lighting designer Interviewer:　Quratuaini Bte Jamil Aini：Hi, Mr Mende. I would like to discuss about childhood activities or memories which influences you as a lighting designer. Mende：Sure but you should share me your childhood experiences first. Aini： My childhood memories mostly consist of the few years I spend with my mom. Mende：Do you remember any lighting elements when you walk with your mom? Aini： I was too young to notice lighting. I see only prominent things to me at that age. Mende： How old were you then? Aini： I was 4 years old. Mende： So it seems it could be around 20 years ago. Do darkness of night invoke a feeling of fright? How about the brightness at home? Ainie： I was never afraid of the dark. Lights in my old home were very basic to give general brightness and fixtures are mostly conventional. Although, I remember general spaces the most. There was this road intersection downtown that has a bus stop in front. A colonial white building standing in the background. I think that was the beginning for my love towards architecture and history. Mende： How about night festivals? Aini： Not many. Although I do remember a night I share with my family. I used to live in woodlands in a compound HDB flat which has a central courtyard as a communal sharing space. One lantern festival night, the big moon shone brightly….

Theme:Playback! Interviewer:　Bryan Yan This “coffee break” column is a bit different from all the previous ones. The change of style in this column is also corresponding to our interview topic – “Playback”! Since I have read the PAST issues, I decide to make some changes. Actually, the original topic is “Look back!”. After a discussion with Mr. Mende, “Playback” is more interesting. Playback – It’s straightforward. We are going to talk about the PAST. Everyone has their PAST. Some people are very afraid to look back and remember some bad memories. Bryan：Hello Mende-san! I’m long waiting to have a coffee break section with you today. People like you with a lot of achievements and experiences should have many things in the PAST that you would like to remember and look back. Taking this opportunity, I would like to listen to you because I love stories. Would you tell me which project you like the most in LPA’s thousand projects? Mende：Well, since I always try to enjoy and concentrate now and think about little bit near future, I am not good at remembering. However, if you ask me to choose, I would like to say it should be “Tokyo International Forum”. The reason is that it’s the first big scale project after LPA office was established. On the third day of establishment, we received a call from New York to invite LPA to be the lighting designer for this project. From…