Vol.000 – Coffee Break with Mende and Me

Date of Issue: November 07, 2022・Activity 1/ City Night Survey : Yokohama Minato Mirai (2022.06.28)・Activity 2/ Children Workshop (2022.10.22) City Night Survey : Yokohama Minato Mirai 2022.06.28　Kouki Iwanaga+ Xiaoyi Dong+ Hikaru Kawata Yokohama Minato Mirai, which has seen rapid development in recent years with projects such as Japan’s first urban circulation ropeway “YOKOHAMA AIR CABIN” launched last spring, the cruise ship terminal “Yokohama Hammerhead,” and the prestigious Hawaiian luxury resort “The Kahala Hotel & Resort Yokohama.” The purpose was supposed to be to investigate whether the “nightscape of Minato Mirai,” which could be considered a tourism resource in itself, has been well preserved… but. ■Relationship Between Zoning and Street Lighting The Minato Mirai area, which was developed on reclaimed land around Yokohama Port, can be broadly divided into three zones: the “Central District,” the “Shinko District,” and the “Yokohama Station East Exit District.” Among these, our survey focused on the Central District—with its high-rise buildings such as Landmark Tower and Queen’s Square Towers—and the Shinko District, which features many commercial and cultural facilities such as the Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama Hammerhead. When examining the street lighting in these two districts, it was found that the streets running parallel to the Rinko trunk road and the Metropolitan Expressway were lit with sodium-colored lamps, while the streets leading toward the port, such as Icho Street and Keyaki Street, were illuminated with streetlights at a color temperature of 4000–5000K. At first glance,…

2024.11.21-24 Chuanyi Liu + Jiang Kunzhi Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam where history and modernity blend seamlessly. Thanks to its rich cultural heritage, it has established itself as one of Southeast Asia’s premier tourist destinations. In this city where the Old Quarter, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, and Lotte Tower coexist, we explore Hanoi’s nightscape culture through the lens of light. Vietnam, a populous nation of 100 million people, has Hanoi as its capital serving as the political, cultural, and economic center as well as a key transportation hub. In July 2020, the Vietnamese government issued Decision No. 1129, promoting the development of the night economy and designating Hanoi as the pilot city for this initiative. The city’s rich heritage and unique cultural arts provide favorable conditions for the growth of Hanoi’s night tourism. Hanoi’s urban lighting exhibits distinct characteristics depending on the area and function. In the Old Quarter, narrow alleys and historic buildings create a lively atmosphere with bustling night markets. The nighttime lighting here mainly consists of creatively designed decorative lights at individual shops, which enhance the vibrant energy. Around Hoan Kiem Lake, soft lights reflected on the water’s surface and the illumination of the Turtle Tower standing in the lake harmonize to create a calm and serene nightscape. In the new urban area, modern building facades and bright LED lighting present a contemporary and sophisticated city image. Dynamic light displays further emphasize the lively spirit of the area….

Date of Issue: April 24, 2026・Activity 1 / Lighting Detectives Jr. : Children’s Workshop（2026.03.20）・Activity 2 / City Night Walk Vol.78：Shinjuku（2026.03.05）・Activity 3 / The Round Table Discussion Vol.75: Shinjuku Night Walk Review（2026.03.19） Lighting Detectives Jr. : Children’s Workshop Awaken the “Treasures” Sleeping in Nighttime Tsukudajima with Light!2026.03.20　Sachiko Segawa + Simeng Huang + Momoe Nomura + Noriko Higashi On the first day of the three-day weekend before spring break in March, we held our children’s workshop. This time, right in Tsukudajima where the LPA office is located, we took the kids on a night walk survey to search for “Lighting Heroes and Villains” and discover “treasures” hidden in the darkness. We also conducted lighting experiments on the spot. On March 20th—just a bit too early for the cherry blossoms—we hosted the 2025 Children’s Workshop. This annual hands-on program encourages children to explore and create under the theme of “light,” helping them learn about its power and influence. Since children rarely have the chance to walk outside after dark, the goal is to provide a spark for them to think about the relationship of light within the city. They experience how a familiar landscape transforms at night and how a single beam of light can drastically change an impression. For this session in Tsukudajima, we tasked the children with identifying “Heroes and Villains” and locating “Night Treasures”—landmarks swallowed by the dark that could reveal new charms when illuminated. As they walked, the kids…

Date of Issue: March 28, 2023・Activity 1/ City Night Survey : Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto（2022.11.10-12） City Night Survey : Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto 2022.11.10-12　Mari Kubota + Noriko Higashi In July 2020, Hitoyoshi City in Kumamoto Prefecture was devastated by catastrophic flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Since the disaster, the city has made steady efforts toward recovery— efforts in which lighting has played a significant role. To understand how lighting has contributed to the city’s revitalization, we conducted interviews with local stakeholders, including hot spring inn owners and city officials, and followed up with an on-site investigation of the actual lighting projects. From July 3 to 4, 2020, torrential rains caused the Kuma River to overflow, resulting in catastrophic flooding in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Known for its scenic beauty, hot springs, and hospitality centered around local shochu, this tourism-driven city suffered devastating damage—not only from the flooding but also from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the disaster, a local inn owner launched the Hitoyoshi Hikari no Fukkō Project (Hitoyoshi Light Recovery Project), using light as a tool for recovery. In 2021, Hitoyoshi was selected as a model city for Japan’s Cabinet Office-led Super City (SC) initiative, proposing a future-oriented recovery plan. This plan placed lighting as a key component, aiming to promote both disaster resilience and tourism attraction through thoughtful illumination. This survey included interviews with stakeholders such as hot spring inn owners, city officials, and lighting designers involved in…

Buenos Aires, aiming to become the Paris of South America, entertains a long siesta in the afternoon leading to a remarkable late nightlife. The atmosphere of these bright, flourishing streets could easily be mistaken for the middle of the afternoon. Where the air of excitement and chaos meet, this is uniquely South American. Diffused, shaded light gives the night scene along Alem Street a pleasant rhythm. The eaves extend out over the sidewalks creating an arcade that acts as a connector from the inside to the outside of buildings. Even at night, the arcades are brightly lit. Bold neon lights attract people to the game center.