2025.04.25 Shinichi Sakaguchi + Naoko Oguchi + Noriko HIgashi
The enormous terminal station of Tachikawa, with a combined daily ridership of about 410,000 passengers on JR and the Tama Toshi Monorail. The Lighting Detectives had visited Tachikawa in 2021 for a small-group night walk survey on a rainy day with just three people, but this time we decided to revisit with a larger group. This survey focused on the differences between the north and south exits of the station.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the small-group night walk survey in Tachikawa took place just after the large-scale development GREEN SPRINGS had opened. The live commentary showed scenes of walking from there. Due to the pandemic, there were almost no people around, giving a somewhat quiet atmosphere, but many expressed interest in visiting the calmly lit landscape there. We also wanted to investigate the bustling Friday night around Tachikawa Station, which ranks third in ridership after Shinjuku and Tokyo stations on the Chuo Line rapid service. Therefore, we split the walk between the north and south sides of Tachikawa Station to explore the area.
■Group A: Towards Tachikawa Station North Exit
Group A, led by Captain Mende, conducted a night walk survey mainly around GREEN SPRINGS near Tachikawa Station North Exit. Starting from Tachikawa Station and along Sunsun Road under the Tama Toshi Monorail, there was some surprise at how the vast space immediately near the station is dedicated exclusively to pedestrians. The lighting showed mixed impressions—some fixtures were thoughtfully designed, while others had light sources positioned almost at face height, causing glare. Opinions varied depending on the location.
A few years ago, the large mixed-use complex GREEN SPRINGS opened, and as a new development, it seemed to receive a lot of praise. Especially highly rated were its playful use of RGB lighting and designs that consider nature. In contrast, on the opposite side of Sunsun Road around Tachikawa Fare, there was an impression of more villains lurking. The placement of streetlights was poor, and even among the valuable public art installations, lighting maintenance and upgrades appeared to lag behind.
Overall, this night walk survey revealed many different facets of Tachikawa’s nighttime scene. The city feels like it’s constantly developing, reflecting the flow of the times. Among these, the newest GREEN SPRINGS incorporates various lighting and other thoughtful features here and there, but it felt a bit quiet—perhaps because it was a weekday evening. It seemed like it could be livelier.
On the other hand, the areas around the station with clusters of izakayas (Japanese pubs) and the south exit were noticeably more bustling. (Shinichi Sakaguchi)
of GREEN SPRINGS
スポットライト
■Team B: Tachikawa Station South Exit Area
Team B conducted a night walk survey around the south exit of Tachikawa Station. The area features many pedestrian bridges, sparking a variety of opinions from both heroes and villains alike. First, the large-volume neon lighting was praised as it fit the south exit’s streetscape with a “futuristic vibe imagined in the Showa era,” creating a nice retro atmosphere with just the right brightness—making it a clear hero. It was lighting that everyone really loved.
Around Tachikawa Station, various types of handrail lighting were observed. Among them, the handrail lighting on the pedestrian bridges on the JR Tachikawa Station side had covers to reduce glare, but the brightness was still strong and located at eye level, causing discomfort from glare. In contrast, the Monorail Tachikawa-Minami Station side featured many handrail lights designed with better glare control.
While it’s understandable that lighting approaches differ by jurisdiction, there was a shared opinion that the city could benefit from a bit more consistency in lighting design overall.
paradoxically futuristic
The continuous line lighting installed under the pedestrian deck of the footbridges was first noted for being visually glaring. Additionally, because the lights were mounted perpendicular to the length of the deck, there was an impression that they were excessively bright or more numerous than necessary. Discussions arose suggesting that using glare-free downlights with controlled light distribution to lower the light’s center of gravity, or arranging the line lights parallel to the deck, might create a more comfortable and harmonious space.
Around the south exit, there are numerous dining establishments, each featuring different lighting fixtures and projecting signs, creating a somewhat chaotic lighting environment. Amid this, the GEMS Tachikawa building—a dedicated dining complex—stood out positively. Its lighting design, from the restaurants on the first floor up through the plantings on the top floors, was intentionally calm and unified, creating a visually soothing atmosphere that many participants praised as a lighting hero.
The area north of Tachikawa Station, including places like GREEN SPRINGS, is clean and newly developed, while the south side feels older and more chaotic—but it was overwhelmingly more lively. This contrast revealed that Tachikawa’s charm may lie in its very chaos. At the same time, seeing how few people were around GREEN SPRINGS on a Friday night reaffirmed that simply beautifying an area or improving its landscape doesn’t automatically draw people in. I’m looking forward to seeing how Tachikawa continues to change from here. (Naoko Oguchi)
What surprised me most during this night walk survey was realizing just how large Tachikawa actually is. There are still so many parts of Tokyo left to explore. Half the year has already flown by, but I’m eager to keep discovering new perspectives through our walks. We hope to see many of you join us on future adventures. (Noriko Higashi)
