2014.02.01-02.11 Kanon Hujimoto + Mayumi Banno Italy is an irresistible destination to travellers from all over the world, including the Lighting Detectives. We toured three big cities, Rome, Milan, and Firenze, and two smaller cities, Berg…

New York is a modern city to beat all modern cities. Streets are lined with skyscrapers and the lighting adds to the excitement of the city. On the other hand, in neighborhoods like Chelsea, the lighting is minimal, creating a quiet and com…

Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper and a city with a refined style of its own. However, the nightscape is basically assembled for crime-prevention with streets over powered by high-pressure sodium lamps and wrapped in an orange haz…

Bangkok is a center of on-going development in Southeast Asia. Solemn Buddhism culture and lively night markets have developed side-by-side to create a modern, but chaotic city full of energy. Amongst the harmonious charm of the old and new…

Berlin is a multi-cultural city. Amongst the streets dating back to the Middle Ages, are very modern buildings that mysterious blend perfectly with the historical surroundings. In conjunction with this city survey we also attended the Festi…

It is an island of light floating in the desert. Lighting technology in Las Vegas is not sedentary, but reinventing itself daily. How can we seize the inviting eyes of visitors? What is attractive lighting? In this place, day is night and n…

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 …

The beautiful nightscape along the bayside is the pride of this tourist town. Picking up momentum from the 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney is again shifting gears. The waterside at night is full of postcard type scenery with places to see and …

The largest Chinatown in Japan has become an established feature of the Yokohama downtown area, but still an area with its own culture and identity. We surveyed Yokohama to discover the Chinese style of lighting environment alive within Jap…

The Diversity of Condominium Lighting in the Tokyo Area Condominiums play a leading role in housing for the Tokyo Area. As the city grew, busy shopping, business, and entertainment districts are supported by the residences, which live in de…

Shiodome Sio-Site was a joint public and private sector redevelopment project completed in 2006. In nearby Shinbashi, eateries and bars built under and into the brick structure of the elevated railway tracks during the Meiji era have become…

In the middle of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace, a haven for runners and tourists, alike. The lighting in the palace outer garden and nearby Wadakura Fountain Park has been renewed and replaced with environmentally conscious LED fixtures. We …

Under a rush of redevelopment, this is a huge period of transition for the area surrounding Shinjuku. On this survey, we were met by soft light filtering out of tall skyscraper windows, brilliant signage on facades and rooftops, and crowds …

The archipelago, pristine nature, and human footprint all combine to create the highly valued landscape of the Seto Inland Sea. Depending on the season and time of day the inlet and small islands have a store of rich expressions from dusk t…

After WW II, Sendai was rebuilt into a modern city with streets perfectly aligned in a gridiron pattern, but mixed with covered arcades. We surveyed the covered arcades and their daily activity along with the annual lighting event Sendai Hi…

The Television Broadcasting Tower looks down on the orange sodium lamps overflowing from the grid patterned streets of Sapporo. While on assignment in December we were able to view the multi-colored White Illumination set up along Ohdori Pa…

Along Osaka`s main street, Midosuji, taillights create a river of red light. Osaka’s symbolic shopping district, Dotomobori, is full of Osaka style flare. Redevelopment in Nakanoshima West District continues.

Looking over the Nagoya nightscape from the symbolic Television Broadcasting Tower, Hisaya Boulevard stands out in the center and orange sodium lamps dominate the park below. The new trendy spot in Nagoya, Oasis 21, along Hisaya Boulevard. …

The east end of Taipei is really growing and developing with many modern structures like the Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building, looming over the area. But off the main streets and in the back alleys, life is as usual as old buildings…

Singapore has been aiming for a nightscape that catches the viewer wondering, “Is this Asia or western Europe?” In this city of perpetual summer, lighting and air conditioning are necessities to be a modern city. Singapore’s intentions are …