Review of Kyoto & Sangenjaya Night Walk 2023.10.27　　Yuki Ito Very lively discussion on the theme of darkness Today’s salon was a review of the night walk surveys focusing on the darkness of the city. It was a hybrid session with online participants from Kyoto as well. There was a friendly atmosphere in the LPA studio even before the session started, so much so that the students from Kyoto who participated online might have felt a little left out. Under the theme of darkness, we discussed what kind of darkness lurks in each area and what kind of light lurks in the darkness. For the Kyoto city walking review, the presentations focused on historical buildings and cityscapes unique to Kyoto. While some participants commented that they felt a sense of calmness in dimly lit spaces with only streetlights lining the precincts, they also discovered that some streetlights were too bright and were harming the darkness of the precincts. The LPA office was impressed by the keen perspective of the surveyors in Kyoto. Since the theme is darkness, the entire slide is finished in black In the Sangenjaya Night Walk Survey review, each group walked mainly along the greenway and talked about the various dark spots they found along the way. The opinions of each group were divided about the streetlights lining the greenway. Some said that the light blocked by the trees was not good for illumination, while others said that the…

～Let’s Go Search for Darkness～2023.09.26　Shinichi Sakaguchi ＋ Tomoya Furukawa＋Ryuji Hatta ＋ Ryuma Shiota＋Noriko Higashi This time, our night walk survey was themed “Exploring the Darkness of the City,” taking us through the green paths of Setagaya in Tokyo and visiting shrines in Kyoto where darkness lingers. Typically, our walks focus on the lights of the city, but this time we decided to take a different approach with the theme “Let’s Search for the Darkness of Tokyo”. While parks, shrines, and cemeteries are places with inherent darkness, we thought there wasn’t much room for discussion. Instead, we focused on Setagaya’s green paths, which are commonly used at night for commuting, school, and jogging. Although these paths are very pleasant during the day and popular for strolls, we wanted to see what the nighttime environment is like, so we divided into three groups to explore. (Noriko Higashi) ■ Group 1: Ikejiri-Ohashi to Sangenjaya The first group walked along the Meguro River Greenway and the Karasuyama River Greenway from Ikejiri-Ohashi to Sangenjaya, which are connected by a single greenway, and we were able to feel the various expressions of the greenways from different places. The atmosphere, brightness, and sense of safety when walking at night seem to vary greatly depending on the surrounding environment. The atmosphere of the tall streetlights and security lights was greatly influenced by the surrounding trees. I got the impression that places with thick trees and narrow greenways were…

2024.10.31-11.3 Makalin Wongchinchai + Stell Li Egypt, land of secrets, a place full of history, mystery and amazing stories. We wanted to see not only thefamous pyramids, but also a lot of interesting cities and lightings in the night. To explore the lighting in Egyptian daily life, we chose to visit two main cities in Greater Cairo Area for four days. ■Introduction Egypt, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, is home to the pyramids, deserts, the Nile, and its vibrant capital, Cairo, where ancient and modern worlds meet.To explore this one of the most historical countries in the world, we chose to visit two main cities in Greater Cairo Area —Cairo (the captial city of Egypt) and Giza (with Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur ).As the sun sets over the city, Cairo & Giza transforms into a dazzling display of lights and enchantment. The bustling streets come alive with vibrant energy. As locals and visitors alike gather in cafes, shisha lounges, and bazaars, embracing the rich Egyptian culture that thrives well into the night, we surveyed lightings on Cairo & Giza’s daily life. ■Cairo The Khan el-Khalili market has always been a hub of trade and commerce since it was established in 14th century. Walking in this maze-like narrow streets was like taking a journey back in time.During the day, the sunlight was intense. When the sun shines through all kinds of awnings,…

2024.9.9 Yonglin Ke + Kunzhi Jinag + Linxi Chen The brightness (luminance) of signage lighting is key to shape the overall lighting of a city. This survey conducted in Akihabara, a globally famous district, focused on the renowned Akihabara Electric Town (Chuo-dori), analyzing the evolution of the city’s lighting composition by comparing it to the survey from 19 years ago. ■Akihabara Electric TownAkihabara is the heart of electronics in Tokyo and a globally famous hub for otaku culture. While it is bustling with tourists daily, the colors of the signs, filled with anime and game culture, are much more diverse compared to upscale commercial areas like Ginza or other shopping districts. In 2020, Chiyoda Ward released guidelines for outdoor advertising and urban development, leading to changes in Akihabara’s streetscape. This survey investigates the current night view of Akihabara Electric Town, comparing it to a survey conducted 19 years ago. (Kunzhi Jiang) ■What kind of lights shape Akihabara?The main lighting elements in Akihabara’s key districts include streetlights, signage lighting, building façade lighting, and lighting from store entrances and spillover light.Compared to the picture from 19 years ago, the most noticeable green and red lights from EDION were not illuminated due to the store’s closure. The ONODEN sign is now an LED screen, and the surrounding lighting has a more subdued feel. Previously, the area behind the bridge was completely dark, but now, with the bright lighting from a drugstore’s interior and…

Observe the nightscape of the newest spot, Azabudai Hills~Toranomon Hills2024.0 ５.10 Shinichi Sakaguchi + Amane Kotani+ Naoko Oguchi+ Yuko Nakayama Eight months have passed since the last city night survey in September last year. The first city night survey in a while took place in Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills Station Tower, two of the hottest areas in this year. A large group of 43 people enjoyed walking around this newest spots. A walking tour of two new hot spots in Tokyo, Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills Station Tower.Due to the abundance of sights, most groups focused on Azabudai Hills, and ended up speed-walking through Toranomon Hills Station Tower as time ran out. ■ Group 1 Group1 focused on Azabudai Hills. At the entrance to the Garden Plaza, the first building in Azabudai Hills, the unanimous hero of the survey was the lighting embedded only in the automatic doors as a “modest welcome mat”. Conventionally, downlights on the ceiling surface would be used to illuminate the entrance, but integrating them with the doors keeps the doors out of the shadows and makes for a more beautiful entrance. By using this method, there is no need to worry about interference from guide lights, etc., and the floor can be well illuminated. Once you pass through the garden plaza and step outside, the lighting in the landscape is much more subdued, and you are drawn to the lighting of the stores. What…

2024.05.30 Noriko Higashi A review of the May 10 City Night Survey was held. 20 people gathered at LPA on Friday night to discuss the lighting in the newest spot, Azabudai Hills.We did the review of the May 10 Azabudai Hills & Toranomon Hills Station Tower City Night Survey. The leaders of the groups summarized their opinions and made presentations using photos of the heroes and villain of each group. The report from each group seemed to have more heroes than the past town walks.I would like to report some common points and notable contents from each group’s presentation ■Media ceiling behind the eaves of Toranomon Hills Station Tower　Most of the teams had never seen a media ceiling before and highly evaluated it as an interesting new landmark. Some commented that the ceiling’s moving projections led visitors’ viewpoints upward, making the space appear larger. The digital lighting is very symbolic and suitable for the entrance of a new city which makes it deserve to be a hero. ■Azabudai Hills Landscape LightingA slightly darker lighting scheme that makes people naturally want to visit the brightly lit storefronts in the back of the building. The approach to the commercial area is less bright, making the store facade more conspicuous. The uplighting of trees, which usually tends to be a villain, was also well-lit, although there were some too dazzling spots depending on the type of tree. Opinions about the lighting at the…

“Let’s light up the way to the shrine!” Collaborated with Ito Architectural Sudio.2024.07.13 Noriko Higashi We are invited by Ito Achitecutral Studio and held a children workshop in Omishima Island, Ehime Prefecture. We thought about how we could make the approach at night a beautiful and comfortable space with the children. A children’s workshop of the Ito Juku, which is led by architect Toyo Ito, was held in Omishima, Ehime Prefecture. Mr. Mende and I participated in the workshop as instructors. The theme was “Let’s light up the way to the shrine!” Before the Seto-Ohhashi Bridge was opened, the sole means of transportation to Omishima was by boat. Consequently, the pathway connecting the port to Oyamazumi Shrine on the island used to be very busy. Nowadays, visitors cross the bridge by car and park their cars in the parking lot next to the shrine, so the approach to the shrine is rarely visited and became sparsely populated and quiet. Various efforts are being made to revive the bustle of the approach to the shrine, and this children workshop was one of them. 15 elementary school students from Imabari City joined this workshop and some children came from the neighborhoods, while others rode the bus from outside the island. First, Mr. Mende explained what lighting can do and what kind of light sources are available. He also darkened the room and had the participants look at actual light sources and their…

2024.05.16 – 05.19 Mari Kubota+ Noriko Higashi Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is one of the world’s major port cities. In recent years, it has also gained fame as a hub for tourism and film. We surveyed the lighting in Busan, which is also a member of LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International). South Korea is a close neighbor, just 1.5 hours from Tokyo by plane, making it a popular destination for quick and affordable trips. Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, is not only a tourist destination but also a major port and an entertainment center, hosting film festivals. As a member of LUCI, Busan has been focusing on urban lighting as part of its urban planning. In 2015, the city developed an extensive overview of its nightscapes, resulting in the Busan Urban Light Policy for 2030. This policy has been updated several times, reflecting the city’s ongoing efforts in implementation and improvement. The guidelines divide Busan into several zones, each with lighting tailored to its specific characteristics.We traveled to Busan to assess whether the city’s lighting contributes to safety, beauty, attractiveness, and the local economy at night. ■Jagalchi Market Jagalchi Market is South Korea’s largest seafood market, selling both fresh and dried fish. After purchasing seafood on the first floor, visitors can have it cooked and served on the second floor. The market attracts many tourists. White lights are used to illuminate the seafood, making it look as…

Nightscape in Jingmai Mountain2023.12.08 – 12.13 Kyoko Takubo + Hongna Chen Located on the southwest border of China, Jingmai Mountain is the birthplace of Pu’er tea, where the indigenous people have created an ancient tea forest cultural landscape, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023.While working on the project, we became interested in the local culture. So we decided to survey the villages at night and to observe and report the impact of tourism development on the local nightscape. ■Introduction Visiting Jingmai Mountain isn’t easy. First, spend the night in Kunming, then leave early morning for the destination by plane or train.We had planned to fly from Langcang Jingmai airport, but our flight was suddenly cancelled. So we had to travel to Pu’er by train and grab a cab to Jingmai Mountain.During our stay, we were based in Huimin Town where our project TEA CELLAR is located. We visited Nuogang Village, Wengji Village, and Jingmai Village to observe the people’s daily life and the nightscape there. ■ Nuogang Village Nuogang Village is a historic village of the Dai tribe, where the villagers have maintained their traditional lifestyle. The first floor of the house, with its distinctive gabled roof, is used for tea production and for the teahouse. The second floor with a tiled roof is a living space.The owner of the teahouse told us that the first floor is open to guests and the family…

2024.02.06-02.12 Masafumi Yamamoto + Yuki Ito We visited Alaska at the beginning of February. The purpose was to investigate the light environment in the Arctic under the theme of ‘Mother Nature’, focusing on urban areas, living environments, Eskimo life, and the wilderness. In this study, we stayed in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, and Fairbanks, a citysurrounded by nature. In Fairbanks, we stayed at a lodge in the mountains and observed the northern lights. ■Arctic City After noon in Fairbanks, a city as close to the Arctic Circle as you can reach. The weather is clear. The sun has risen close to the horizon and is about to set. Houses and trees cast long shadows on the ground. It is a beautiful scene, as if I had dipped the tip of my paintbrush in dark blue watercolor paint and carefully traced a stroke on a white canvas covered with snow. The temperature here is minus 20°C (68°F). Still, I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. The temperature can reach minus 40°C (-40°F) during the harshest season, while the four seasons are rich in variety. The temperature drops even further when the wind blows. This is the kind of Alaska I wanted to visit. The flora and fauna live in such a harsh natural environment. Human life right next to them. We would like to investigate the lighting culture while unraveling the reasons for this. ■Closing…

We had our third “Lounge Talk with Mr. Mende and Friends” live streamed on YouTube.The theme was “Light on the waterfront. We delivered an enjoyable one-hour talk with Mr. Hidenobu Jinnai, a guest who was perfect for the theme. The third installment of “Lounge Talk withMr.Mende and Friends” was held after a year’s absence. We invited architectural historian, Mr. Hidenobu Jinnai as a guest and delivered a one-hour talk live. Mr. Jinnai has been researching waterside urban planning for many years, having studied in Venezia after graduating from university. Whenever the theme of the Lighting Detectives’ events has been waterfront lighting, we have always invited Mr. Jinnai and asked for his opinions. In this episode, He reviewed the Lighting Detectives’ practical lecture series, the Sumida River houseboat tour in 1996, and an interview in 1998 in which he asked the audience to predict the nightscape of Tokyo in 2050, as well as the proposal for Tokyo waterside lighting created by the LPA for the “2050” exhibition held in 2016. He reviewed the “Tokyo Nightscape Proposal” that LPA created for that exhibition, and discussed his vision for the future of waterside lighting and which areas have great potential. In the preliminary meeting, we had talked about ending the live stream in about 45 minutes, but the conversation kept going, and Mr. Mende and Mr. Jinnai seemed to be able to talk forever, but since it was a one-hour program, we ended…

2023.08.26　Hikaru Kimurar＋Noriko Higashi Hida Furukawa is located in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture and is a basin surrounded by mountains. A city walk was held to explore the streets with white walls that have remained since ancient times, temples and the clear Setogawa River where about 1,000 carp swim. Participants were given flashlights and conducted a lighting experiment to consider the night view of Hida Furukawa. In response to a request from Hida City to “create a nightscape that the citizens of Hida can be proud of,” we held a town walk and lighting experiment with the people of Hida Furukawa. The town of Furukawa has old temples, sake breweries, and clear streams, all within walking distance. The streets have retained their Japanese architectural structure, preserving their classic beauty. 18 participants and we walked through the town, gazing at the Furukawa at night.（Hikaru Kimura)  The Lecture by Lighting Detectives Before embarking on a city walk, Mr. Mende gave a lecture on the importance of nighttime landscaping and lighting in urban development. Members Higashi and Kimura also explained the Lighting Detectives’ method of walking around the city at night and taught how to use an illuminance meter and flashlight. Afterwards, the mayor of Hida City shared his thoughts on night views through a conversation with Mr. Mende. The mayor’s wish was summed up in one phrase: “I want to create a nightscape that the people of Hida Furukawa will be…

City Night Survey- Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2023.11.25 – 11.29 Angkana Kongchatri (Tan)+Momoko Muraoka Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand which has special atmosphere tracing from Lannar kingdom period. Tan from Bangkok and Momoko from Tokyo traveled to the city for a survey. ■Back ground of the survey The lantern festival in Chiang Mai has been getting very high attention from international tourists since a couple of decades ago. Due to its visual appeal, the festival has become an explosively hot tourist spot and activity. As number of tourists raise up, the negative side of the festival also becoming a serious issue, such as the risks of fire and abandoned trashes which cause suffering to local people. In this SNS era, the speed and frequency of exchanging information has become extremely heavy than ever. When very local culture gets intensive attention from unidentified crowds, then the one to retain the culture need to face and respond the troubles to come with the anonymous attention which is also happening on the lantern festival in Chiang Mai. Festivals with lights are attractive. However, overlooking the wastes happening materially and culturally cannot be accepted anymore. Through this survey, we aim to observe not only the bright side but also the problems and struggles behind which could relate with many other traditional lighting festivals. We believe that the approach could bring another layer of depth for the lighting detective activity with…

Symbiosis of beautiful starry sky and light environment 2024.03.10　Noriko Higashi The Yaeyama Islands became the first island in Japan to be certified as a starry sky protected area. However it’s still only tentatively certified because about 2% of the outdoor lighting still needs to be improved. How should we think about the nighttime scenery in order to protect the starry sky and to make the night comfortable for local residents? We had a discussion with the citizens along with the Mayor of Ishigaki. Thank you for joining us, Ishigaki! The Yaeyama Islands, including Ishigaki Island, are the first area in Japan to be certified by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA, Arizona) as a starry sky protection area. The Yaeyama Islands are provisionally certified because there are still some outdoor lights that need to be renovated. Through the symposium and walking around the town with local people, we explored what kind of nighttime scenery is needed in Ishigaki, where the night sky remains precious dark and tourism is a major industry. ■Symposium “Symbiosis of beautiful starry sky and light environment” was the theme of the lecture by Mr. Mende and tripartite discussion with Mr. Yoshitaka Nakayama, Mayor of Ishigaki City and Ms. Yoko Akagi, General Manager of Ishigaki Island Beach Hotel Sunshine, who is practicing hotel construction in consideration of light pollution. Looking back on the past light pollution countermeasures in the Yaeyama Islands, they exchanged opinions on how to…

Let’s think about the importnace of even the smallest light in the dark 2023.11.25-26　　Sachiko Segawa＋Noriko Higashi＋Mami Kono Nakanoya, a 119-year-old private house, and participants こどもワークシWe have held several “Irori (hearth)” gatherings at the Children’s Workshop as a way to experience the darkness, and we have always been thinking about the idea of spending the night in an old private house.The workshop was designed to fully engage all five senses, with the expectation thatr spending the night using as little electricity as possible and only small lights would reveal something different from the usual.This year’s children’s workshop was held in an old house in Otaki Town, Chiba Prefecture, under the theme “Let’s think about the importance of small lights in the dark!For these few years, we could not hold the event due to the COVID-19, or when we did hold it, we didn’t get opportunities to have time talking with the children. This year, however, we decided to have an overnight program to spend time with the children to feel the light. 6 children, ranging from 5 years old to 2nd grade elementary school students, gathered and enjoyed the workshop. The children designed lanterns freely with pens and cellophane This old house, called Nakanoya, has a thatched roof and the Irori hearth. In order to spend the night without relying on modern lighting as much as possible, we first made lanterns. The children made the lanterns by drawing pictures and pasting…

Lighting Survey: Nepal 2023.11.12 – 2023.11.14Mayumi Banno Xianyu Liu (Flower) Kathmandu Valley, a World Heritage Site encompassing Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur; how is the city faring now after the devastating earthquake of 2015? During Tihar, Nepal’s festival of lights, we visited the capital city of Kathmandu and the adjacent ancient city of Bhaktapur. ■IntroductionHow are Nepal’s cities faring after the 2015 earthquake? During Tihar, Nepal’s festival of lights, we visited the capital city of Kathmandu and the adjacent ancient city of Bhaktapur to explore the reconstruction and the lighting environment during the festival. From the plane overlooking the whole of Nepal, shocked by the twinkling lights of the stars. Nepal is a country with a high national happiness index, but it is also very poor. But when I saw this from the plane, I was surprised, I thought Nepal would have no lights, or very little lights. Later, I heard local people say that because it is the New Year, every family will prepare the colored lights, decoration, and create a lively atmosphere. (Flower) ■KathmanduKathmandu is located at an altitude of about 1,400 meters. In mid-November, when we visited, the days were hot and sunny, but the nights were cooler than 10 degrees Celsius. The city was filled with the hustle and bustle of the Hindu festival of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and happiness, to pray for wealth and health, and the New Year who live in this region….

Lights in Izumo, Illuminating Cultural Values 2023.11.22-11.24　Masashi Kurobe+ Yuta Shibata The Izumo region has a long history and culture since the establishment of villages in the Yayoi period and the birth of Izumo Province. The Iwami region is a port town with hot springs that has existed since the Middle Ages including the town named Yunotsumachi which was developed as an outer port for the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, which is registered as a World Heritage site. What kind of light you can find in these two areas where rich history and culture of Shimane Prefecture remain? Can lighting enhance their cultural values? We investigated the light environment as well as the cultural background. Seven sacred straw woven cord (himorogi) are placed in a sacred space with shimenawa (sacred straw ropes) and a dragon serpent god who leads of the gods is positioned facing the sea Several floodlights illuminate the entire beach, beautiful when reflected in the waves The sign for the Kamimukae Festival just barely legible by the light of the wooden lanterns ■Introduction The towns of Izumo and Iwami Yunotsumachi in Shimane Prefecture have a long history and a variety of cultures since the birth of Izumo Province. We investigated what kind of light can be seen in the spark of the culture, as well as its historical and cultural background. This survey also made us, who have lived in cities for a long time, think about the…

City Night Survey – Taipei & Taichung, Taiwan 2023.10.30 – 11.04　Genki Watanabe＋Hikaru Kimura Office of the Governor-General Taiwan is geographically close to Japan and has deep historical ties. It is famous for its skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and, more recently, for buildings designed by Japanese architects. Renovations of old buildings are also being actively undertaken. We investigated how the mixture of old and new influences the light and human activity in the cities of Taipei and Taichung. Taipei and Taichung The capital of Taiwan, “Taipei” is characterized by world-class skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and streetscapes that retain historical architecture. In addition to new buildings, there are also many renovations of existing buildings, creating a city with a mixture of old and new architecture. Taichung has become the second largest city in Taiwan in terms of population in 2017 as a result of government-led urban development efforts in recent years to disperse the over concentration of the metropolis in Taipei.We investigated how Taichung, planned as a compact city, affects the city’s light and human activity, and how it differs from Taipei’s light. The nightscape of Old City (west side) from Taipei 101 Taipei’s Urban Area Taipei’s urban area can be roughly divided into two areas. The west side of the city is the Old City, where historical buildings still remain. Many important political centers are still located on the west side, and historical buildings are still used as administrative…

2023.08.02 – 2023.08.04　Yumi Honda＋Sachiko Segawa The theme of this survey is “lighting on boats since ancient times”. Cormorant fishing on the Nishiki River in Iwakuni has been practiced for about 400 years. The Kangensai Festival at Miyajima Island has been held since the Heian period (794-1192). We investigated the relationship between water, light, and people in these two different areas. ■Iwakuni　The Light of Cormorant Fishing, an Ancient Fishing MethodCormorant fishing has been practiced on the Nishiki River in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for about 400 years. The cormorant fishing is still enjoyed today by taking a pleasure boat ride from the foot of Kintai-kyo Bridge, one of the three most famous bridges in Japan. The day we visited was a weekday in mid-summer, and the daytime crowds were sparse, but in the evening, people began to gather along from somewhere the riverbank and board the cormorant fishing boats. In western Japan in summer, it is still light even at 18:00. Looking at the sightseeing boats from the bridge, I could see people enjoying a party on the boats with lanterns hanging down. As it gradually got darker and the lights of Kintai-kyo Bridge and lanterns along the river were lit up, we slowly waited for the cormorant fishing time to start. By the time the pleasure boat landed for a break, the sun had completely set and Iwakuni-jo Castle at the top of the mountain was lit up. Finally, it…

Hong Kong Island Mid Level2023.09.05 Makalin Wongchinchai This year, Hong Kong Lighting Detectives organized a night walk event at Hong Kong Island Mid-Level. We invited some college students and designers to join us. Let’ s explore the night walk with us and see when historic lights meet. Detectives explored the special relationshipand imapct lighting in the architectural environment . The old central area of Hollywood Road in Hong Kong is well known for its rich architectural heritage, featuring a mix of Eastern and Western styles that reflects its colonial past. We have curated a route that allows us to discover some of the most significant historic and modern-day elements. In addition, a walk through the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail, where we can still find traces of his revolution left on this land. This time, we invited college students and designers . As we were exploring the historical site, we found that the route was relatively dark . Most of heritage architectures, such as medical sciences museum, Man Mo temple or the stairs during the night walk, don’t have lighting. So it makes these heritage buildings disappear at night and creates the dark area on the stairs, which makes it difficult and unsafe to walk through these stairs. The light trespass and glare are also the main issues in this area where you may know that Hong Kong is one of the cities with the most light polluted in the world….