2018/04/06 Naoko Oguchi + Shinichi Sakaguchi + Daisuke Miura + Wenyuan Zhang
Night Walk Map
Jiyugaoka, a neighborhood renowned for being fashionable. Each street has a name, such as Jiyudori, Gakuen-dori, Marie Claire-dori, Maple-dori, and Megami-dori. They are lined with a high concentration of shops selling miscellaneous goods, cafes, and sweets that make you want to stop and browse.
We investigated whether the nighttime lighting was as stylish as the neighborhood’s reputation. Jiyugaoka also ranks high on lists of “most desirable places to live.” This time, we conducted a Night Walk Survey on the various streets extending from Jiyugaoka Station, focusing on their “stylish” appeal.
Member Oguchi Explaining the Night Walk Survey Overview 
Hiro Street, which received many votes as a hero 
Streetlights Attached to Residences on Shirakaba Street 
In the side alleys, there were also small streets that felt like you were being drawn in by the light of the paper lanterns 
The Unbalanced Streetlights of Green Street 
People Relaxing on Benches on Green Street 
Street light at residential area (4300K、19lux at ground level) 
Too many spotlights were installed on the wall surface 
The Get-together After the Night Walk Survey
■Team A (Shirakaba Street, Gakuen Street, Residential Area)
Team A first walked along Shirakaba Street, a small path between the station rotary. It’s a street where old and new stores coexist, and we saw a rare sight in Japan: old-style streetlights attached directly to the walls of residences. The color temperature of the light from the streetlights, signs, and shops was high and created a glaring impression, but it did provide a sense of security for walking.
Next, we walked along Gakuen Street. The light from the facades of each store gave a calm impression with their warm, incandescent colors, but the regularly spaced streetlights had been replaced with high-color-temperature LED sources with strong glare, which detracted from the scenery. However, we felt that the glare from the streetlights was slightly reduced when the ratio of light from the facades was higher.
The streetlights on Sunset Alley, a small street off Gakuen Street, had also been replaced with highcolor- temperature LEDs, but they used full-cutoff-type pole heads that only shine downward, which was a nice consideration to prevent glare for pedestrians. We also found that the warm light spilling out from the tenants softly illuminated the street, creating a comfortable brightness.
The only residential area we passed through didn’t feel particularly unique to Jiyugaoka; the lighting environment was similar to what you’d find in any other city. We felt that if there were more andon-like lanterns with soft light, the night paths would be more pleasant.
Finally, on Hiro Street, we noticed that the streetlights had signs with the street’s arc-shaped name, which created a clear outline for the street and showed a clear design intention.
Jiyugaoka is a place where various cultures coexist, with cutting-edge stores changing rapidly alongside a surprising number of older residences. This Night Walk Survey gave us an opportunity to reconsider the impression of it as a “stylish neighborhood” from a lighting perspective. (Naoko Oguchi)
■Team B (Megami Street, Cattleya Street)
While we expected every street in Jiyugaoka to be unique, we found that although the types of streetlights varied, the color temperatures were mostly high, and the streets were filled with white light. I felt that most people would prefer a warmer color, but personally, I thought this was acceptable for streets with a lot of vehicle traffic (though I still think a warmer color would be better for streets without cars). We noticed that the small alleys connecting the main streets also had highcolor-temperature streetlights. I felt that these could definitely be changed to a warmer color.
However, these alleys had a nice atmosphere compared to the main streets, probably because of the clever use of brick and cobblestone pavement. I think the atmosphere would change considerably just by altering the pavement (the same is true for train platforms). I wish the streetlight color temperature was decided in conjunction with the pavement.
We felt that individual shops, perhaps to maintain the “Jiyugaoka brand,” had warm, attractive lighting that drew people in, especially those who are sensitive to fashion and trends. Recently, urban development projects around stations have been undertaken in various places, such as near Toranomon Hills and Kashiwanoha Campus, where we previously conducted a Night Walk Survey.
In that sense, I felt that Jiyugaoka is a city from the Showa era, and in a way, it feels a little dated. You can feel this atmosphere on the streets near the station that are lined with old department stores and pubs. Personally, I have the impression that Jiyugaoka has lost some of its former energy. I wonder how it will change in the future. Jiyugaoka has moved from the Showa era to the Heisei era and now into the new one. It’s a city whose future changes I’m looking forward to. (Shinichi Sakaguchi)
■Team C (Marie Claire, Green Street)
Team C was in charge of the area south of Jiyugaoka Station. We conducted a Night Walk Survey to determine which street we thought was the most stylish, with each member looking for their favorite street and the reasons behind their choice. Our route started at Jiyugaoka Station, took us through Marie Claire Street, Jiyu Street, Suzukake Street, Green Street, and finally Hiro Street before returning to the station.
Each street in Jiyugaoka has its own character. The atmosphere changes dramatically as you move from one street to the next, with different streetlight designs and color temperatures, so it was never boring. We found it quite difficult to select the most stylish street because a change in perspective— whether we were up close or far away—could make a hero turn into a villain. In a town where heroes and villains are chaotically mixed, our team members recommended Marie Claire Street and Green Street, among others. We also felt that beyond the entire town and its main streets, the unique lighting designs and ingenuity of the shops scattered throughout Jiyugaoka—even in the small alleys off the main roads—captured the true essence of Jiyugaoka.
Overall, Jiyugaoka feels like a city that has developed naturally over time. New shops stand alongside old ones, a single street away from a quiet residential area. Near the station, fashionable hair salons sit next to cram schools, and in between, people hold cherry blossom viewing parties while looking at the station. Stylish commercial spaces and everyday life exist here without borders, and we felt that Jiyugaoka’s “style” comes from how all these different lights come together to create the town.
If you’re interested, you might find it fun to conduct a Night Walk Survey in Jiyugaoka—a fascinating town where heroes and villains exist in chaos—to find your own favorite street. (Daisuke Miura)
■Team D (Maple Street, Suzukake Street)
Team D walked along Wakakusa Street, Shirakaba Street, Maple Street, and Suzukake Street. The lighting cleverly used different color temperatures to match the vibrant atmosphere of the low-rise commercial buildings and the calm of the upscale residential area, highlighting the beauty of the lush, green streets.
On Maple Street, the lighting was mostly low-color-temperature, which created a sense of unity. Many buildings had spotlights and bracket lights to illuminate their facades, which created a lively and glamorous atmosphere for the entire street. However, there were some areas with an excessive number of spotlights, mixing high-color-temperature lights into the low-color-temperature spaces. For example, a patio that many of us considered a “hero” had small, sparkling LED lights that were integrated with the interior lights (2700K and 50 lux on the ground), but spotlights with a color temperature of 4000K and a ground illuminance of 320 lux were also placed nearby, causing a glare. After a while, Maple Street turns into a quiet residential area. Here, the lighting was used to create a harmonious atmosphere between the greenery and the architecture by using spike-type spotlights to illuminate the trees. However, the high-color-temperature streetlights still stood out starkly in the dim surroundings and felt like a very disappointing villain.
Suzukake Street had relatively few commercial buildings, but thanks to unique shops with ethnic or traditional Japanese styles, the atmosphere was dramatic with a comfortable level of darkness.
Overall, it seemed that each shop and building was designed with lighting in mind. The charm of Jiyugaoka might be the drama between architecture and people that arises from the contrast and harmony of light and lush greenery. (Wenyuan Zhang)
