Did you know that there are over 1,200 members of the Lighting Detective spread across the globe?
Seeking to foster connections among our international members, who rarely have opportunities to interact, we hosted our first-ever online talk event and YouTube video feed.
For our inaugural event, we focused on the theme of “Nightscape in Your Town.” Four members from diverse locations—Swansea, Basel, Colombo, and Takamatsu—shared their unique perspectives on the night scenes of their respective cities.
Our first speaker, Howie Ruan, is a doctoral student in Swansea, a seaside city in the southeast of UK. He shared beautiful photographs capturing the daily changes in the sky, the moon’s glow, and the long blue moment in this tranquil town. His presentation conveyed a deep appreciation for the distinctive beauty of European lighting, contrasting with his hometown of Guangzhou.
Next, we heard from Michael Hübscher, a lighting designer based in Basel, Switzerland’s third-largest city. He discussed the evolution of Basel’s cityscape over its long history, as well as recent debates surrounding the sudden emergence of colorful façade lighting. I’m particularly intrigued by Basel’s unique carnival, where the city lights are extinguished and lanterns illuminate the streets.
Our third speaker was Nilusha Rajapaksha, a lighting designer based in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. She highlighted concerns about light pollution and safety in popular tourist areas of Colombo, as well as the slow pace of LED conversion for street lighting. Her insights into the decorative lighting and festivals of Sri Lankan temples, where 70% of the population is Buddhist, were also fascinating.
Finally, we heard from Masaki Kimura, a university student studying spatial design in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. Takamatsu is a city beloved by many artists, including Isamu Noguchi and George Nakashima. Masaki shared his observations on the city’s nighttime beauty, its challenges, and ideas for enhancing its cultural value. His thoughtful and detailed presentation of his hometown was truly impressive.
You can watch the full online talk on YouTube.
照明探偵団YouTube Channel
Now on Youtube！
『照明探偵団 夜景放送部～Lighting Journey～』
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new video series, “Lighting Journey: Night Scenery Broadcasting by the Lighting Detective Corps”.
Previously, we’ve been sharing our urban night scenery research through photos and text, but now we’re taking it a step further with video. Our latest videos cover investigations into the ukai (cormorant fishing) at Kintaikyo Bridge (Iwakuni), the Kangen-sai festival at Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima), and the Kagami-shinji ritual at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine (Izumo), as well as short clips from our expeditions to Alaska and Morocco.
With these videos, you can now immerse yourself in the atmosphere, dynamism, and temperature of each location through sound and movement, offering a richer experience than our still images alone.
We’ll be releasing new videos regularly, so please be sure to check them out!
Lighting Detectives YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@lightingdetectives
