2017.01.28,02/03 Yasuhiko Higaki + Nozomi Yoshida + Mahiro Akiyama +Noriko Higashi
Over two days, January 28 and February 3, the Lighting Detectives held a workshop titled “Ueno Night Park.” Ueno is home to numerous museums and a vast park that bustles with people during the day; however, at night, the foot traffic thins out, and it can hardly be called an attractive district. To find out why, we explored the area and brainstormed ideas together with participants recruited from the general public.
Ueno Night Park was launched in 2016 (Heisei 28) to create nighttime vibrancy in the area. By collaborating with various cultural facilities that are increasingly extending their evening hours, the project organizes exhibition-related events and night-themed activities. Through these “Ueno Night Park” events, we aim to establish the habit of facilities staying open late and to promote the nocturnal charms of the area—encouraging visitors to explore not just the park, but also the Ueno Station vicinity and local neighborhoods like Yanesen. (Yasuhiko Higaki)
This inaugural event was structured into two parts. The first day consisted of a Lighting Detectives orientation followed by a night walk survey with participants divided into two groups. The second day focused on evaluating and analyzing the lighting heroes and villains discovered during the walk, ultimately culminating in a lighting proposal for Ueno Park.
Night walk survey route map
Strategy meeting divided into groups
■Night 1: Group A – Around Shinobazu Pond
Group A began by exiting the main gate of the Tokyo National Museum and heading toward the main gate of Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai), keeping the Kuromon Gate to our right. We noticed a lack of unity among the streetlights, which were somewhat glaring, possibly due to different installation periods or jurisdictions. The lighting of the Kuromon Gate and the classical lamps atop the gates of the Music Department were overshadowed by these streetlights. While we couldn’t call them villains outright, the group agreed that unifying the fixtures and adjusting their brightness would be essential for creating a high-quality landscape.
Next, we walked behind the Ueno Zoo and headed toward Shinobazu Pond. Upon arrival, we found numerous food stalls lining the approach to Bentendo Temple. Many participants felt that the warm, atmospheric light leaking from these stalls, which seemed to warmly welcome visitors to the pond, was truly worthy of being called a hero.
As we moved further along the approach, we found that the Bentendo Temple was illuminated by an extremely strong orange floodlight, which dyed the surroundings orange and resulted in a disappointing landscape. When viewing the temple from a distance, the glare of the floodlight was prominent. Additionally, the signs of nearby commercial buildings and hotels were excessively conspicuous, and the entire group agreed that these were villains. While the contrast between the quiet night at Shinobazu Pond and the bustling lights of Ameya Yokocho was beautiful in its own way, the group proposed an improvement: reducing the luminance of the signage adjacent to the pond, which would still be sufficiently visible.
Finally, we circled behind Bentendo Temple to explore the area around the boat rentals. Tall, intensely glaring streetlights illuminated the paths. While the light was strong enough to read text on a bench, our eyes grew very tired during the survey. Although these lights are likely intended to improve path visibility and ensure security, we noted that the high-angle projection cast deep shadows on the faces of oncoming pedestrians, potentially reducing actual visibility. Our consensus for improvement was to eliminate the glare and change the lighting to something warmer.
In this survey, heroes were few, and villains were notably prominent. Ueno has many spots in need of lighting improvement, and I suspect there are many more heroes and villains yet to be discovered. Ueno is both the cultural heart of Tokyo and a place visited by many travelers. I strongly felt a desire to be involved in these efforts, hoping that the insights from this survey will be shared with more people to build a better urban landscape. (Mahiro Akiyama)
The Kuromon Gate, highly acclaimed as a hero
Feedback noted the extreme contrast between bright and dark areas
■Night 1: Group B – Ueno Forest
Group B departed from the Tokyo National Museum. Our first checkpoint was the illuminated Kuromon Gate. In the deepening twilight, the eaves were modestly lit from below, creating a solemn atmosphere—our first “hero” candidate. Next was the Ueshima Coffee building, where orange indirect lighting bathed the red brick walls, creating a warm wall of light. The interior light spilled out, forming a cozy pocket of illumination in the park.
As darkness fell, we headed toward the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. While the light escaping from the building was beautiful, many felt the streetlights with exposed light sources were too glaring. The light distribution was uneven, with levels reaching nearly 100 lx directly under the lamps—marking them as potential “villains.” However, a small “hero” appeared along this path: a telephone booth. Standing quietly near the old Ueno Zoo entrance, its poetic presence evoked stories of people reaching out to distant loved ones throughout the years.
Next was the approach to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. The lighting here was masterful. Lights illuminated the bushes at foot level for safety while using fixtures that remained cool to the touch. In addition to accentuating the trees, the illuminated brick walls drew visitors inward. The tree lights featured cylindrical cowls so that only the leaves and the base were highlighted.
Leaving the museum, we entered the central plaza. Only the Starbucks facing the dark plaza was bustling. Both the interior lighting and the streetlights in front were a calm, warm 2500K, providing a sufficient sense of brightness at 70 lx. The fountains were off, leaving the basin pitch black, while the National Museum glowed in the distance.
Next was the National Museum of Nature and Science, famous for the giant whale statue. However, the spotlights were aimed at the support pillars rather than the whale itself—”Poor Whale,” we thought; this was a “villain.” Since the museum wasn’t open late, it felt dim compared to the lightfilled art museum and cafes. The path from here to the Museum of Western Art is reportedly used by the Emperor, yet the lighting was inconsistent in color, brightness, and fixture design. The mercury lamps, in particular, felt cold and uninviting.
In the street between the National Museum of Western Art and the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, we found another “villain” emitting a bright, pale blue light. The greenery at the Bunka Kaikan was also overilluminated. Participants suggested ideas like using glowing glass floor blocks to unify the two historic buildings or providing more subtle light to the Western Art museum.
As our walk neared its end, we headed toward the Saigo Takamori statue via the cherry tree path. Amidst the white, glaring 5000K / 100 lx street, a single spotlight aimed at a cherry tree caught our eye. While likely beautiful during full bloom, in the winter season of bare branches, it was a blinding glare visible from the end of the street—a unanimous “villain.”
Passing the illuminated Ueno Royal Museum, we found a grove containing historical sites with no lighting at all, creating a rare and effective contrast of light and shadow. Finally, we reached the Saigo statue, only to find a large, blue illuminated tree right next to it. The group agreed: the lighting should be more composed and fitting for such a landmark. With that, our forest walk concluded. (Nozomi Yoshida)
Experiencing light level measurement for the first time
The nostalgic light from a Showa-era telephone booth
Group photo in front of the Tokyo National Museum main building
Explaining the lighting master plan for Ueno Park. 
Introducing the concept of Lighting Heroes and Villains
■Night 2: Reviewing Heroes and Villains
On the second night, we revisited our findings from the night walk survey by reviewing photos and selecting five “Lighting Heroes” and “Villains” per group. We mapped these out on a scale alongside the keywords that defined our criteria, such as “comfortable light” or “excessive glare.” Based on these evaluations, each group developed a proposal for how the future nightscape of Ueno Park should be shaped.
Group A proposed the elimination of the blinding lights surrounding Shinobazu Pond. Their plan focused on transforming the perimeter into a comfortable, inviting space for visitors to stroll around the water.
Group B created a comprehensive lighting master plan for Ueno Park. They established specific themes for various areas and proposed a clear lighting hierarchy. Some of their ideas were remarkably practical—solutions that could be implemented immediately yet would dramatically transform the landscape.
Despite the limited three-hour window, the participants remained deeply focused, engaging in heated discussions to narrow down their heroes and villains, selecting key descriptors, and sketching out their final proposals. I hope we can find an opportunity to present these findings to a wider audience, using them as a catalyst for more people to think about the future of Ueno’s nightscape. (Noriko Higashi)
The findings will ultimately be compiled into a PowerPoint presentation.
Participants putting together their presentations
Drawing a lighting design proposal on blue paper
Ueno Night Park: The Lighting Detectives descend upon Ueno!
Tokyo National Museum, Director of Design Division: Shisei Kinoshita
The Current State of Lighting at the Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Park 
In front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum: The sky still holds a blue tint, caught in the tail end of the “blue moment 
18:42 Stopping in the middle of the cherry-lined path in Ueno Park to investigate a “Villain.” 
Red sticky notes for “Heroes” and blue for “Villains.” Group B sorts and analyzes their findings, matching each case with descriptive keywords 
An overview of the presentation venue 
A sketch created for the first time in ten?! years—using colored pencils to retouch photos copied onto flock paper
■Introduction
At the end of 2016, I sent an email to Chief Mende with the proposal: “Would you be willing to conduct a night walk survey in Ueno Park?” As 2020 approached, I began to hear discussions from various quarters about turning Ueno Park into a “tourism hub where people can enjoy nightscape strolls.” However, those conversations tended to focus solely on the idea that “it’s too dark, so we should make it brighter,” and rarely reached the topic of the actual quality of light.
I felt off regarding this approach. I wondered if we could first investigate the nightscape of Ueno Park from a perspective similar to creating a nightscape and lighting master plan. That is how I consulted Chief Mende with the project plan: “The Lighting Detectives Descend upon Ueno Park.”
The proposal was to hold a nightscape tour organized by the Lighting Detectives on a late afternoon during a cold, wind-swept weekend in January or February 2017. In a Japan striving to become a tourism-oriented nation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, what kind of development is essential to make the Ueno Cultural Zone an area for weekend and evening enjoyment? What is the future form of lighting for the Tokyo National Museum’s main building? Let’s think about these things together!
As a preliminary survey, I planned for our Lighting Detectives to assemble in Ueno and walk through the current Ueno Park, utilizing various survey techniques and expertise.
■The Spatial Structure of “Ueno Park”
Within the framework of the “Ueno Night Park” project organized by “Ueno Cultural Park (Ueno Bunka-no-Mori),” the “Lighting Detectives / Descending upon Ueno Park” initiative was launched. As a premise, let’s review the layout of Ueno Park during the day.
The overall layout of Ueno Park starts right outside the JR Ueno Station Park Exit with the Ueno Royal Museum. Along the straight path toward Ueno Zoo, you find the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and the National Museum of Western Art, which is registered as a World Heritage site for its architecture by Le Corbusier.
If we call this east-west axis “Zoo Avenue,” it is intersected by a north-south axis consisting of the cherry-lined path and the Great Fountain. Serving as the visual focal point at the northern end of the fountain is the imposing Tokyo National Museum (Main Building) with its iconic tiled roof. On the wings of this axis stand the National Museum of Nature and Science to the east and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum to the west.
In short, the east-west axis from “JR Ueno Station Park Exit to Ueno Zoo” and the north-south axis from “Cherry Path/Fountain to Tokyo National Museum” form the basic skeleton of Ueno Park’s “Cultural Zone.”
By overlaying layers of time and eras around this skeleton—such as Shinobazu Pond, the Tokyo University Arts Museum, Sogakudo Concert Hall, the statue of Saigo Takamori, and the tombs of the Shogitai—various insights emerge. This project was conducted as an experiment to walk through and observe the reality of the park from dusk into the night, and then to boldly push toward creating actual lighting proposals.
■Night 1: Night Walk Survey
The Lighting Detectives have been active for 27 years. My own most active period as a member was the three years from 1996 to 1998; since then, I have continued to apply the survey skills I acquired in my daily life and during my travels. I was excited to see what discoveries we would make during this long-awaited group walk.
While the sky still held the lingering blue of the “blue moment,” we passed the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and viewed the illumination of the Tokyo National Museum across the fountain plaza before heading toward the National Museum of Nature and Science. Once past 6:00 PM, the surroundings were swallowed by darkness, and the sparse crowds created a lonely atmosphere. Upon reaching the cherry-lined path, we found three powerful spotlights illuminating pedestrians like stage lighting for no apparent reason. These were dubbed “The Bazookas” and were designated as the day’s top “villain.” It was a stark example of how infrastructure lighting, once installed, continues to criminally consume electricity until the day it is finally removed.
Participating in a night walk survey with others for the first time in a while got my blood pumping. Although I had intended to let the participants take the lead, I found myself moving around too much—demonstrating light level measurements and such. I regret overdoing it a bit, but truly, being a detective is fun!
■Night 2: Workshop at Kuroda Memorial Hall
Based on the records of “Lighting Heroes and Villains” gathered from the two different routes of Groups A and B, we engaged in discussions and formulated proposal-style summaries. While enjoying green tea provided by our official sponsor, Ito En, the atmosphere was amicable yet the discussions remained professional and thorough.
■Presentations
We reviewed the surveyed courses, from the group photo taken at the Tokyo National Museum at dusk to the final dispersal at the Saigo Takamori statue. From identifying Heroes and Villains to drafting lighting proposals, the four hours from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM felt all too short. Everyone worked with the intensity of professional lighting designers—taking photos, processing images, sketching, editing, and preparing their pitches. The presentations were fantastic, demonstrating a strong sense of unity and presenting objective, well-defined perspectives from each group of detectives.
