The Marunouchi district in the center of Tokyo has been transformed in recent years from a business and financial center to the latest redevelopment to intertwine commercial and office space. Our survey started in Marunouchi, as we closed in on the infamous Tokyo Tower to view the sprawling Tokyo nightscape. Marunouchi Central Street is enclosed on both sides by buildings all at the same height of 31 meters. Facade lighting and streetlights throw an even light over the street, creating a flat nightscape with no rhythm of light and shadow. Quite possibly occupying the staring role in the production of the Tokyo nightscape is the Tokyo Tower. The ironworks structure of this tower is illuminated from underneath, beautifully generating a glowing symbol for the city. At 250 meters, looking down on Tokyo from the tower is a beautiful site. Glare is blinding and there is no visible unified pattern to the lights of Tokyo, but lights twinkle all over the city and continue as far as the horizon. Things always look better from a distance and the Tokyo nightscape is one of them!

Singapore Archifest 20252025.07.18 Josephine Kwan As part of the annual architecture festival in Singapore, Archifest 2025 invited us to host a special Lighting Detectives session in the East Coast.The Katong–Joo Chiat district, celebrated for its rich history, heritage, vibrant food scene, and evolving lifestyle, became our exploration ground. ■ IntroductionWith a total of thirty participants comprising both industry professionals and those from outside the field, we embarked on two routes to uncover the night time charm of this Peranakan cultural enclave — a place whose unique character and timeless beauty continue to capture the hearts of many. ■ History of Katong-Joo Chiat DistrictIn the early 20th century, members of the wealthy Peranakan community began moving out of the crowded city areas such as Telok Ayer, Ann Siang, and Tanjong Pagar. They sought peaceful, more spacious suburban residences in the East Coast — particularly in Katong-Joo Chiat — where land was more affordable and the sea was close by. In Katong-Joo Chiat, Peranakans built rows of houses and shophouses featuring distinctive Peranakan architectural details: intricate façade tiles, vibrant colours, ornate wood carvings, and floral motifs. Many of these homes served a dual purpose — both as family residences and as small businesses, such as beadwork ateliers, bakeries, and houseware shops. As more Peranakan families settled in, Katong-Joo Chiat blossomed into a thriving cultural enclave. Temples, kopitiams (coffeeshops), tailors, and food vendors reflected the vibrant Nyonya traditions, while festivals, weddings, and rituals…

Interviewer: Satomi Yamaguchi Mende：So, today’s topic of conversation is “What is your favorite season of the year?” So… What is your favorite season of the year? Yamaguchi：Spring.  Especially early spring.  Plants are shooting up, budding cherry blossoms, trees covered in pastel pink flowers.  It makes me feel so excited.  Mende：You could almost say late winter.  Where did you grow up?  Did you wait out long, dark winters for springtime? Yamaguchi：I am from Tokyo.  Since I take care of many plants, I have really become more conscious of the seasons.  What is your favorite season of the year? Mende：When I was growing up it was probably summer.   During the last few years of elementary school I took up playing music, after that I really began to enjoy the fall.  The turning of colors and preparations for the long and lonely winter ahead is very moving.  I think I’m a romanticist.  The fish tail rows of light, fluffy clouds are very different from the aggressive thunder clouds of the summer season.  These clouds reveal the first glimpses of autumn.  Although, I really don’t dislike any season of the year, which is my real answer, but I do love the cultural atmosphere of the fall season.  I think it is the real season of love.  Yamaguchi：I think the saying goes that people fall in love and the spring and break up in the autumn.   Mende：When I was younger I never liked the confused…

Date of Issue：03 July, 2019 ・Activity1／Vol.57 Night Walk：ＴＸ（Tsukuba Express）Area （05/12/2017） ・Activity2／Vol.55 Round Table Discussion （05/29/2017） 照明探偵団通信第80号　Download PDF Vol.57 Night Walk：ＴＸ（Tsukuba Express）Area The last developed major railway in the capital region, Tsukuba Express – The lighting for the development of railway line succeeded? 05/12/2017　Satoshi Tamura + Yusuke Wakata + Sinichi Sakaguchi + Tomoya Furukawa More than 10 years have passed since Tsukuba Express (EX) was opened in 2005. The areas along the railway line, where used to be vacant sites at EX opening time, are being developed. We explored the towns along the railway and new shopping mall to find out how the new towns have been developed from vacant sites, and how the urban lighting has been designed. Kashiwanoha-campus Station : T-site Apartment in Kashiwanoha : Does it affect for the balconies? Kashiwanoha : Temporary lighting with 3000K for the boundary wall of construction site Nagareyama-ōtakanomori SC : It’s new and we liked the overall lighting Nagareyama : The dark road in the old residential area ■Group A : Kashiwanoha-campus Station We walked around Kashiwanoha-campus Station. (Station square→LaLaport→Mitsui Garden Hotel→High-rise apartment area→T site→Station square) This area was designed as “Smart City”, and uniform color temperature using 3000K. It looked comfortable mood, and we expected we could find a lot of Heroes. The followings are “Hero and Villain”, which we found in this city walk. The designs of light pole in the station square and at the bus stop looked nice…

Date of Issue: November 07, 2022・Activity 1/ City Night Survey : Yokohama Minato Mirai (2022.06.28)・Activity 2/ Children Workshop (2022.10.22) City Night Survey : Yokohama Minato Mirai 2022.06.28　Kouki Iwanaga+ Xiaoyi Dong+ Hikaru Kawata Yokohama Minato Mirai, which has seen rapid development in recent years with projects such as Japan’s first urban circulation ropeway “YOKOHAMA AIR CABIN” launched last spring, the cruise ship terminal “Yokohama Hammerhead,” and the prestigious Hawaiian luxury resort “The Kahala Hotel & Resort Yokohama.” The purpose was supposed to be to investigate whether the “nightscape of Minato Mirai,” which could be considered a tourism resource in itself, has been well preserved… but. ■Relationship Between Zoning and Street Lighting The Minato Mirai area, which was developed on reclaimed land around Yokohama Port, can be broadly divided into three zones: the “Central District,” the “Shinko District,” and the “Yokohama Station East Exit District.” Among these, our survey focused on the Central District—with its high-rise buildings such as Landmark Tower and Queen’s Square Towers—and the Shinko District, which features many commercial and cultural facilities such as the Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama Hammerhead. When examining the street lighting in these two districts, it was found that the streets running parallel to the Rinko trunk road and the Metropolitan Expressway were lit with sodium-colored lamps, while the streets leading toward the port, such as Icho Street and Keyaki Street, were illuminated with streetlights at a color temperature of 4000–5000K. At first glance,…