The Television Broadcasting Tower looks down on the orange sodium lamps overflowing from the grid patterned streets of Sapporo. While on assignment in December we were able to view the multi-colored White Illumination set up along Ohdori Park and Sappore Eki Mae Street. Looking towards Ohdori Promenade from the JR Tower. Sapporo is a beautiful city at twilight with orange light from the streets to set off the blue-tinted snow-topped roofs. The tree-lined street, Sapporo Ekimae Avenue is a sight to see with its unique style of looping lights over tree branches. Visitors with cameras and mobile phones converge on the decorated Ohdori Promenade. Sapporo Television Tower, similar to Tokyo Tower and Nagoya Tower, and all designed by the same architect, is also illuminated with the same type of sodium lamp.

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…

Rich in local history and cultural facilities, Ueno Park covers a large area in the middle of Tokyo. Even though located in an urban setting, we anticipated a lighting environment completely different than the lights of downtown. Between the trees and darkness of the park there are patches of Tokyo`s bright night sky, but the hushed silence is isolated from the city`s hustle and bustle. Ueno Park`s quiet presence gently sleeps next to Tokyo`s vibrant downtown. Approaching Ueno Park from the JR train station.　　The large overhang of the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is brightly illuminated in contrast to the surrounding darkness of the park. A view o f northern Tokyo over the Shinobazu Pond from an elevated Ueno terrace. The bright lights of a vibrant downtown are seen in the distance beyond the dark trees of the park. However, through the darkness a bright, orange, sodium lamp illuminates the Benten Shrine near the pond. Looking towards the water fountain plaza from the Tokyo National Museum. A slightly bright night sky, characteristic of most metropolitan areas, opens over head with a dark belt of trees and tiny dots of light below. Young couples seeking a quiet spot away from the lights, snuggle up together on near benches.

In the heart of Tokyo, Nihonbashi River lies hidden under a system of highway overpasses and the Sumida River is wide and commanding and it cuts through the city. With a variety of bridges, both rivers assert their own unique presence in the Tokyo cityscape. On our own river tour, we encountered the particular water and lightscapes surrounding the bridges and shores of each river. The newly built Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower next to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge. This is the first skyscraper in the Nihonbashi area and as the sun sets, the facade detail is elegantly illuminated. At the historical Nihonbashi District, a variety of lighting methods are on parade, but the highway overpasses keep most of the river hidden from view. Rumors of reconstructing the highway system underground would help revive the scenery along the Nihonbashi River. The main structure of the Chuo-Ohbashi Bridge is beautifully illuminated. The many bridges along the Sumida River compete with each other for top beauty marks, as each is illuminated in a multitude of colors.

Tokyo Survey: Tsukuda / Tsukishima 2019.11.18　　Kyoko Takubo+Yuichi Anzai+Namiko Watanabe An overview of Tsukishima. In contrast to the bright large city buildings, the small alleys and storefronts don’t leak much light Tsukuda is an fisherman island made in Edo-period. Tsukishima was landfilled in Meiji era and now there are still many row houses and small alleys. While the port area of Tokyo is going through mass redevelopment, we investigated the lighting environment of this area filled with intermingling old town houses and large city buildings. Tsukuda Tsukuda 1Chome Mainstreet. Children playing outside the old candy store Tsukuda 1 Chome Mainstreet is mainly lit with mercury lamps Tsukuda Machikado Museum. Its lit with LED3000K with about 134lx. Our investigation started by taking an overview photo from a tall building from the other side of the river. With the hustle and bustle bright lights from the Central area’s cityscape, there was one part that was dark- that is our target of this investigation, Tsukuda・Tsukishima. The dark patch from this area is even more pronounced as it is surrounded by the bright city lights all around.   As we get back on the ground, we headed towards Tsukuda 1 chome (Old Tsukuda Island) Mainstreet. On our way we saw the mercury lamp streetlights (4500K) emitting some green tinted white light. The average brightness was around 11lx. In the day you could still see a nostalgic scene with children playing outside the old candy store…