From up above Tokyo looks like an overturn jewelry box, the night streets glitter with lights and it a fairly beautiful sight. Once back on ground, the glitter has turned harsh. It is an economically advanced nightscape, an efficient nightscape with needless light and light pollution. An aerial view of Tokyo at night. The dark area in the center of Tokyo, the Emperor`s Palace, is surrounded by clusters of lights that resemble precious stones. From this view it is unclear where Tokyo begins or ends. The Tokyo nightscape is illuminated in bright white light. Mercury lamps and florescent lights in the background of Tokyo Tower control the nightscape of this city. Old-fashioned houseboats gather in the foreground of the Odaiba District and the Rainbow Bridge.

2021.10.27　Shunichi Ikeda + Erina Hosono + Namiko Watanabe About three weeks after the state of emergency in Tokyo was lifted, we conducted our first urban night walk survey since the COVID-19 outbreak, heading to Akasaka. The area between Akasaka and Akasaka-mitsuke features both traditional establishments such as atmospheric ryotei (Japanesestyle restaurants) and neon-lit entertainment districts reminiscent of Kabukicho. At the same time, Akasaka has gained recognition as a tourist destination due to redevelopment centered around Akasaka Sacas. We surveyed the nighttime environment of this area where tradition, business, and nightlife coexist. ■Aerial Nightscape of AkasakaThe central area of Akasaka lies roughly in the middle of the cluster of high-rise buildings. At first glance, the nightscape viewed from above gives a rather subdued impression, due to the lack of prominent building illuminations or large advertising towers. However, upon closer inspection, one can see clusters of commercial lights peeking through the gaps between buildings. While the limited presence of dramatic lighting or decorative illuminations may make it less visually striking, the overall effect is a calm and environmentally friendly nightscape. ■Akasaka Sacas AreaAkasaka Sacas, a multi-use complex directly connected to Akasaka Station, is usually frequented by businesspeople and shoppers. However, likely due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passersby during our survey was surprisingly low, which was unfortunate. The nighttime lighting around the base of the 179-meter-tall Akasaka Biz Tower is uniformly set to a relatively low…

A city for the young and young at heart, Shibuya. The area is composed of a mess of streets all with a different atmosphere, including a few main streets connected by narrower alleyways. Each street has developed its own personality and role, including lighting conditions to create the Shibuya night. From the scramble intersection in front of Shibuya Station, 3 distinctive roads, Dogenzaka, Center Gai, and Koen Dori radiate. After dusk, the lights come on and the personality of each street is even more clearly defined. As the title implies, Center Gai is the center of Shibuya geographically and caters to the young as the center for shopping and entertainment. This street is full of light. Each shop seems to be competing for the brightest facade with infinite amounts of luminous signage and advertising, creating a 3-dimensional playground. Dogenzaka is a festive street with a steady flow of pedestrians, but turn down one of the narrow side streets and the atmosphere changes immensely. The facades of many love hotels packed into the area are saturated with color creating a seedy blend of light and young couples prowling the Maruyama-cho area.

2024.9.9 Yonglin Ke + Kunzhi Jinag + Linxi Chen The brightness (luminance) of signage lighting is key to shape the overall lighting of a city. This survey conducted in Akihabara, a globally famous district, focused on the renowned Akihabara Electric Town (Chuo-dori), analyzing the evolution of the city’s lighting composition by comparing it to the survey from 19 years ago. ■Akihabara Electric TownAkihabara is the heart of electronics in Tokyo and a globally famous hub for otaku culture. While it is bustling with tourists daily, the colors of the signs, filled with anime and game culture, are much more diverse compared to upscale commercial areas like Ginza or other shopping districts. In 2020, Chiyoda Ward released guidelines for outdoor advertising and urban development, leading to changes in Akihabara’s streetscape. This survey investigates the current night view of Akihabara Electric Town, comparing it to a survey conducted 19 years ago. (Kunzhi Jiang) ■What kind of lights shape Akihabara?The main lighting elements in Akihabara’s key districts include streetlights, signage lighting, building façade lighting, and lighting from store entrances and spillover light.Compared to the picture from 19 years ago, the most noticeable green and red lights from EDION were not illuminated due to the store’s closure. The ONODEN sign is now an LED screen, and the surrounding lighting has a more subdued feel. Previously, the area behind the bridge was completely dark, but now, with the bright lighting from a drugstore’s interior and…

2023.07.19　Shunichi Ikeda + Masashi Kurobe + Yuta Shibata Shinjuku Kabukicho, Japan’s largest entertainment district, is a dazzling neon-lit labyrinth filled with restaurants, movie theaters, and amusement facilities. Its streets are teeming with people all night long. In recent years, however, the district has faced challenges, such as the growing presence of “Toyoko Kids” congregating in Cine City Square and engaging in criminal activities. Despite these issues, the opening of the new iconic Tokyu Kabukicho Tower has brought renewed attention to the area. As lighting detectives, we delve into the current state of Kabuki-cho, examining its lighting environment and cultural significance. ■Kabuki-cho Reborn: A Post-COVID Entertainment DistrictSeventeen years after our lighting survey in Shinjuku in 2006, Kabuki-cho has evolved from large-scale development into a global tourist hotspot. Though deserted during the 2020 state of emergency, the area is now vibrant again with the opening of Tokyu Kabuki-cho Tower. This survey revisits Kabuki-cho, comparing it with the previous survey and analyzing its changing lighting environment. ■Tokyu Kabuki-cho Tower: An All-Out Entertainment ComplexThe Tokyu Kabuki-cho Tower, a 48-story, approximately 225-meter-tall, super high-rise entertainment complex comprising a hotel, movie theater, theater, and more, opened in April 2023.Upon entering the building, I was overwhelmed by the countless glittering lights that filled the space. The small shops and narrow corridors were adorned with an excessive number of paper lanterns, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an Asian festival. Outside, the building’s digital signage, facade indirect lighting, reflected…