2018 Activities and Goal!

Praha, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a one of the European cities with several buildings, streets, and city features preserved from the middle ages,　and a very popular destination for tourists. The city, also famous for its many steeples and ｓｐｉｒｅｓ, is referred to as the City of a 100 Steeples. Around the city, streetlamps have been changed to LED fixtures and LEDs are used in flood lighting as well. This is a city to watch for future shifts and movement in the lighting environment. The Prague Castle is a complex of several architectural structures and is one of the oldest castles in the world. Several flood lights mounted on the ground and on roof tops uniformly illuminate the castle facade. From the opposite bank of the Valtava River, the entire castle is visible through a light mist. In the old town, milky-white globe lanterns line the streets. From afar the city seems to be surrounded in an orange haze. Wenceslas Square is situated in the new town of Praha. The middle ages atmosphere is preserved in the plaza, but several modern structures are also built. Along with several pole streetlights, bright luminous signage also stands out in the plaza.

08 January, 2011 The collective theme for the Lighting Detectives this year is “gathering.” To start off the New Year, club members gathered to visit the seven shrines of good fortune near Nihonbashi, Tokyo. While the pilgrimage is called “The Seven Shrines of Good Fortune,” there are actually Eight as the God of Fishermen, good fortune, commerce, and honest labor, Ebisu, is enshrined in two of the shrines along the tour. The group gathered just before dusk at Suitengu Shrine. From there we visited Matsushima Shrine, Suehiro Shrine, Kasama-inari Shrine, Suginomori Shrine, Takarata Ebisu Shrine, Koami Shrine, and Ochanoki Shrine. With map in hand, the detectives set off to discover what kind of lighting environments each shrine portrayed. The back streets along the way were dim and we had to stop under the fluorescent street lamps every so often to check our progress. Seven Gods of Good Fortune Walking Tour of Nihonbashi Suitengu Matsushima Shrine Suehiro Shrine Kasama-inari Shrine Suginomori Shrine Takarata Ebisu Shrine Koami Shrine Ochanoki Shrine The Seven Gods of Good Fortune City Walk Route Three Lighting Detectives Select the Most Impressive Shrines on the Tour Lanterns hung along the streets near Suitengu Shrine The soft lantern light along the main street is very striking, but all over lighting elements are not to the human-scale, but for traffic safety. Street lights, window light from bars and small eateries, and moonlight guided our way. 1. Detective Fujimoto: Koami Shrine…

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.

Date of Issue: 30 October, 2023-Activity 1 / City Night Survey : Iwakuni ＆Miyajima, Japan（2023.08.02-04） City Night Survey : Iwakuni ＆Miyajima, Japan 2023.08.02 – 2023.08.04　Yumi Honda＋Sachiko Segawa The theme of this survey is “lighting on boats since ancient times”. Cormorant fishing on the Nishiki River in Iwakuni has been practiced for about 400 years. The Kangensai Festival at Miyajima Island has been held since the Heian period (794-1192). We investigated the relationship between water, light, and people in these two different areas. ■Iwakuni　The Light of Cormorant Fishing, an Ancient Fishing MethodCormorant fishing has been practiced on the Nishiki River in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for about 400 years. The cormorant fishing is still enjoyed today by taking a pleasure boat ride from the foot of Kintai-kyo Bridge, one of the three most famous bridges in Japan. The day we visited was a weekday in mid-summer, and the daytime crowds were sparse, but in the evening, people began to gather along from somewhere the riverbank and board the cormorant fishing boats. In western Japan in summer, it is still light even at 18:00. Looking at the sightseeing boats from the bridge, I could see people enjoying a party on the boats with lanterns hanging down. As it gradually got darker and the lights of Kintai-kyo Bridge and lanterns along the river were lit up, we slowly waited for the cormorant fishing time to start. By the time the pleasure boat landed…

Interviewer: Kunzhi Jiang Jiang: Today I’d like to talk about “Cinema Lighting.”  I think cinema lighting is very important.  For example, I recently watched “The Godfather,”  and felt that light and shadow in cinema can really reveal various conditions of human psychology.  Especially senses with intense contrast, light and shadow help create a very tense situation. Mende: Yes, there are many dark scenes in this film.  It is an impressive example of using light to symbolize human emotion. Jiang: Yes.  I was really impressed with how light is focused on the left side of the screen and the right side gradually becomes dark.  I felt this represents the two-sided nature and internal turmoil of the characters.  What kind of movies do you like? Mende: I like films of various genres, but I was really moved by the French movie “Diva.”  The use of natural light is beautiful.  The softness and warmth of natural light really dictates the atmosphere of this film. Jiang: This sounds like a film with many great scenes. I am curious about the balance of light and shadow. By the way, films by the Taiwanese director, Edward Yang, are also very impressive.  Lighting melts into the quiet everyday scenes of his films in a way that is very easy. Mende: Taiwanese films certainly have a unique charm.  Particularly, natural light is skillfully used to create detailed scenes and atmospheres, unable to be reproduced with artificial lighting. Jiang: “A Brighter Summer…