2018 Activities and Goal!

Bali, Indonesia 25 & 26 August 2005 The Lighting Detectives in Bali? The Lighting Detectives traveled to Bali this summer for two reasons: 1. To join in the fun of the famous Bali Kite Festival and show off our luminous kites and 2. To witness the powerful Ketcha Dance and add our own lighting element to the dancer’s costumes. The Lighting Detectives have done the lightup guerrilla “illuminate and run” scheme in Japan, but this was a first to bring the event overseas and also coordinate activities with the locals. There was no running and hiding this time!! LIGHTING UP THE WIND Once an evening in Bali brought a constant humming from the sky – with the cacophony of frogs and crickets. Mesmerized. Alluring. This sound actually came from the hummers that are attached to giant Balinese kites. This memory stayed fresh. As ideas for the workshop of Lighting Detectives came in for 2005, we thought to illuminate this Balinese experience. Though invisible, the wind makes its presence on everything it touches. The kite is man’s way of the wind’s revelations. Illuminating this rhythm against the black hue of the Balinese night sky should be enchanting, magical. The main kite was flown in Sidakaria, home of the champion kite team in Bali. It was similar to the Balinese traditional kite, the Janggan (dragon). 40 x 50 feet, with a 300 feet long tail. Light sources adorned the tail. Kites made…

2023.08.26　Hikaru Kimurar＋Noriko Higashi Hida Furukawa is located in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture and is a basin surrounded by mountains. A city walk was held to explore the streets with white walls that have remained since ancient times, temples and the clear Setogawa River where about 1,000 carp swim. Participants were given flashlights and conducted a lighting experiment to consider the night view of Hida Furukawa. In response to a request from Hida City to “create a nightscape that the citizens of Hida can be proud of,” we held a town walk and lighting experiment with the people of Hida Furukawa. The town of Furukawa has old temples, sake breweries, and clear streams, all within walking distance. The streets have retained their Japanese architectural structure, preserving their classic beauty. 18 participants and we walked through the town, gazing at the Furukawa at night.（Hikaru Kimura)  The Lecture by Lighting Detectives Before embarking on a city walk, Mr. Mende gave a lecture on the importance of nighttime landscaping and lighting in urban development. Members Higashi and Kimura also explained the Lighting Detectives’ method of walking around the city at night and taught how to use an illuminance meter and flashlight. Afterwards, the mayor of Hida City shared his thoughts on night views through a conversation with Mr. Mende. The mayor’s wish was summed up in one phrase: “I want to create a nightscape that the people of Hida Furukawa will be…

Date of Issue : March 14, 2019 ・Activity 1 / City Night Survey : Morocco （2018/9/30-10/08） ・Activity 2 / City Night Walk Vol. 62：Shibuya River（2018/10/02） ・Activity 3 / Round Table Discussion Vol. 60 : Shibuya River Review（2018/11/29） ・Activity 4 / Lighting Detectives Jr. @ Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum（2018/12/01） City Night Survey in Morocco 2018/09/30-10/08 Shosaku Takahashi + Masafumi Yamamoto Morocco is located on the African continent but retains a strong influence from European countries such as neighboring Spain and France. It can be said that the cities have been formed under the influence of various cultures. This survey started in the major city of Marrakech, crossed the Atlas Mountains to visit the vast Sahara Desert inland, and then continued for ten hours and another 600 kilometers across the continent to reach the blue city of Chefchaouen. We experienced the climate, culture, and lifestyle of this country, which shines on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea while benefiting from the sun, and investigated the relationship between lighting and people’s lives. Djemaa el-Fna Square Many of the Old Town’s paths are covered with sunscreens The souk is bustling with people at night People watching street performers ■Arrival in Marrakech After driving four hours from Casablanca Airport, we saw the reddish-clay streetscape of the major city of Marrakech pop up in the middle of the wilderness. The moment we got out of the car in the old town, swarms of flies started…

In Bangkok, the development of giant commercial facilities continues, as modern times blend with Buddhism to create the nightscape. The light from architecture, high-class restaurants, and shopping centers of these civilized, modern times are built right along side the fluorescent lights of roadside stands and vendors. Wat Arun, The Temple of the Dawn, illuminated; above all, gold is the symbol of culture and power in Thailand. Wat Arun from the opposite shore of the Chao Phraya River. The sunset also helps to convey the feeling of a country for the gods. Florescent lights shine on the street vendor`s restaurant signs, but incandescent lamps are used in the showcases.

28 Septmber 2007 Night Gazing in Yokohama …by: natsuko ueda It has been a long time since the Lighting Detectives have been walked Yokohama. This autumn evening 24 members participated in the walk, along with member of the Yokohama City & Urban Design Group. Our first stop on the tour was the Yokohama Marine Tower, not usually open to the public, but with special arrangements our group climbed to the top to view the night scene. The industrial area along the bay had an orangish glow from low-pressure sodium lamps, in contrast with the residential area, which had a whiteish glow from mercury lamps. The lighting surrounding Minato Mirai is a large part of the whole lightscape with signature lightmarks like the Landmark Tower, the colorful lights of the ferris wheel, and flood lights from the baseball stadium. Every direction in our 360-degree view presented a different story for the city. After climbing the tower and jumping aboard a boat to see the best of Yokohama nightscape from the water, our last stop was the newly opened commercial complex, Yokohama Bay Quarter, followed up by the all-important post-walk dinner and discussion. The Lighting Detectives were able to hear straight from Yokohama City & Urban Design Group about invaluable topics concerning the city and how the nightscape can become even more dramatic and dynamic. My impression was not just of a typical waterfront city with dots of light everywhere across the…