2018/11/29 Noriko Higashi We held a review of the Shibuya River Night Walk Survey. While there was high praise for the Shibuya River being brought back into public view, many opinions suggested there is still much room for improvement. About 20 members gathered to exchange opinions on the nighttime environment of the Shibuya River The sudare illumination over the Shibuya River generated mixed opinions The Shibuya River’s laser illumination also resulted in divided opinions The lighting environment of Shibuya Bridge received mostly high praise We held a review of the Shibuya River Night Walk Survey. This time, instead of dividing the area to be covered, we separated the participants into three teams based on different viewpoints (Pedestrian, Creative Worker, and Urban Environment). Each team summarized and presented the lighting heroes and villains of the Shibuya River from their respective perspectives.First, the team that focused on the Pedestrian perspective praised the successful creation of a more walkable area at night, where the formerly undesirable Shibuya River was transformed by strips of light from laser illumination and temporary displays. They also suggested that incorporating the “lines” of the former Toyoko Line and the Shibuya River into the lighting design was a good way to preserve the area’s history. The common characteristic among their villains was excessive brightness and glare from shops, signs, and lighting fixtures that ultimately undermined the atmosphere the promenade was trying to create. The team concluded that the constantly…

25 March 2005 With a full moon to guide us, 20 lighting detectives gathered at Kudashita Station on this early spring evening to walk around the Emperor’s Palace in search of any darkness left behind in the glaring commercialism of Tokyo. We all first trooped to Yasukuni Shrine to view the illumination of the big orange gate and from there broke off into 2 teams moving in opposite directions around the palace. The blue team worked their way towards Ohte-Machi, while the yellow team moved steadily towards the Kasumigaseki District, with the final destination the Wadakura Fountain in front of Tokyo Station. The first stop for the blue team, led by Chief of the Lighting Detectives, Kaoru Mende, was Chidorigafuchi, a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. But, unfortunately we were early in the season and only the portable light fixtures for night viewing were on display. As the team made their way towards Tokyo Station, the buildings along the perimeter seemed to have toned-down their lighting effects, as not to intrude on the privacy of their neighbors across the black moat. But on the homerun stretch towards Tokyo station, the recently redeveloped Marunouchi District stood in great contrast to the dark palace. One could stand in the same spot and view Marunouchi as one would think of Tokyo, with tall buildings and fantastic lights, and then turn on the same spot and face the dark moat, trees, and…

Date of Issue: 23 August, 2024 ・-Activity 1 / City Night Survey – Busan, South Korea（2024.05.16 – 05.19）・-Activity 2 / Children Workshop in Omishima Island（2024.07.13） City Night Survey: Busan, South Korea2024.05.16 – 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…

It is an island of light floating in the desert. Lighting technology in Las Vegas is not sedentary, but reinventing itself daily. How can we seize the inviting eyes of visitors? What is attractive lighting? In this place, day is night and night is day. Everybody’s internal clock has goes haywire. From the top of the Stratosphere Tower, the lights of The Strip appear out of the black desert, like the lights of a spacestation. Exterior lighting of the Venetian Resort Hotel. Tourists sit in front of casino slot machines 24 hours a day with no perception of time, since even during the day the interior is keep fairly dark.

Interviewer: Iris Wu Iris：Hi Mende-san, today we are going to talk about what era you would like to visit if you had a time machine. This ‘era’ can refer to your personal lifetime, or a historical period, or even a future era you imagine.For me, I would go back to around 2010, when I got into a really good middle school and I didn’t have to worry so much about studying. Since it was a boarding school and there were no mobile phones, my classmates and I always hung out together. Also back in those days, my parents were still very young and healthy. I would love to go back to that time and enjoy it with them. Mende: So, you remember your happy days. What about the future? Do you have any ideas about what it might hold? Iris: Not really, because I believe there are many unpredictable things ahead. I enjoy the uncertainty in my life; just like how I never knew I would pursue design one day, I’m excited about what I’m doing now. Mende: Of course, nobody knows what will happen in the future. However, you know, I’m still curious. I’m very surprised by your answer because I thought with a time machine, it would be the distant past or the far future.As for me, I’d like to go back to 200-300 years ago, when Japan had a very peaceful and exciting life. It was the…