2022.11.4-5 Sachiko Segawa Surprisingly, this survey of the Sawara district marks the first time the Lighting Detectives have conducted an investigation within Chiba Prefecture. The team focused on an area designated both as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and as a Landscape Formation District. Here, the townscape of merchant houses, which flourished from the Edo period thanks to river transport on the Tone River, still remains. Located about 70 km from Tokyo Station and slightly inland from the Tone River, the Sawara district of Katori City once thrived as a merchant town, to the point it was said to rival Edo itself. However, the town declined during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. Following a townscape survey in 1974, the value of its historic scenery was reappraised. Today, leveraging its convenient location—just two hours from Tokyo and one hour by train from Narita Airport—the area is being redeveloped as a tourist destination. For this survey, the team limited their scope to the townscape along the Ono River and conducted a nightscape survey. ■Uniquely Designed Lighting Fixtures From JR Narita Line Sawara Station, as we walked toward the Ono River, we were greeted by a bollard topped with a monkey. “Why a monkey…?” we wondered, but as we continued upstream along the river, we encountered bollards adorned with all sorts of figures: rabbits, carp, children, frogs, Ebisu, and more—each one different, with no two alike. These uniquely…

In front of the main gate to Senso-ji Shrine lies the neighborhood of Asakusa. One of Tokyo’s most popular entertainment districts, Asakusa flourished with kabuki, opera, and comic storytelling from the Meiji Era to the end of WWII. The Lighting Detectives discovered a variety of decorative streetlights and a lighting atmosphere fitting for this lively cultural destination. Upon entering the famous Kaminarimon, the Nakamise approach proceeds towards the shrine with bright-white, fluorescent-tube illuminated signage lining both sides. After navigating this corridor, walls of softly glowing lanterns come into view. The lanterns once lit with fire were replaced with incandescent bulbs and now fluorescent lamps. In popular neighborhoods like Shibuya or Roppongi, architectural facade lighting or neon signage fills the vertical space and “street lighting” is virtually non-existent. However, a variety of decorative streetlights festively illuminate the streets of Asakusa for a very fitting lighting environment. Pub signage and lanterns dispersed along the dark streets of Asakusa create an uncanny charm in this neighborhood. Roadway lux levels are a fairly dim 10-16 lx, but the red lanterns hanging from the eaves of establishments dig up affection for this old town.

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.

Taking a drive along the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway is a great experience in the sequence of Tokyo light. In one drive you can catch glimpses of Tokyo Tower in between buildings, awe at the endless Ginza neon signage, and hide in the dark shadows surrounding the emperor’s palace and Tokyo Bay. Close up lights zoom by, but in the distance light is scattered everywhere, creating a complex sequence of overlapping elements. Such a variety of light exists in Tokyo! Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower, Dual Features of the Tokyo Night (Ariake JCT～Shibaura JCT) At night the Rainbow bridge is a bridge of light connecting the Bayshore Route and Tokyo mainland. As we drove across the bridge, the Tokyo Tower that seemed to twinkling in the far distance became a dominating presence. However, all of the distance lights of Tokyo were swallowed by the cluster of buildings waiting for us on the Shibaura side of the bridge. The Lights of the Tokyo Nightscape (Ohi JCT ～ Shibaura JCT) Working from Haneda towards the center of Tokyo, among the rough and tumble lighting for warehouses and factories, is warm light spilling from offices and condominiums. The expressway takes a dive under the Tokyo Monorail for a real peak at Tokyo-style building light and luminous signage. The Expressway in the Ginza Sky (Tokyo Expressway) The Tokyo Expressway is elevated in midair as it cuts through Ginza. Officially, it is not part of the…

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.