The World Lighting Journey is a photo library of nightscapes and lighting environments from cities worldwide. Lighting Detectives hopes this database will be a catalyst for future discussion on urban lightscapes and local lighting culture. Lighting Detectives encourages all web viewers to send nightscape from your hometown to add to our ever-expanding photo library.

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Water Tower / John Hancock Center

Water Tower / John Hancock Center

Water Tower / John Hancock Center
Category: Other
Photo by: SHOMEI TANTEIDAN
©All Rights Reserved
Water Tower / John Hancock Center
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GLOBAL RESEARCH

BUSAN, Korea

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New development and activity at the fishing port generate energy in Korea’s second largest city, Busan. In sharp contrast with the dark waters, stores with flashy neon signs edge the perimeter of the bay and people sit mesmerized along the beach, staring into the black ocean, as the summer nights slip by. Looking down on the city from Busan Tower. The Jagalchi Market, full of activity and the smell of fresh fish, is flooded with fluorescent light. Long into the night, people enjoy their time along Kwanghalli beach.

City Night Survey – Busan, South Korea

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2024.05.16 – 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 can have it cooked and served on the second floor. The market attracts many tourists. White lights are used to illuminate the seafood, making it look as…

Myanmar

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2014.06.24-06.29　　　Ai Sohara+ Mami Ichida With the population of 60 million and the 2nd largest country in South East Asia, Myanmar has not yet been well-known to the world because of its isolated policy for over a half century. Reforming as a democratic nation in recent years, Myanmar is now developing very rapidly and its cities are witnessing fast urban growth. The survey was made to “unveil” the role of light in three different cities. Sulepaya, View from the Surepaya As darkness falls over Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, golden pagodas enhance its majestic presence in contrast to the modest living environment. These brilliant pagodas symbolize the faith of the local people. Street light at Naypyidaw Nay Phi Taw, the vast but empty new capital, seems the only city without electrical problems. Unlike other cities, road and public facilities are built with lighting technology and are well maintained. View from the Shwesandaw Pagoda The winning light in Old Bagan, where almost no artificial light can be seen, is absolutely during dusk. Watching thousands of pagodas turning into silhouettes and eventually merging into darkness creates the impression as if you are traveling back to ancient times.

City Night Survey : Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Diriyah, KAFD and Metro stations Riyadh2025.11.16 – 11.18　Gita Listia The purpose of this Riyadh lighting survey is to explore the characteristics of old urban areas and new developments in KAFD Riyadh, with a particular focus on their metro stations. The study aims to understand how each area expresses its identity through public space lighting and how lighting strategies are applied in major infrastructure such as metro station. ■Diriyah Diriyah is a historic area on the north-west side of Riyadh and one of Saudi Arabia’s most important cultural heritage sites. Located along Wadi Hanifah, about 15 km from central Riyadh, it reflects the early history of the city. Today, Diriyah is being developed into a vibrant heritage, cultural, and lifestyle destination, where historic preservation is carefully combined with modern urban design. The lighting in Diriyah is designed to be subtle and heritage-sensitive. Very warm white tones are used to complement the Najdi mud-brick architecture, creating a calm and welcoming night-time atmosphere. Pole lights and bollards in Diriyah feature distinctive shapes, patterns, and warmer colour temperatures compared to typical street lighting in other parts of Riyadh. This traditional lighting character clearly signals that visitors are entering a cultural and heritage area. ■At-Turaif At-Turaif is the birthplace of Saudi history and represents the cultural core of Diriyah. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lighting at At-Turaif is highly restrained and conservation-focused. Soft grazing and wall-washing techniques are used to gently…

City Night Survey: Okinawa Main Island

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2023.01.26-01.29　Masafumi Yamamoto + Yuki Ito　 Okinawa is a place where diverse cultures and histories are intertwined. In Okinawa, each region has its own unique streetscape, and this is due to the fact that each region has a completely different historical background. The following is a simplified explanation of the historical background of each area. The Naha area was severely damaged in the war and was rebuilt; the Koza area was influenced by the U.S. military base and retains a strong American culture; and the Bise and Imadomari areas retain the traditional streets of the Ryukyu Islands. By comparing the light environment of each area, this survey sought to determine what kind of lifestyle culture and light features each area has, and what kind of light is unique to Okinawa. ■Sakae-machi MarketSakae-machi Market, located in Naha City, is a shopping street that was established during the postwar reconstruction period and has remained almost unchanged since then. Today, the market is a lively place where locals gather during the daytime, but at night it transforms into a more local haunt, drinking district that is quite different from the impression it gives during the daytime. The only light at night is from the taverns and the faint fluorescent lights in the upper part of the shopping street. (Floor illumination: approx. 20 lx) The illuminance alone gives the impression of dimness, but the actual atmosphere was not as dark as the impression given by…