Shimokitazawa is a neighborhood of small shopping streets and alleyways, projecting a strange, but comfortable atmosphere, as people crowd the backstreets until late in the night. However, plans to replace this quaint neighborhood with arterial roads and high-rises are underway. The detectives took what maybe a last chance to survey this area before it is “defaced.” The top half and rooftops of most buildings do not have any luminous signage. As a result, a bird’s eye view of this neighborhood is actually fairly dark. The station front plaza is filled with people listening to music from sidewalk acts or looking at street art. The crowds of people naturally overflow into a nearby street. If an arterial road is planned for this area, this atmosphere will be lost forever. Two streets back-to-back, but built to two different scales and with two different demeanors. On the left is Shimokitazawa`s main south entrance shopping street. With many interior decor shops, the lighting is bright and color temperature is high. One street inside and the atmosphere and lighting are more relaxed. Low color temperature, incandescent lamps from restaurants, cafes, and bars are the main source of light.

The Marunouchi district in the center of Tokyo has been transformed in recent years from a business and financial center to the latest redevelopment to intertwine commercial and office space. Our survey started in Marunouchi, as we closed in on the infamous Tokyo Tower to view the sprawling Tokyo nightscape. Marunouchi Central Street is enclosed on both sides by buildings all at the same height of 31 meters. Facade lighting and streetlights throw an even light over the street, creating a flat nightscape with no rhythm of light and shadow. Quite possibly occupying the staring role in the production of the Tokyo nightscape is the Tokyo Tower. The ironworks structure of this tower is illuminated from underneath, beautifully generating a glowing symbol for the city. At 250 meters, looking down on Tokyo from the tower is a beautiful site. Glare is blinding and there is no visible unified pattern to the lights of Tokyo, but lights twinkle all over the city and continue as far as the horizon. Things always look better from a distance and the Tokyo nightscape is one of them!

Bangkok, a city in a swirl of on-going change. In our previous survey of Tokyo’s Kanda River, we discover that the backs of buildings face the river creating and area of dark contrast in the middle of the city. But here along the Chaopraya River the opposite is true with the front facades lining the waterfront. Open-air restaurants and bars occupy the rooftops, as the spectacle of the city spreads out below. The Millennium Hilton, Bangkok, opened in May of 2006, is the first major hotel brand to open a hotel in the country in 20 years. The hotel boasts 543 riverfront rooms. With a UFO-like disk on top of the building, the cool-modern design stands tall among the neighboring structures. Along the riverfront, a private pier is provided for guests and dinners at the restaurant and bar. As river taxis come and go, the warm spots of light along the river reflect and shimmer on the water surface. Scirocco, one of many open-air restaurants, is approximately the same height as the special observation room at Tokyo Tower, 246 meters above ground, but without the glass barrier!. Without a glass window the lights of the city below seems so much more clear and real!! At the next table sat an older coupe that came to watch the sunset. The woman was surprised when presented with a big bouquet of flowers, undoubtedly a romantic gesture from her husband. A single candle…

The Diversity of Condominium Lighting in the Tokyo Area Condominiums play a leading role in housing for the Tokyo Area. As the city grew, busy shopping, business, and entertainment districts are supported by the residences, which live in densely populated residential areas. As the population density increased so did the proportion of condominiums for housing. According to reality statistics, condominiums account for 70% of the housing within the 23 wards of Tokyo. For this survey we stepped away from the bustle of the big city and investigated 3 relatively large, densely populated condominium complexes. The three areas all have a different history and commuting distances from the center of Tokyo. What can we discover about the lighting environment of these three totally different condominiums and the surrounding residential area? Toyosu Once an industrial area built on reclaimed land, housing redevelopment started in 2003 and the first of several residential blocks was completed in 2006. Toyosu is a “new city”, built from scratch and popular with younger families and couples. The number of condominiums is astounding, but the development is not just large, but a luxurious residential area as well. 　 Color temperature viewed from the condominium windows: Orange: 80% White: 16% Bluish: 4% The tower condominiums are immediately visible upon leaving the station. Relatively close to the center of Tokyo, these tower condominiums were built during a boom in condominium real estate. Each tower has a luxurious entrance lobby and…

2021.10.27　Shunichi Ikeda + Erina Hosono + Namiko Watanabe About three weeks after the state of emergency in Tokyo was lifted, we conducted our first urban night walk survey since the COVID-19 outbreak, heading to Akasaka. The area between Akasaka and Akasaka-mitsuke features both traditional establishments such as atmospheric ryotei (Japanesestyle restaurants) and neon-lit entertainment districts reminiscent of Kabukicho. At the same time, Akasaka has gained recognition as a tourist destination due to redevelopment centered around Akasaka Sacas. We surveyed the nighttime environment of this area where tradition, business, and nightlife coexist. ■Aerial Nightscape of AkasakaThe central area of Akasaka lies roughly in the middle of the cluster of high-rise buildings. At first glance, the nightscape viewed from above gives a rather subdued impression, due to the lack of prominent building illuminations or large advertising towers. However, upon closer inspection, one can see clusters of commercial lights peeking through the gaps between buildings. While the limited presence of dramatic lighting or decorative illuminations may make it less visually striking, the overall effect is a calm and environmentally friendly nightscape. ■Akasaka Sacas AreaAkasaka Sacas, a multi-use complex directly connected to Akasaka Station, is usually frequented by businesspeople and shoppers. However, likely due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passersby during our survey was surprisingly low, which was unfortunate. The nighttime lighting around the base of the 179-meter-tall Akasaka Biz Tower is uniformly set to a relatively low…