In the heart of Tokyo, Nihonbashi River lies hidden under a system of highway overpasses and the Sumida River is wide and commanding and it cuts through the city. With a variety of bridges, both rivers assert their own unique presence in the Tokyo cityscape. On our own river tour, we encountered the particular water and lightscapes surrounding the bridges and shores of each river. The newly built Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower next to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge. This is the first skyscraper in the Nihonbashi area and as the sun sets, the facade detail is elegantly illuminated. At the historical Nihonbashi District, a variety of lighting methods are on parade, but the highway overpasses keep most of the river hidden from view. Rumors of reconstructing the highway system underground would help revive the scenery along the Nihonbashi River. The main structure of the Chuo-Ohbashi Bridge is beautifully illuminated. The many bridges along the Sumida River compete with each other for top beauty marks, as each is illuminated in a multitude of colors.

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 MarrakechAfter 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 hitting our bodies. The smell of rotting fruit and raw fish stung our noses. Crowds of people moved through the narrow alleyways, as motorcycles sped past, honking their horns. The air was thick with dust and exhaust fumes. Flies immediately swarmed the tuna sandwich we bought from a nearby stand for a late lunch. ■Old…

City Night Survey- Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2023.11.25 – 11.29 Angkana Kongchatri (Tan)+Momoko Muraoka Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand which has special atmosphere tracing from Lannar kingdom period. Tan from Bangkok and Momoko from Tokyo traveled to the city for a survey. ■Back ground of the survey The lantern festival in Chiang Mai has been getting very high attention from international tourists since a couple of decades ago. Due to its visual appeal, the festival has become an explosively hot tourist spot and activity. As number of tourists raise up, the negative side of the festival also becoming a serious issue, such as the risks of fire and abandoned trashes which cause suffering to local people. In this SNS era, the speed and frequency of exchanging information has become extremely heavy than ever. When very local culture gets intensive attention from unidentified crowds, then the one to retain the culture need to face and respond the troubles to come with the anonymous attention which is also happening on the lantern festival in Chiang Mai. Festivals with lights are attractive. However, overlooking the wastes happening materially and culturally cannot be accepted anymore. Through this survey, we aim to observe not only the bright side but also the problems and struggles behind which could relate with many other traditional lighting festivals. We believe that the approach could bring another layer of depth for the lighting detective activity with…

Under a rush of redevelopment, this is a huge period of transition for the area surrounding Shinjuku. On this survey, we were met by soft light filtering out of tall skyscraper windows, brilliant signage on facades and rooftops, and crowds of people along the streets and alleyways. Shinjuku Station South Entrance is in the middle of a redevelopment project scheduled to be complete in 5 years. A multitude of fluorescent lights line the pedestrian walkways with such an intense brightness that the surrounding scene is almost invisible. Six o`clock in the morning and waiting for the sun to come up on Yasukuni Street. Calm is finally starting to settle over Kabukicho, but still brightly lit signage are but glaring reminders of the nightlife. Brilliant advertising and signage along Yasukuni Street acts as an entrance gate to Kabukicyou. The bight lights entice many, who are aimlessly swallowed up by Kabukicho.

In the middle of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace, a haven for runners and tourists, alike. The lighting in the palace outer garden and nearby Wadakura Fountain Park has been renewed and replaced with environmentally conscious LED fixtures. We surveyed the unique pocket of darkness that surrounds the Imperial Palace along with lighting environment of nearby parks and roads. Imperial Palace Outer Garden. The fancy pole lights in the outer garden are originally gas lamps, but the light source has been changed to high-pressure sodium lamps and now upgraded to LEDs. The average lux level is only 1-2lux along the paths lined with these LED fixtures, but inside the fixtures are 6, 26watt LED modules all pointed in different directions. This application helps to spread the light around without making a too bright, but comfortably dim atmosphere. Daikancho Street Daikancho Street runs along the north side of the palace grounds, is a much narrower street and pedestrian sidewalk compared with the rest of the facilities surrounding the palace. Along the tidy, hedged sidewalk, streetlights are placed at 3-meter intervals. Mostly for crime prevention, the lights are very bright and glaring. Ohtemachi Entrance The Ohtemachi Entrance area leads to an inner palace garden and is surrounded by a main arterial road on the outside, for a very open and accessible area. Most lighting is road lighting, mounted on 10-meter tall poles arranged down the middle of the street, but plenty bright…