INSIGHTS

2023.03.31

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 46

Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 1]

Hiroyasu Shouji ShojiLighting Designer

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Q: I heard that you travel around the world to encounter inspiring light on Earth. What prompted you to start traveling?

A: It all started in March 1984, just before I finished graduate school, when Professor Teiji Ito, an architectural historian in my lab, told me, "If you're going to start something new, make it a first-class endeavor!" I studied architecture at university, but I was drawn to the sound of the words "architectural lighting" and decided to enter the world of lighting design. At the time, there were only a handful of "lighting designers," and people around me looked at me with a bit of disdain, wondering why I was going into that field, but Professor Ito gave me those words when I was enthusiastic about doing something new. After I started working, I was able to relatively easily acquire the techniques of "lighting design," such as how to calculate illuminance and information about lighting fixtures. However, I didn't really understand the essential good and bad of light, or the relationship between us humans and light, just by doing my job. I didn't have any confidence. So I came to the conclusion that, just like in the world of role-playing games, where you get stronger and stronger as you gain experience, I needed to "journey." It was about 10 years after I became a lighting designer that I started to actively travel in search of light around the world, eventually heading to places no one had ever been before.

Q: Please tell us about a memorable experience you had while traveling.

A: My first trip was to Morocco in North Africa. My goal was to experience the light of the full moon in the Sahara Desert. One night, while driving through the sand dunes to see the moon, I encountered a minibus stuck in the sand. A Berber nomad tried to help by pushing the bus, so I joined in and we became friends. The next day, I was invited into their home. It was a tent woven from camel hair with a ceiling height of about 1.8m [Photo 1]. When I asked if there was any lighting in the tent, they brought out a flashlight and told me it was just for emergencies. They said they didn't have any lighting because they go to sleep when the sun goes down. I thought that having lighting might be a very limited lifestyle for only a very limited number of people on Earth.

This is a photo of a full moonlit night [Photo 2]. I took the photo with a long exposure, but it feels quite bright, just as you can see in the photo. I measured the illuminance and it was 0.2lx. The most shocking discovery of this trip was that such a small amount of light could feel so bright. When humans are in a dark place for a long time, their eyes adapt and they can see things better, so 0.2lx feels very bright. Because lighting has this relative relationship, I finally realized that it was a big mistake to think that a certain number of lx means something is definitely bright.

I visited Papua New Guinea, located north of Australia, to cover the NHK travel documentary "The Power of Travel." It was an extremely tough journey, filming on a remote island where the only way to get around was by chartered fishing boat or on foot. There is no electricity, and lighting is provided by oil extracted from coconuts. It takes about four hours to make one cup of oil from about 40 coconuts. The islanders carefully share the oil, and when the sun goes down, they spend the night lighting one lamp in each dwelling [Photo 3]. Illuminance was measured about 1lx about 1.5m below the lamp.

There was a wonderful light on this island. It was the sunset over the coral reef [Photo 4]. In the evening, the wind stopped and the waves calmed down, and the indescribably beautiful gradation of the sunset was reflected on the water as far as the eye could see. It was such a wonderful place that I thought, "If I'm going to die, I want to die here."

The purpose of the trip was to visit the "firefly tree" on the island [Photo 5]. At night, tens of thousands of fireflies rest on a certain species of tree, and the males light up to mate. Females are attracted to males that shine brightly, so when one male lights up, the male next to him lights up even brighter, showing that he is stronger. As a result, the lights move around in circles inside the tree and flicker in sync. Because they are bioluminescent, they are not as bright as lighting, but they are a very mysterious light. The islanders know a lot about wonderful lights that we do not know about.

Before returning home, I asked the elder who had looked after me what lighting meant to the island. "When it gets dark, we light a faint light. If there is even one house that is not lit, we get very worried. Maybe they didn't come back from fishing, or maybe they are feeling unwell. We get worried and fly to the house to check on them." In other words, lighting shows that the day has ended safely, and that there is life there today. He said it is a symbol of life. "Light is Life"--His words made my heart tremble and brought me to tears. Although they taught me how to calculate illuminance, no one taught me anything like that. This experience was a huge shock, and "Light is Life" has since become the theme of my office.

[Photo 1] Mint tea is served in the tent of a Berber tribe we encountered during our journey.
[Photo 2] The full moon in the Sahara Desert, which was the purpose of my trip to Morocco.
[Photo 3] A bottle lamp that uses oil extracted from coconuts and is used on a remote island in Papua New Guinea.
[Photo 4] Sunset over the coral reefs of Papua New Guinea.
[Photo 5] The Firefly Tree, where tens of thousands of fireflies gather and engage in courtship behavior.

Q: It seems like there is still a lot of light on Earth that we don't know about.

A: The Earth is a wonderful planet. For example, morning light. When the heat of the sun reaches the cold surface of the earth, water vapor rises and creates a haze, and the morning sun diffuses and white light appears. The color temperature of this white light is about 4000K. During the day, if the weather is good, light reaches us from the blue sky. The diffused light from the sky is about 8000K and is observed as a very bluish-white light. In the evening, the light turns orange and falls below 2000K, but the light does not disappear immediately even at night [Photo 6]. Do you know the term "blue moment"? Even after the sun sets, the light of the sun reflects off water and dust floating in the atmosphere and illuminates the atmosphere for a while. This is the time when light descends on the earth's surface as indirect lighting, and the term originated in Northern Europe. We humans encounter a huge variety of light every day.

[Photo 6] Blue light at night.

[Photos 1-6: Provided by Hiroyasu Tojibayashi]

Continued in Part 2

PROFILE

Lighting Designer, CEO of LIGHTDESIGN INC.

Hiroyasu Shouji

Hiroyasu Shoji

Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1958. He has adopted the concept of LIGHT is LIFE for urban and architectural lighting design, and believes that lighting is an important environmental factor that is fundamental to life, and an important element in our human lives that heals our hearts, gives us courage, and awakens our energy. Since 1990, he has been exploring the world to encounter inspiring light on Earth. He has continued to report on the light of nature, such as the Aurora in Alaska, the moonlit night of the Sahara Desert, and the firefly trees of Papua New Guinea, and is inspired by his encounters with light to design projects ranging from high-rise building projects to intensive care units for babies, interpreting the fundamental relationship between humans and light.

OTHER DISCUSSIONS

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.56

Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2]

Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.55

Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2]

Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.54

Mind change――
Aiming to become a company that will develop into the future [Part 1]

Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.53

Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]

Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.52

Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]

Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.51

Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 1]

Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.50

The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2]

Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.49

The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2]

Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.48

The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 1]

Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.47

Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 2]

Hiroyasu Shouji ShojiLighting Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.46

Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 1]

Hiroyasu Shouji ShojiLighting Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol45

Building fire-resistant wooden buildings [Part 2]

Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.44

Building fire-resistant wooden buildings [Part 1]

Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.43

What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 2]

Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.42

What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 2]

Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.41

What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 1]

Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.40

Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 2]

Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.39

Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 1]

Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.38

Japan's Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 [Part 2]

Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.37

Japan's strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 [Part 1]

Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.36

The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 2]

Yasushi Takeuchi Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei Planning Co., Ltd. (2022-)

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.35

The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 1]

Yasushi Takeuchi, Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei Planning Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.34

Before-Before Architecture Theory
Design techniques that unravel history [Part 2]

Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.33

Before-Before Architecture Theory
Design techniques that unravel history [Part 1]

Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.32

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Turning aquariums into "media" through a customer-centric approach

Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.31

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Sunshine Aquarium "Oasis in the Sky" [Part 2]

Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.30

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Sunshine Aquarium "Oasis in the Sky" [Part 1]

Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.29

Wellness and Performance Management
How to Live in a New Era Vol.2 [Part 2]

Takayuki Hirai
Deputy Director of the CHO Office at DeNA Co., Ltd.; Representative of Ibuki LLC

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.28

Wellness and Performance Management
How to Live in a New Era vol.2 [Part 1]

Takayuki Hirai
Deputy Director of the CHO Office at DeNA Co., Ltd.; Representative of Ibuki LLC

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.27

A work style that brings about innovation
How to Live in a New Era Vol.1 [Part 2]

Takahiro Sakamoto
Representative of SSIN LLC, Advisor of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.'s Work Style Reform Project

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.26

A work style that brings about innovation
How to Live in a New Era Vol.1 [Part 1]

Takahiro Sakamoto
Representative of SSIN LLC, Advisor of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.'s Work Style Reform Project

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.25

Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 2]

Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.24

Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 2]

Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.23

Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 1]

Masataka Baba Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.22

Architecture in Film: Special Effects TV and Comedy Films of the 1960s [Part 2]

Tatsuo Iso IsoArchitectural Journalist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.21

Architecture in Film: Special Effects TV and Comedy Films of the 1960s [Part 1]

Tatsuo Iso IsoArchitectural Journalist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.20

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.19

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.18

Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 1]

Toshiki Kiriyama Director

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.17

The present and future of theater space
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.3 [Part 2]

Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.16

The present and future of theater space
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.3 [Part 1]

Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.15

How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.2 [Part 2]

Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.14

How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.2 [Part 1]

Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.13

Designing "social fluctuations"
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.1 [Part 2]

Shoji Okabe
Evangelist at Snow Peak Business Solutions Co., Ltd., and co-representative of the nonprofit organization "Hama no Toudai"

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.12

Designing "social fluctuations"
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.1 [Part 1]

Shoji Okabe
Evangelist at Snow Peak Business Solutions Co., Ltd., and co-representative of the nonprofit organization "Hama no Toudai"

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.11

A workplace that fosters innovation
Changing the environment changes the way you work [Part 2]

Tetsuo Kobori Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.10

A workplace that fosters innovation
If the environment changes, the way you work will change [Part 2]

Tetsuo Kobori Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.09

A workplace that fosters innovation
Changing the environment changes the way you work [Part 1]

Tetsuo Kobori Architect

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.08

Environmentally friendly architecture and healthy spaces drive the economy
ESG Investment and Wellness Offices [Part 2]

Shinichi Tanabe Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.07

Environmentally friendly architecture and healthy spaces drive the economy
ESG Investment and Wellness Offices [Part 1]

Shinichi Tanabe Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.06

The centripetal force of a single sketch that depicts a scene from the future [Part 2]

Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.05

The centripetal force of a single sketch that depicts a scene from the future [Part 1]

Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.04

Thinking about future redevelopment from postwar "buildings" [Part 2]

Shunsuke Kurakata historian

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.03

Thinking about future redevelopment from postwar "buildings" [Part 1]

Shunsuke Kurakata historian

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.02

Architecture: Perspectives from Industrial Design [Part 2]

Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Corporation

R&D DISCUSSION Vol.01

Architecture: Perspectives from Industrial Design [Part 1]

Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Corporation
R&D

Update : 2018.09.21

Tags

PAGE TOP