Lights that reflect the city's character

The lights of cities and towns have various expressions, which I think reflect the sensibilities of the people who live there. In the night views of skyscrapers in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, etc., you can feel the enthusiasm and power of the people, while in the night views of London and European cities, which are made up of mid-rise buildings, you can feel a calm presence, combined with the dignity of historical architecture.

I can't forget the impression I had when I first visited a European city in the early 1970s. The Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in Paris were already lit up, and I was impressed by their beauty, which was completely different from the impression I had during the day. However, what made a bigger impression on me were the "faint lights" in the squares and streets of the city I was familiar with. The Grand Place is a large square in the center of Brussels, a historic streetscape that dates back to the Middle Ages and is registered as a World Heritage Site. The illumination of the spires of the city hall surrounding the square was gorgeous but calm, and lights exuded from the show windows of the guild houses and cafes and restaurants along with the presence of people, the lights of the houses where the townspeople live spilled out onto the streets behind them, and the lights of the cafes and shops in the alleys warmly illuminated the cobblestone road surface and the stone and brick walls opposite. It was my first experience to see such a faint light, and it was very soothing. I don't think that such natural city lights that exude the daily lives of the people were available in Tokyo at that time. Even without a variety of colors, the warmth, depth, and history of cities and towns were beautifully expressed through just the "faint lights" of the night.

It can be said that night scenes and city lights like this represent the sophistication of the city. Five years ago, Shanghai was excessively lit up with a variety of colors, including blue, pink, and green, and with intense brightness, but now it has changed into a more attractive city, illuminating its historic streets with controlled colors and moderate lighting, while still retaining the flashiness that gives a sense of the city's heat.

Of course, I think the lights in Tokyo's streets have become much more sophisticated. The appeal of the neon lights in the downtown areas has been carefully preserved, and the lights on buildings and at the tops of buildings are kept at a moderate brightness, and Tokyo Tower shines beautifully. Also, "dimly lit streets" are becoming more common, with lights leaking from shops and restaurants. In Marunouchi, where gas lamps have been restored, lights on the street trees, the lights leaking from the atrium of Maru Building, and the lights from shops and restaurants gently illuminate the roads and the faces of people passing by.

When you think about it, it seems like ever since the gas lamps of the Meiji era, Japanese cities and towns have been single-mindedly pursuing brightness. Bright cities were something people aspired to, and were also a symbol of functionality and efficiency. Now, with growing awareness of environmental issues, Tokyo is transforming into a sophisticated, "dimly bright city." Perhaps people are also looking for new values in Tokyo beyond just functionality and efficiency. I hope that the gas lamps that light up Mitsubishi Ichigokan will bring new urban lights to today's Tokyo and other Japanese cities.