Light and Shadow

The long eaves of Japanese buildings are designed to shut out direct sunlight, allowing only a gentle glow to fill the rooms within. Interior light fittings wreathed in washi paper create beguiling gradations of light and shade. These subtle tones are known as inei, and this beauty has long been a key tool in Japanese aesthetics. Our studio guest is lighting designer Hirohito Totsune, the man responsible for the illumination of the iconic TOKYO SKYTREE. He reveals a world of Japanese design that plays with a sensitivity to light and shadow.