TOKYO LIGHTS’ new project “International Symposium” will be held on Sept.10th. Japanese and international experts gather for public discussion on the future of inbound tourism and the night-time economy.

国際シンポジウム

~ Held as a new project of “TOKYO LIGHTS,” a festival that sends messages to the future as a new light tradition in Tokyo ~

The Projection Mapping Association of Japan (General Incorporated Foundation) (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Michiyuki Ishita) will be holding an event “TOKYO LIGHTS 2023 International Symposium” (hereinafter referred to as “International Symposium”) on September 10th as a new initiative for the light festival “TOKYO LIGHTS 2023” to be held in September 2023.

We will invite 2 festival directors of world-famous light festivals that attract each time millions of people and contribute significantly to inbound demand, and learn about nighttime situations around the world. We will analyze the actual situation in Japan regarding this, think together with content businesses and tourism-related parties, and hold discussions to create momentum for each organization and business to work together.

▶ TOKYO LIGHTS2023 Purchase Ticket Site: https://peatix.com/group/12752261/events

Ticket sales for the general public for this international symposium have been very positive, and we can see that the event is attracting a lot of attention, especially from those involved in the industry.

In the International Symposium’s [Part 1 Keynote Speech], we will talk about the world’s largest urban light festival in Sydney, Australia, “VIVID SYDNEY,” which has a very long history and has influenced light festivals around the world. Then the festival director from Lyon, France’s “Fète des Lumières” will be on stage to talk about the world-famous nighttime tourism festival centered on light and art, and the real circumstances behind it.

[Part 2 Session + Panel Discussion] In addition to the visiting festival directors, Michiyuki Ishita, founder of the light festival “TOKYO LIGHTS” and general producer of one of the world’s largest international projection mapping competition, and 2 creators from the World Projection Mapping who are active on the front lines, László Zsolt Bordos and AVA Animation & Visual Arts, as well as Takahiro Saito and Takaaki Umezawa from the Night Time Economy Promotion Council, a general incorporated association that leads the night time scene in Japan, will be on stage to talk about the world. We will have a passionate panel discussion about the festival of lights, projection mapping, and the night time economy.

▶For inquiries regarding this matter: Projection Mapping Association Office
mail:info@projection-mapping.jp / TEL:03-6416-9496 *Please apply for interview/covering in advance.

▼ International Symposium Summary

Name: TOKYO LIGHTS International Symposium
Organizer: TOKYO LIGHTS 2023 Executive Committee
Planning & Production: Projection Mapping Association of Japan
Planning Support: Japan Nighttime Economy Association
Collaboration: Mori Building Co., Ltd., POCKETALK CORPORATION

Date and time: Sept.10th(Sun) 2023  10:00〜16:30
Place: :Toranomon Forum Hall B (Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 4th Floor, Toranomon 1-23-3, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Language: :Japanese and English (we will use POCKETALK to translate in real-time ※you will need a smartphone)
Entrance Fee: Free

▼ Symposium Schedule

◆ Part 1. Keynote Speech
10:30〜10:40 Introduction “About TOKYO LIGHTS” (Michiyuki Ishita)
10:40〜11:20 ① About “Fête des Lumières”  (Julien Pavillard)
11:20〜12:00 ② About “VIVID SYDNEY” (Gill Minervini)
12:00〜13:00 〜LUNCH BREAK〜

◆ Part 2. Session + Panel discussion
13:00〜13:15 ③ Current status of nighttime in Japan and the world (Takahiro Saito, Nighttime Economy Association)
13:15〜13:55 ④ Panel Discussion: Behind the scenes of “Festival of Light”
(Gill Minervini, Julien Paillard, Facilitation: Takaaki Umezawa)
13:55〜14:10 ⑤ Looking in the direction of Japan (Takaaki Umezawa, Takahiro Saito, Michiyuki Ishita)
14:10〜14:30 〜Short Break / Tea Time〜
14:30〜15:10 ⑥ The experiential world and future images brought to you by projection mapping (László Zsolt Bordos, AVA Animation & Visual Arts, Michiyuki Ishita)

 

▼ Venue Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

▼ Short introduction of each participant

◆ Keynote Speech + Panel Discussion

Fête des Lumières Festival Director
Julien Paillard
He has a career related to cities and art, including managing art festivals across France, and has been active for many years as an expert in social activities related to light and images.
For more than 10 years, he has been the coordinator of the Fete des Lumières, a light festival that has a long history in Lyon (France). This festival of lights attracts 3 to 4 million visitors over just 3 to 4 days, and has established itself as Lyon City’s biggest tourist attraction.

VIVID SYDNEY  Festival Director
Gill Minervini
She has over 30 years of experience directing festivals and large-scale events as a creative director, producer, curator, and consultant.
She was appointed as VIVID SYDNEY’s festival director in March 2021, and continue as well in 2022 and 2023.

Symposium General Facilitator, Initiator and General Supervisor of TOKYO LIGHTS
1minute Projection Mapping Competition General Producer
Michiyuki Ishita
Works both domestically and internationally as an artist and director who captures images as light and expresses space, creating unique works and projects. In recent years, he has focused on projection mapping, but has also been involved in a wide range of fields, including international conventions, special exhibitions, spatial production, live and stage production, international projects, tourism and public projects, as well as workshops and human resource development such as university lecturers. He has also worked on a wide range of projects that take advantage of the characteristics of each region, including the Tokyo light festival “TOKYO LIGHTS”, “NIGHT WAVE”, which makes ocean waves glow blue, and night walks and art projects.


Bordos Art Works Representative
Projectoin Mapping worldwide pioneer
László Zsolt Bordos
He has been active at the forefront of video production for many years as part of the creative production company “Bordos Art Works”. He has been creating projection mapping for over 20 years and has won awards at numerous international art festivals. He is one of the world’s pioneers who has been active in this industry since its early days, establishing the light art department at Moholy Art University in Budapest, Hungary, and contributing to the education of the next generation.


Video production company based in Toronto, Canada and active all over the world.
AVA Animation & Visual Arts
A video production company based in Toronto, Canada that is active all over the world and has a variety of clients. They have participated in 1minute Projection Mapping Competition the most times in history, have been selected as a finalist in most of them, and have won numerous awards. They are also contributing to the development of art and culture in Canada, including producing art events that involve the entire city of Toronto.

【 Japan Nighttime Economy Association 】
Representative Takahiro Saito Field-R Law Office Lawyer
In addition to providing legal consulting as a lawyer, he also supports the creation of new markets through compliance with laws and regulations and various rulemaking.
He led the revision of the Entertainment Business Law that regulates night entertainment, and after the revision, he supported the planning and implementation of nighttime economy policies as chair of the Private Advisory Board of the Nighttime Economy Parliamentary Federation.

 

Director Takaaki Umezawa
President of A.T. Kearney / CIC Japan President
A.T. Kearny has 25 years of experience in strategy, innovation, and urban development.
CIC Tokyo is one of the largest innovation centers in Japan, building a community with entrepreneurs, investors, large companies, researchers, and government mingle.
Through the committees and projects of the Japan Tourism Agency and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, we promote tourism for wealthy people, cultural tourism,
Supporting policy planning and implementation of sustainable tourism, Cool Japan, etc.

▼ About the Japan Nighttime Economy Association

A platform for clarifying the various values of the night and creating an environment for nighttime activities in order to realize that value. Utilizing its specialized knowledge and wide network, the company conducts activities such as rule-making for deregulation, networking of various stakeholders necessary for night-time market formation, and building momentum and research on night-time revitalization.

Japan Nighttime Economy Association
Yoyogi 1-25-5
Shibuya-ku

“TOKYO LIGHTS” is an event of light, which started in 2021, and send a message to the future as a new Tokyo tradition.
“LIGHTS” of TOKYO LIGHTS is a “vision” that shows future possibilities,
“Advancedness” that indicates expressive technology, “human resources” who will carry the future, “community” that nurtures them, etc.
It has various meanings and collect these “lights” and use their chemical reactions to send a shining message of hope from Tokyo to the world.
During TOKYO LIGHTS also takes place an international competition at the Seitoku Memorial Picture Gallery and at Meijijingu Gaien Softball Stadium,
A “Festival of Light” will be held that combines light art and music, and you can enjoy the entire venue.
▶ TOKYO LIGHTS2023 Ticket Purchase Site: https://peatix.com/group/12752261/events

 

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