Woo hoo, it’s time for the annual art-as-entertainment Yokohama Smart Illumination 2018! This year, for some reason it took a giant leap in quality, and although the artspeak “explaining” each piece is equally opaque in Japanese and English, you don’t need to know what the artist was trying to say in order to have a hella good time wandering around and ogling them.
Okay, first of all, the feet. They’re so big, you can go inside. And the colors constantly change, to a soundtrack of footsteps and waves:
The illuminated suit man (Junichi Kusaka) made his annual appearance, and I spotted him making music at another art installation where you can play air drums & guitar. (“Star Jam Street” by Tetsujin Audio-Visual)
Here’s a little hypno-video, so you can see why:
(If anyone knows the name of the artist who made this, please tell me! I can’t find it on the website)
But by far my favorite thing at the Smart Illuminations was this piece of killer projection art called “The Wave” (made by the excellently named group, Fukopoly)
Here it is in motion, from down on the ground and from up above:
This unexpectedly entertaining floating ball piece is inside the cafe – the balls move mysteriously through the air, and only by looking very hard can you see the twin tracks of filament they’re rolling on (“Ascending and Descending -reflection-” by Rintaro Hara)
If you haven’t already guessed what I’m going to say in conclusion, here it is: if you’re in Tokyo right now, GO SEE THIS. It’s seriously worth the trek, and also seriously FREE. It’s on through Sunday, November 4, 2018.
Smart Illumination Yokohama 2018
Dates: October 31 – November 4, 2018
Where: Zo-no-hana Park, Yokohama (closest train station is Nihon Odori)
Hours: 17:30 – 21:30
Admission: FREE
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The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon
“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
Wow looks mind-blowing! I love your blog Jonelle. My bf and I are planning an exodus out of New Zealand to go there and live, your blog gives me lots more reasons why it’s a good idea.
Yay, I hope you guys make it here! It’s an eye-popping place to live, every single day. And I would love to meet up with you if you do – the best part about writing books set in Japan and blogging about it is meeting other readers who like the same quirky stuff I do. Hit me up if you have questions about making a go of it here! (I don’t post my personal email publicly, but if you really have questions, go to my facebook author page (jonellepatrickauthor) and message me there, and I’ll give it to you!) Wishing you all the luck in the world!
Yes its so nice to make contact with people who like quirky stuff….Japan is the place to be if you love weird stuff. Ill see who your following as Im sure they are also equally interesting