Akihabara UDX winter illumination 2023 Objects and illuminations created by Yoichi Ochiai

A lighting ceremony will be held on November 15th (Wednesday) ~ Yoichi Ochiai's new media art will appear in Akihabara! ~

Akihabara UDX, operated by NTT Urban Development Corporation, will hold “winter illumination 2023” from Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

As the opening ceremony for this event, this year we will invite media artist Yoichi Ochiai, and a lighting ceremony for the main objects and street trees will be held from 5:30 pm.

The main object was created by Yoichi Ochiai, an advocate of "digital nature," with the theme of "Akihabara's future potential." Using LED and glass, this new work will attempt to create a dialogue between the uniqueness of modern Japanese culture in Akihabara, Tokyo, and traditional customs dating back to ancient times.

Additionally, under his supervision, 19 trees outside Akihabara UDX's west side street will be decorated with futuristic illuminations using LED tape lights. The dynamic white lines stand out brightly, inviting you to the main object.

At Akihabara UDX, we are working to improve the value of the area and contribute to its continued development through area management activities that take advantage of the city's latent asset, the unique diversity. Enjoy the Christmas night sky and a fantastic art space through the works of Yoichi Ochiai, who is deeply connected to Akihabara.

Main object title/concept

[Work name]

Reflector∞:Resonance of Electrical Echoes

[concept]

This work “Reflector∞: Resonance of Electrical Echoes'' attempts to create a dialogue between the uniqueness of modern Japanese culture in Tokyo and Akihabara and traditional customs from ancient times. Yoichi Ochiai has been coming to Akihabara for about 25 years, and it's been 6 years since he started living there as a resident. Therefore, while watching the changes in Akihabara, I have been dreaming of how electronic parts will form a new folk art. The unique space of Akihabara is a place where digital and physical existence, tangible and intangible, subculture and mainstream culture intersect. Yoichi Ochiai's idea of mediation between nature without mass and nature with mass was also born from this city's background. "Reflector∞" uses electronic components as a medium to demonstrate that media art has taken on a new form of folk art. The ancient Japanese sense of mirrors, their mysticism and symbolism, have a deep connection to the realm where the physical and digital intersect, and are incorporated into my works. The mirrors are cleverly placed infinity mirrors to extend the viewer's visual experience. What its infinite reflections suggest is not just spatial expansion, but the possibility of expansion. This work also encourages us to reevaluate our urban experiences through the computer nature created through interaction between humans and artificial intelligence. The echoes and resonances that this work depicts will resonate with the meaning of “mirror'' that is at the root of Japanese culture, and the unique ecosystem of the region will create a dream-like landscape of the city of Akihabara.

image of main object

Yoichi Ochiai profile

Media artist, born in 1987.

Started his career as a writer around 2010.

His works are based on the motif of objectification, transformation, and aspiration for mass in border areas.

Associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba and Specially Appointed Professor at Digital Hollywood University.

Producer of the 2025 Japan World Expo (Osaka/Kansai Expo) theme project.

Recent exhibitions include 2020 “My Heart, for You” Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2021 “Kitakyushu Future Creative Arts Festival ART for SDGs” Kitakyushu, the same year “Ars Electronica” Austria, 2023 “Sunny Sometimes Leica” Leica Gallery Tokyo/Kyoto, “Null Resonance: Interconnection of Emptiness in Computer Nature'' in the same year, Kiyoharu Art Village, Tadao Ando/Museum of Light, Museum of Light, and many others.

He also collaborates with various fields, such as directing the “Yoichi Ochiai x Japan Philharmonic Project''.

■Akihabara UDX winter illumination 2023 lighting ceremony event overview

A lighting ceremony will be held on November 15th (Wednesday) from 17:30 near the water basin at Akihabara UDX 1F Akihabara Square.

We will invite media artist Yoichi Ochiai, the creator of the main object, to talk about the concept of the work, behind-the-scenes stories behind its creation, and his thoughts on Akihabara.

*Illuminations will be turned on around 18:00

■About Akihabara UDX winter illumination 2023

・Holding period: November 15, 2023 (Wednesday) – December 25, 2023 (Monday)

・Lighting hours: 17:00-23:00 every day

*Lighting hours may change without prior notice.

・Location: Akihabara UDX (4-14-1 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

3 minutes walk from JR "Akihabara Station" or Tokyo Metro Ginza Line "Suehirocho Station"

・Fee: Free

・Sponsor: Akihabara UDX

・Writer: Yoichi Ochiai

・Equipment provision/technical cooperation: Seibido Co., Ltd.

・Official website: https://udx.jp/

Akihabara UDX winter illumination 2023 uses green electricity generated from natural energy sources such as sunlight and wind power.