Hello everyone! This is Sayaka Suzuki from CIC.
I'm a space designer who loves theme parks so much that I want to live in one.
We are involved in creating spaces that move people's hearts, focusing on areas such as planning, experience design, and spatial production.
This time, based on my experience designing night walks, I will talk about the new value that can be created by "nighttime nature and entertainment."
　

The hidden value of experiencing nature at night

At night, there is little light and visual information is limited, making spectacular light and sound displays stand out.
Unlike the open scenery of daytime, darkness hides the view, so your imagination fills in the gaps and the experience itself deepens.
The image of "nature = daytime tourism" is beginning to change, and overseas, nighttime activities are making a major contribution to the tourism economy.
Content that utilizes nature at night offers an extraordinary experience and has the potential to increase visitor length and encourage consumption.

　　

Illuminating the night with light and sound

Illuminations, fireworks, drone displays, projection mapping, night walks... Nighttime entertainment is on the rise, with events like night safaris, night museums, art nights, night cinemas, and even night pools.
Just adding "night" to an ordinary place transforms it into something extraordinary, and doesn't it make you feel a little excited?

I once participated in a New Year's Eve festival called Hogmanay in Edinburgh, England.
It was a simple experience of walking around with a torch in hand, but the sight and excitement of marching through the town with lit torches alongside many other people in the festive atmosphere of New Year's Eve is still etched in my mind.

　　

Night Walk in the Forest

Now, I think the important thing about night walks is a design that "makes use of existing nature."
By incorporating elements of nature such as the topography of the mountains, the shapes of the trees, the reflections on the water's surface, and shadows swaying in the wind into the production, the content becomes unique to that location. By adding something to it, you experience the entire space, so I think it's similar to an installation.

By combining lighting, video, and sound and creating a consistent story, you can create a higher level of experiential value.
Combined with special effects such as mist, smoke, bubbles and fragrance, it creates an immersive experience that stimulates all five senses.
The interactive features that visitors can participate in also add to the excitement of the story.

Furthermore, collaboration with character IP, an area of expertise for CIC, is expected to attract more customers and create more fans.
In this way, the appeal of nature at night can be greatly enhanced depending on how it is presented.

　　

Creating a nighttime space for sustainable enjoyment

Safety and security are essential to enjoying nature at night, and precisely because it is an experience that places you in darkness, meticulous design is required.
The key to creating appealing content while protecting local resources is to create a system that allows for sustainable events, such as lighting that gently guides your feet, safe flow lines, production that takes into consideration the flora, fauna and the environment, and equipment placement that does not spoil the daytime scenery.
　　

Conclusion

Nighttime natural entertainment is an initiative that utilizes local resources to increase tourism and economic value.
Bringing out different aspects from daytime, creating surprises, discoveries and stories. Shifting from tourism to "seeing" to tourism to "experiencing" nature.
There is great potential in utilizing nature at night. We will continue to search for the light and stories hidden in the darkness, and take on the challenge of creating an entertainment space that will connect to the future of the region.