Tokushima City held its first LED art festival from 17 April to 25 April.

Fact of the Day – Tokushima prefecture is the the world’s no.1 ichiban LED-producing region manufacturing approximately 60% of all white LED’s and approximately 25% of all LED’s world wide.

Unsubstantiated Fact of the Day – Tokushima City is the birthplace of blue LED’s.

Quote (LED valley Tokushima): ‘Tokushima Prefecture is working to become a center for optics-related industry by leveraging its status as home to a number of universities conducting state-of-the-art research in the field as well as the world’s densest concentration of LED manufacturing facilities.’

LED lighting, the light source of the 21st Century.

The festival certainly worked as a promotional tool for the local industries involved in LED manufacture, and also as a way to support the production of art, I think. The main pieces of work followed the curve of the salt water channel that flows in a large loop around central Tokushima City.  High powered motorboat tours carried groups of screaming people from site to site.

Nicolai san initially had reservations about LED’s, specifically whether they could convey the emotion required for works of art.  The festival surprised him by conveying a sense of warmth he never imagined possible.

Hayabuchi san’s piece of work which incorporated window frames and doors from an old school in Kamiyama.  

Fluffy objects bouncing inside a vinyl greenhouse.

Bridges were sparkling. 

Blue LED’s encased in spherical plastic floated on the salt water channel.  

Is this an artwork?

How about this?

This is clearly a piece of work.  Perhaps this gentleman customised his scooter especially for the festival?  I hope so.

Incredibly thin LED strips woven into material look like plankton. 

Cast fingers of Japanese students illuminated.  They appeared to be pointing at something.  I was pleased to see that some fingers looked radically different to the others.

(Is this not a toe?! – ed)

This looks like a wonderful tool for picking one’s nose with.

Nicolai san getting beamed up.  Why couldn’t they do it this way on Star Trek?