The Blue Lights of Tokyo and Their Effect on Your Brain

Colors of coercion

My first encounter with colorful mind control experiments came in the spring of 1999. A small council of 4th graders and I had gathered to debate the seemingly deceptive nature of language.

“Why does one drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?”

“How is it possible that noses run and feet smell?”

It was not as though we were attempting to solve these riddles, it was really just about seeing who knew more silly puns. That was until one question changed everything.

“Why do we call them blackboards when ours are green?”

Timmy Ross stood up and looked at each of us. Once he was certain he had our full attention, he declared that our green chalkboards - were all part of a carefully orchestrated plan to pacify us.

"Nonsense."

I replied as confidently as a nine-year-old could, though the forcefulness of my objection had little effect. Either Timmy Ross was telling the truth, or he genuinely believed in what he was saying. He paused for a moment, and proceeded.

“Look, different colors make people feel different things. Red makes people angry. Purple makes people crazy. Jacob’s mom used to have a purple bedroom when she was a kid and look what happened.”

Jacob was too fascinated to retort. We all were.

“But green calms you down. That’s why mental hospitals make stuff green. It keeps everyone nice and relaxed.”

Little did any of us know that halfway across the world, similar conversations were taking place in Japan.

Politicians, civil engineers, and executives had officially began discussions that would lead to decades of a strange mind control experiment - that continues to this day.

Faced with alarming statics surrounding some serious social issues, a group of Japanese decision makers got together and posed a simple question of their own.

“What if we try putting up some blue lights?”

A nation on patrol

For a very long time, before light bulbs of any color, Japan has been taking innovative and unique approaches towards public safety. One of the most popular examples is the placement of "kōban" (交番, "police boxes") at busy stations and in city centers throughout Japan. These friendly and convenient outposts offer a wide array of community services, far more than just booking bad guys.

You can ask for directions, register your bicycle, and even check the local lost and found. I know of more than one friend who dropped their wallet after having a few too many, only to find it completely unharmed at the nearest kōban the next morning.

But Japan's success in living up to its low crime reputation, goes beyond simply returning lost property.

The driving force behind the peacefulness, seems to be Japanese society taking responsibility as a whole. Public safety is viewed as something in which everyone should participate.

In the suburbs, local grandparents in reflective gear watch over children as they walk to school each morning. Volunteers with "patrol" armbands can be seen cheerfully securing the perimeters of parks. Posters, billboards, and even loudspeaker announcements encourage town residents to remain vigilant about everything from suspicious persons to telephone scammers.

Amidst all of these celebrated efforts to keep the peace, mysterious blue lights have now emerged as the latest defense against the dark arts.

Blue lights as a cure for the blues

The idea behind blue lights goes all the way back to the interesting (though largely unproven) concept that the color blue produces a calming effect on the brain.

Japan’s first attempt at utilizing this alleged power however, was not intended to combat street crime.

The first blue lights that went up in Japan were placed in train stations, as a means of making someone reconsider the thought of taking their own life.

In a country praised for all of the above-mentioned peacefulness, suicide remains a very difficult social issue to tackle.

Japan has been stereotyped, somewhat inaccurately, as a country where people commit suicide at a dramatically higher rate than the rest of the world. Although the numbers are concerning, Japan does not always represent the highest figures when examining individual age groups, occupations, and other demographics on a global scale.

It is possible to argue that a culture of death before dishonor, dating back to the samurai tradition of seppuku, can still be felt in Japanese society today. Perhaps the world's fascination with this macabre ritual and its history has contributed to the stereotyping.

In present day Japan, one of the most common venues for taking one’s own life, both horrifically and publicly, is the train station.

Countermeasures, such as automated gates, have been implemented in some stations to place a physical obstacle between commuters and a fateful decision. For many, these barriers are a logical investment.

It is more difficult to argue for the efficacy of an emotional obstacle - like the one allegedly created by bathing the platform in an eerie blue glow.

Despite inconclusive data, supporters are seemingly happy to believe that we are better off with blue lights than we are without them. At Tokyo’s infamous Shin Koiwa Station, blue lights are now a normal part of the decor.

Shining a light on shady dealings

Often hailed as the safest country on Earth, Japan is not without its unfriendly areas. In Tokyo, several neighborhoods have gained notoriety for their nefarious activities.

Kabukicho, Kinshicho, and plenty of other “cho’s” have become a home for horror stories of drink spiking, extortion, and even the occasional murder.

Despite this, tourists will still find they can walk through these areas quite freely. Even in the presence of particularly motivated scam scouts, a polite but firm “no thank you” will grant most visitors safe passage.

That’s because simply being on the wrong side of the tracks is not necessarily enough to get you into trouble. Japanese street crime tends to take place off the streets themselves, behind closed doors. Bad situations often require the potential victim to open those doors themselves.

A person may for example, unknowingly enter an unsavory establishment due to misplaced trust, being drunk, or some combination of the two.

In Kinshicho, local law enforcement goes to great lengths to warn visitors of the danger. Signs, loudspeakers, and patrolling security officers do everything they can to keep the town on high alert. You can even see animations playing on a giant LED screens, with cartoon depictions of salarymen being lured into clubs by attractive young women, only to awaken with empty wallets and inexplicable credit card tabs.

In addition to all of these efforts, high crime areas are now getting the same treatment as the most tragic of train stations. Japan has effectively begun turning its red light districts - into blue light districts.

While criminal activities continue, local ruffians and ne’er-do-wells now conduct their business beneath an ominous blue tinge. The same gentleman will still promise you a wonderful time in his bar, but the harrowing light over his head will do its best to tell you a very different story.

Wise investment or wishful thinking?

After almost 20 years of data on blue lights, experts still can’t seem to agree on their efficacy.

Some studies show optimistic results, while others challenge the findings by introducing other complicating factors. With so many nuanced aspects to consider, it may be impossible to accurately measure just how much credit the blue lights deserve.

While their direct effect on the statistics remains inconclusive, blue lights have undeniably been successful in raising awareness and encouraging discussion on the issues they attempt to resolve.

By both literally and metaphorically highlighting Japan’s efforts to combat suicide and street crime, one could infer that the blue lights have done some good.

Perhaps the true value of the blue lights lies not in their ability to deter these actions, but in their ability to inspire us to think about them seriously.