The way of lighting that is close to people's hearts and lifestyles

When Yoshiki Matsuyama, product designer, was asked by Ambientec to design a new portable lamp with a "creature motif," the world was in chaos due to the Corona disaster.

As Matsuyama contemplated the way the lights should be in order to be close to people's hearts and lifestyles, the image of a sperm whale swimming leisurely in the vast ocean came to his mind.

The fundamental and universal relationship between people and lights

The light from "Cachalot" blends with the sleek lines of the shades to create a symbolic light that emerges into the night space, adding a rich, life-like color to the various spaces in your life.

”Cachalot" reminds us of the fundamental and universal relationship between people and light in our daily lives.It naturally eases loneliness and anxiety and makes us feel gentle and calm.

Selecting materials for long-lasting use

The crystal-clear sperm whale, which can be expressed only with highly pure acrylic, shines naturally in the bright sunlight during the daytime and gently accompanies people in their daily lives.

This is not a transient phenomenon, but the essence of Ambientec, a proof of pure beauty born from careful craftsmanship and selection of materials for "long-lasting use" as with other products.

Original light source developed for "Cachalot"

The rod (cylindrical LED light source), which emits a warm light symbolizing life, ins an original light source developed for "Cachalot".

The frame has extremely fine detailing with precious metal working.

Pure, crystal clear acrylic light shade

The light shade, in the shape of a transparent sperm whale, is made of high purity acrylic using a special molding process.

Zinc die-cast base that stands out for its beauty

The base is a massive zinc die-cast with copper-plated finish.

Yoshiki Matsuyama

With his subtle and warm formative expression, Yoshiki Matsuyama has worked on various projects mainly in the field of product design, based on context derived from elements of society, everyday life, and beauty of nature. Other than product design of lifestyle goods, he has provided designs for a wide range of clients, such as utilization of traditional craft techniques, collaborative research projects with a university, and a sustainability project focusing on social and environmental issues. His designs, including individual experimental works, have been presented at various design events both in Japan and globally, such as the Spazio Rosanna Orlandi and Salone Satellite at Milano Design Week.
In parallel with these activities, he has been an in-house designer at the Integrated Design Center of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation since 2021. From industrial design of public equipment and home appliances, to solution design focusing on the lifestyle of developing countries, he is involved in research and development in a variety of fields.
He has won numerous awards, such as the Toyama Design Competition (Grand Prix), Lexus Design Award 2014 (Winner), and the GOOD DESIGN AWARD. He is also a part-time lecturer at Hosei University.

The motif of Cachalot is the ”Sperm whales”.

We asked Tony Wu, a world-renowned underwater photographer, about their ecology and episodes.

Photo: Tony Wu

About ”Sperm whales”

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are the largest toothed animals on Earth. Females measure 11-12m when mature. Old bulls can be 20m or more. With heads that comprise up to a third of their body length, tiny pectoral fins and eyes that seem far too small, sperm whales look like aliens.

The first Encounter with the Sperm whale

The first sperm whale that I met hit me with loud sonar, put me on its head and took my leg in its mouth. Fear overcame me. I was sure that the whale would eat me. But one thing led to another, and in the end, we became friends. We spent over three hours together, looking into one another’s eyes, each wondering, “What are you thinking?” That whale changed my life.

Photo: Tony Wu

Photo: Tony Wu

Commonalities between Sperm whales and Humans

That initial meeting was over 20 years ago. As I have learned since, sperm whales have much in common with people. They are mammals. They live in groups. They have strong social bonds. They have individual names and unique personalities. They engage in play and often demonstrate curiosity. They gather from time to time, rubbing their bodies together, communicating with sounds that they generate using their large heads.

Sperm whales filled with warmth and rich emotions

Perhaps the most striking thing of all though, is how welcoming they can be. On many occasions, when circumstances were right, these ocean giants let me into their world. They allowed me to swim among them, to interact with them, to play with their young. For a brief time, to experience the beauty and magic of life together.

One thing is clear. Sperm whales lead rich emotional lives—filled with warmth for one another, and even for the occasional terrestrial visitor.

Photo: Tony Wu

Tony Wu      / Undewater Photograoher

Tony Wu's lifelong association with the sea started when he was a child. A crab pinched his toe, and it was love at first ouch. Now that he's (somewhat) grown up, Tony devotes most of his time to researching and documenting rarely seen marine animals and environments, spending more days at sea that he does on land. Tony owns more pairs of fins than he does shoes.

In recent years, Tony has devoted the bulk of his time to the challenging pursuits of photographing large cetaceans such as humpbacks, sperm whales and blue whales, as well as documenting spawning aggregations, which are essentially orgies involving thousands of sex-crazed fish. His latest project is exploring the varied and diverse marine environments of Japan, which encompass everything from tropical to Arctic environments, as well as many unique habitats in between.

Photo: Jenny Huang

Tony has received a number of prestigious awards, including Grand Prize in Japan's largest underwater photography contest, the prize for Best Book of the Year at the Festival of Marine Images in Antibes, and first place in both the Underwater and Behaviour: Mammals categories of the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.

Find Tony online at www.tony-wu.com

Underwater photographers and marine biologists not only present their works, but also dive underwater every day in an effort to communicate the marine environment and marine life that we, who live on land, cannot understand.

We thought that supporting the activities of these closest friends of ours and informing the public about the state of the underwater environment and changes in it would be an environmental protection activity that is uniquely Ambientec.

Yoshinori Kuno / Founder of Ambinentec

Founded in 1999 by Ambientec founder Yoshinori Kuno, the company has developed many underwater photographic equipment.。

RGBlue, a unique our underwater light brand, uses the highest quality LED light sources and features reliable waterproof performance and functionality, and is used by many divers and professional underwater photographers.

”Cachalot” evokes Ambientec's technological background with its underwater light brand, RGBlue, Ambientec will launch a project "to support the work of professional underwater photographers, marine biologists and others".

Supporting social action programs that send a message of understanding and, in some cases, warning to the public about the marine environmental crisis we face is based on a philosophy that is closely linked to Ambientec's long-lasting manufacturing and aims to contribute to environmental preservation and cultural awareness.