Light is perhaps the commonest elemental force. We take it for granted, but it is the life-giving force that makes our planet different from all the others we know. As the definition of ultimate speed, it is also one of the parameters of the universe. No wonder, then, that light has always carried strong symbolic meanings.

"People are supposed to be radiant like rays of light," artist Hitomi Uchikura explains, extending the symbolism into the human world. It is one of those brilliantly bright winter days when Mount Fuji is visible from central Tokyo and she is telling me about her current exhibition at Ginza's Plus/Minus Gallery.

"Happiness is when each person shines brightly in the world in their own unique way."