In recent years, the application of satellites and big data to the economic field has been expanding rapidly. In particular, it has become clear that the intensity of night light acquired by satellites is correlated with social and economic indicators such as gross domestic product, employment, population, and education in each country. In this paper, I first describe the method of calculating the night light intensity in Japan by prefecture and city. Next, in order to understand the versatility of the night light data, I examine the relationship between the intensity of night light at the city level and various socio-economic indicators and data published by public sectors, using Japan as a case study. Based on the results of the various analyses, it is assumed that night light can be used as a proxy variable for these various indicators. Finally, I describe the possibility of using night light to perform a rapid analysis on the stagnation of economic activity under sudden social events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
