what is with fluorescent light here?

One thing I don't get is why they love fluorescent lighting here. It seems every house is equipped with glaring fluorescent ceiling lights, dome-shaped and very bright. I suppose we should hail the energy-efficiency of it all but...talk about killing the mood.

Indirect or soft yellow lighting makes a house warmer, cozier, and allows one to relax. This is also why bedrooms should be equipped with incandescent or newly developed yellow fluorescent bulbs, for a much softer environment where one can easily fall into la-la land. We are now trying to convert all out lightbulbs from incandescent into fluorescent (but nice yellow tone) ones in an effort to a) save energy and b) prevent our electricity bill from skyrocketing since we often keep many lights on at the same time.

Why don't you change over to fluorescent or even LED, if possible? Amazing how it will change the lighting of your whole house with just the switch of a few bulbs here and there. My German friend living in Tsukuba also uses primarily indirect, soft lighting in her house. Very cozy and quaint!

***it is said that fluorescent lighting is some of the worst to study under due to the barely detectable fluttering the light does...