Standing at an intersection, a group of men are standing around a public display of an old train wheel. They are train enthusiasts taking pictures, snacking and talking about trains. A little over 20 metres away is a Kindergarten and a teacher is leading a group of about 30 young children in calisthenics. The rhythm of the teacher counting the rhythm makes for an interesting juxtaposition to the mens' discussions. Calisthenics were brought to Japan from the US in 1928 and broadcast via the radio. (2015/09/29)

This is a recording of walking down Ameyoko-cho between Okachimachi and Ueno stations. It is crowded and the shops and street store sellers line the streets shouting out their wares. There are stalls selling candy, clothes, dried foods, fish and numerous other goods. Ameya Yokocho refers to candy strode alley as candies were traditionally sold here but also Ame refers to America as after World War 2 this was the site of a black market. The sounds in this street are close. One on side looking above your head is the above ground railway and this has the effect of bringing the sounds closer together making for a more intense sensory experience. (2015/09/26)

University students around the world love to drink coffee! This recording was taken at a coffee shop located very close to a large private university in Kyoto, where students and staff alike visit the shop which is famous for its American style cheesecake as well as its carefully brewed coffee. While Kyoto is famous for its traditional tea culture, coffee culture is also an important part of its retail landscape. In this recording, after the lunch rush, features both male and female voices, old and young, and the chime of bells attached to the door as customers come in and out of the shop. (2015/04/21)

The long shopping strip along the entrance to Ginkaku-ji is full of people, shop owners selling Japanese gifts, including the small bells you can hear here. The sound is full of small conversations, which moves through space across the many shops. There are many school children in large groups with tourists interspersed through the chattering of the kids. (2015/04/09)

Different kinds of sounds are used to sell different products. In this section of Isetan, a video recording with music is looped through the toy section to attract children. (2015/04/08)

The basement of department stores usually serve as open food markets, selling mostly prepared food and some fresh ingredients. Mirroring the traditional markets out of doors, the sales people call out to customers to try their wares before buying. Contrast this recording with one made about two years later ''The Basement of Isetan, 2013". Can you hear the difference between spring shoppers and summer shoppers? (2015/04/08)

At the height at 131 metres (430 ft), the tourists on top of the Kyoto Tower are enjoying the view on a clear afternoon. (2015/04/08)

Across from Kyoto station is the Kyoto Tower, a observation tower on top of a shopping and hotel complex which is popular with tourists. The tower itself is 131 metres (430 feet) tall, with an elevator to the observation deck at 100 meters. The view is spectacular but for the faint of heart, it can cause some vertigo. Softly piped in music in elevator up to the the observation deck soothes the mind. (2015/04/08)

Udon are thick white flour noodles that differ in taste and texture from ramen or soba (buckwheat) noodles. This is a very busy udon restaurant in Kyoto Station. You can hear the wait staff shouting to each other and to customers, and the clink of dishes as they are cleared away. This shop is also selling pickled plums (featured here) that are served as a relish to the noodles. (2015/04/08)

In this clothing and lifestyle shop inside Kyoto Station (photo here taken just outside) you can hear the sounds of retail: pleasant music filtering through the shop's speakers; polite exchanges between clerks and customers; and the rustling sound of tissue paper as the clerks wrap items of clothing after they are purchased. (2015/04/08)

This recording was taken on a rainy grey morning in April. Yasaka Shrine is another historic shrine located near Gion, a Kyoto neighbourhood associated with the traditional arts and geisha performances. Usually this area is quite crowded but given the poor weather, and the fact the shrine was under restorative construction at the time, the recording here doesn't us much except the crunching sound of the researchers' feet as they walk into the shrine. (2015/04/08)

This is a partial recording of the start of a performance of Gama no Abura, a traditional story told in a small theatre at the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. This theme park is focused on Edo period culture and arts, and the constructed village is used by the Toei Film Studio as location for their historical dramas. Tourists may visit the parts of the park not used for filming and there are many actors dressed in traditional garb acting out scenes for the tourists entertainment. This recording is of a Toei actor reinacting the traditional story of the Toad's Oil - a story about a deceitful merchant trying to sell a 'magic' potion that heals all wounds immediately. (2015/04/07)

This recording was made on a special express train from Nara to Kyoto, and you can hear the engineer announce its arrival to its destination. This special express train is seated tickets only, and those desiring this service buy a regular fare and then buy another ticket with another charge for the privilege of riding this train. There was different sonic atmosphere on this train; the carriage was generally silent on it journey, and the announcements upon arrival had a more refined tone. (2015/04/06)

There are many recordings of public transport on this site, but most of them were made in regular carriages used by every day commuters. This recording was made on a special express train from Nara to Kyoto. It is seated tickets only, and those desiring this service buy a regular fare and then buy another ticket with another charge for the privilege of riding this train. The sounds of this train are different in their absence. The sound of prestige in Japan is silent. (2015/04/06)

This recording was taken at Todaiji in Nara, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Japan. It houses a Daibutsu (large sculpture of the Buddha). Todaiji as a temple was established in the early 700s, though the structure we see today dates back to the 1700s as the structure has been rebuilt several times. The wooden sculpture dates back to the mid 700s. It is an iconic place in Japanese religious history, and thus tourists from around East and South East Asia visit the site to pay their respects. Many Chinese and Thai visitors were praying at the Daibutsu along with Japanese and European visitors. In particular, Thai tourists paid the most formal respects to the Daibutsu, by making longer offerings and silent prayers, but other tourists (Japanese, Chinese, German, Australian and so on) were more merry in their visit. You can hear the visitors chat with each other, and the zip of a bag as a supplicant reaches into her purse to grab a coin. (2015/04/06)

Stevens and Hosokawa visited the Himuro Shrine in Nara, an ancient city about an hour outside Kyoto. This shrine was established in 710. At this shrine, there was a small playback device at the place of offering. Supplicants put coins in the box at the shrine entrance to make wishes for good health, fortune or other prayers. Next to the donation box was a small recording playback device, donated by an audio speaker company (credited with a small sign). If the supplicant put a few more coins in the device, they could hear gagaku (ancient court music) playing through these speakers. The ancient sounds were thought to enhance the experience of praying at this historic shrine. You can hear Prof. Hosokawa drop in the coins at the start of the recording, and then while waiting, muse out loud 'Nothing's coming out!' As soon as he utters this sentence, however, the recording begins. The supplicant is taken back to Nara's ancient period with this sound. Through the playback you can hear other tourists come and go, and put money in the donation box as the music plays. Hosokawa and Stevens found this shrine's feature unusual and interesting, dubbing it 'sonic tourism'. Sonic tourism enhances the physical experience of being present in a historic setting. (2015/04/06)

Rubbish is serious business in Japan. In densely populated cities, the collection of rubbish is highly regulated in terms of timing (when the bags are placed on the street) and with reference to recycling. In cities, only burnable rubbish (moerugomi) is to be placed on the street, with recyclables such as plastic, waxed cardboard and glass (separated by colour) to be put out at different times according to the neighbourhood schedule. Neighbourhood associations devote some of the energies to this recycling project, and neighbours may quietly police each others' practices, for putting out the rubbish too early might attract crows, and putting rubbish out too late is tantamount to littering. In this recording you hear the rubbish truck drive in a small alley behind a main street in central Kyoto. You can hear the back of the truck closing and opening as the rubbish, put in semi transparent bags to prove there is no recycling misplaced in them, are tossed quietly into the back by workers wearing plastic gloves. Always a morning sound, the sound of this truck usually means frustration for the late sleeper, who must now keep his/her rubbish for another few days until the next round. (2015/04/06)

This recording was taken in Shijo, the commercial and financial centre of Kyoto. In April 2015, there was a local election underway, and as noted in other posts individual candidates used sound trucks to advertise their campaigns. This was a stationary truck parked at a busy street corner which represented a political party rather than an individual candidate. The Japanese Communist Party is a small but still active organisation. Their stance, especially since 3/11, focuses on a nuclear free Japan and anti war policies. Their point of view conflicts directly with the then Prime Minister's policy of increasing Japan's military presence abroad. You can see their banners with slogans here such as 'Stop the restart of the nuclear power plants; Japan as a Zero Nuclear Nation' and 'Let us not send our young people to war!' (2015/04/05)

The Teramachi Shopping Arcade is a major retail centre in Kyoto which includes the famous Nishiki Market (for fresh and processed foods). Carolyn Stevens and Shuhei Hosokawa meet with their families for a casual meal of okonomiyaki (savory pancakes). Sometimes they are also served with noodles (yakisoba) and other dishes. In recent times, okonomiyaki recipes have become more innovative, including different ingredients. In this photograph, a cheese pancake is featured. (2015/04/05)

The Teramachi Shopping Arcade is a famous consumer site in Kyoto, including retail as well as the famous Nishiki food market. These covered shopping arcades became common in urban areas in the post war era. They are a vital place for urban commercial and social activity. Usually the arcade is open for strolling, but on this day the arcade was roped off for a dance performance by a visiting professional dance troupe from Shikoku. While the sound and the performance was exciting, the noise of the recorded backing music was deafening, and the regular crowd of people traversing the space seemed crushing due to the limited area for pedestrians. Stevens made this recording while with friends, and she and her son lost sight of their friend and in the crush of people and noise, it was quite difficult to find each other again. It was raining that day, and we were having trouble trying to find a specific shop. The restrictive access to the space and the noise heightened our feelings of anxiety about being lost and losing each other in the crowd. While the event was lively and fun for some, it was stressful for us. (2015/04/05)

The first week of April is a special week for Japanese of all ages; it is the height of the cherry blossom season. The blossoms can be enjoyed during the day, or at nights, illuminated by lights. People plan hanami (blossom viewing) parties, where they gather during the day (or in the evening) in parks and picnic under the pink flowers. Here is a recording taken at a day time event in Uji, just outside of Kyoto. During this hanami festival, recreational boats take passengers on brief trips up and down the river which is lined with blooming cherry trees. In this recording you can hear loudspeaker announcements from the festival headquarters to facilitate everyone's enjoyment of the day. (2015/04/04)

Uji is a historic city located between Kyoto and Nara, and is famous for its green tea (as well as the famous Byodoin, a temple which is featured on the ten yen coin). Uji is a popular day trip from Kyoto, where one can enjoy some of the finest green tea, as well as food made using powdered green tea, or matcha. Some of the popular dishes include chasoba, featured here. Powdered green tea are added to thin noodles which gives them a bright green colour and a distinctive astringent taste. Here they are served cold with a fish / soy broth and condiments. In this recording you can hear customers talking and laughing as they enjoy this local dish in a relaxed setting on a day off from work. (2015/04/04)

The first week of April is a special week for Japanese of all ages; it is the height of the cherry blossom season. The blossoms can be enjoyed during the day, or at nights, illuminated by lights. People plan hanami (blossom viewing) parties, where they gather during the day (or in the evening) in parks and picnic under the pink flowers. Here is a recording taken at a day time event in Uji, just outside of Kyoto. Children and pets feature prominently in the day time hanami events, picnicking on blue plastic tarps. In the evening parties, alcohol and singing feature more prominently. (2015/04/04)

In April 2015, local politicians were on the campaign trail. In Japan, a fixture of political campaigns are sound trucks which traverse residential and commercial areas broadcasting the candidate's position. Sometimes the recording is of the candidate him or herself; other times it is a recording, or another person working on behalf of the candidate. In this recording, a candidate drives near the Philosopher's Walk on a Saturday morning, which is famous for its cherry blossoms. People from around Japan as well as overseas walk this road during the height of the blooms, so the candidate is savvy to broadcast to a densely populated streetscape on this day. (2015/04/04)

Ensoku means school trip in Japanese, and these activities are a core part of the school experience as children learn to negotiate public space in a socially acceptable and orderly manner. In this recording you can hear the kindergarten teachers manage a group of about 20 children on the train. They engage the children in conversation while also making sure that they don't make too much noise, they stay together, and they don't leave any belongings behind. (2015/04/04)

In April 2015, local politicians were on the campaign trail. In Japan, a fixture of political campaigns are sound trucks which traverse residential and commercial areas broadcasting the candidate's position. Sometimes the recording is of the candidate him or herself; other times it is a recording, or another person working on behalf of the candidate. The interesting thing about this recording is that it was made inside a bedroom of a residential house, not on a street corner. It demonstrates how sound politics move through the porous boundaries between public and private spheres in Japan. (2015/04/03)

After buying tickets and waiting patiently outside the stalls that line the Kyoto Ramen Kōji (Lane), a steaming bowl of ramen awaits the hungry customer. You can hear the clank of cooking utensils and the movement of the cooks as they move the noodles from boiling water to the bowls for service. The bowls are then stacked to be moved aside for washing. Usually there isn't much small talk: customers not infrequently attend the stall alone, and the lines of customers behind them puts some pressure on them to finish quickly. Still, customers and cooks exchange short greetings to each other as is expected in a professional setting such as this: the cook says 'irasshaimase' when they enter, and you can hear specifically the cook repeating 'dōmo arigato goziamasu' several times as customers exit. (2015/04/03)

This retail area just above Kyoto Station's railways is a ramen lover's paradise. Many small stalls are lined up in this section of the stations, offering their take on one of Japan's most beloved fast foods: ramen noodles. In this clip you can hear the shop staff calling out to customers to choose their stall over their competitors. This shops are very small, so during the busy lunch time session, customers have to wait in lines outside the shop before an interior seat at the ramen bar becomes vacant. Similar to check in at an airport, the hallway out side the stalls has demarcated places for customers to wait aside from the free flowing pedestrian traffic. Customer turnover, however, is fairly quick as one orders and pays directly from an automated ticket vendor at the entrance. Knowing that others are waiting can put some pressure on customers to slurp and go! (2015/04/03)

This recording of a train platform is somewhat different from all of the others because it was made early in the morning at the Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Rather than capturing the sounds of regular commuters, this platform is full of families and single people who have just returned from overnight flights from overseas. They are excited and relieved to be on their way home after a long flight. The photograph shows the researcher's son waiting for the train after a long over night from Melbourne to Osaka via Singapore. (2015/04/03)