Singing Well
Visitors have been enjoying the sound of the Shishi-Odoshi found in our Japanese Garden. It didn't take long before Japanophiles started to request another traditional sound that is a bit more unusual and difficult to record: the sound of the Suikinkutsu. The Suikinkutsu consists of a buried pot. Water drips through the hole at the top of the pot onto a small pool of water inside, creating a ringing sound similar to a bell. For this to work, the pot has been carefully designed to resonate at musical frequencies.
For that particular request, I was fortunate to rely on Daniel Mills's help, a fan of this website in Japan and now regular contributor to myNoise. Daniel went to the Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple, famous for hosting the most beautiful Suikinkutsu in Japan but also dangerous to get to: Mitokusan Sanbutsuji is built into the mouth of a cave on a sheer precipice and is only accessible by hiking. Thank you Daniel!
Other iconic sounds from Japan you will discover in the soundscape are the Oojuzu, the Shakuachi with a performance by our friend Dave Tawfik, and - of course - the loud cicadas. They all combine to form what could be a sacred retreat in Japan; the gardens of a temple where cicadas are singing to the sound of a lone Shakuachi player, while a ritual takes place in the background.






