Focusing on the stories of the people who call this city home, the Kyoto, in Sound podcast is an exercise in deep listening. I ask locals to share a sound that holds meaning for them, then I set out to record it in high-fidelity.
By sharing the story behind the recording, I find a unique perspective on Kyoto that exists beyond the tourist noise.
I’m joined by Charles and his dog Lily on a park bench in Umekōji Park. Just a short walk from the bustle of Kyoto Station, we sit by the tracks to listen to a sound that most people usually try to block out: the local commuter trains. We talk about the rhythmic “clack-clack” of the community lines and how they contrast with the clinical, high-tech “whoosh” of the Shinkansen passing right next to them. We also talk about the value of “third spaces”.
I visited Tanjoji temple in Fushimi-ku to experience the Joya no Kane, the ringing of the temple bell on New Year’s Eve. Instead of interviewing a guest, I turned the microphone around to share one of my own favourite sounds. In this episode, I explore the silence of winter in Kyoto, and how the bell's 108 strikes help us banish our worldly desires for a fresh start.
I visited Osawa Pond, the oldest garden pond in Japan, in search of silence. Instead, I found a wood chipper and a construction crew. In this episode, I explore the accidental "Industrial Zen" of a noisy Monday morning in Kyoto, and how a wall of sound can sometimes become its own kind of music.
At Shinnyo-do temple in North-East Kyoto, I meet Kacchan—a Buddha sculptor who has carried out work on the statues in Kyoto's grandest temples. We arrive at her local temple on a day when the monks were chanting their secret Inzei Amida Sutra. The crows and the birds in the temple seemed to join in momentarily and it reminded me of one of Mary Oliver's poems which I share in the episode.
In downtown Kawaramachi, surrounded by high-rise buildings and constant traffic, most people seek escape from the noise. But Liz chose to live here deliberately. In the third episode of Kyoto, in Sound, I speak with Liz, originally from England, who lived in Mexico and California before making Kyoto her home. She shares what she calls "life-affirming sounds" and why the bustle of Kawaramachi reminds her of what she loved most about Mexico City.
Beginning in the busy area of Kiyamachi, the Takase River flows quietly through central Kyoto.
In the second episode of Kyoto, in Sound, I walk here with Chie, a freelance illustrator, who shares why the sounds of autumn are her favourite. She reflects on stillness and movement and how a shift in sound marks the changing of the seasons here.
It's only a short walk from Kyoto Station, but Suzaku garden feels like a world away from the bustle of the city's busiest train station.
In the first episode of Kyoto, in Sound, I spoke with Rumi, who grew up in Tokyo and now lives in Kyoto. She takes me back to her childhood summers spent in this beautiful garden with her grandmother.
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