JapanVisitor Podcast on GigaDial Public: Recent Episodes
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Listen to the sound of Japan - drum and bass festival taiko, screechy Tokyo street sounds and groovy temple gongs.
Listen to music from the Kuromatsu FestivalWent to an unusual matsuri on Saturday at Kuromatsu, a small fishing village on the Shimane coast near Gotsu City. The central part of the matsuri is the carrying of the mikoshi (sacred palanquin) around the village. At a normal matsuri the mikoshi leaves the local shrine and circles the community before returning to the shrine. What is unusual at Kuromatsu is that the shrine is split into 2 parts, and the part where the Kami (God) resides is 2 kilometres away on a small uninhabited island.First, a purpose-built boat carrying the mikoshi, priest, and musicians in happi-coats leave the beach and head to the island to pick up the God.A small flotilla of boats, decorated with bamboo and brightly colored banners follow along. On the main boat and simultaneously on the beach, musicians keep up the beat.Once the island is reached, the priest and villagers carrying the mikoshi climb to the island shrine and the priest "calls down" the kami and then carry her back to the boat.By now dusk had settled in so the boats turned on their lights which had been set up on the boats in patterns of kanji. As we headed back to the beach the matsuri space there lit up with fires and lanterns. It was a magical time, the sea was like a mirror and the pink light of dusk added to the festive atmosphere. Shimane has some beautiful coastline, most of which I have seen from a friend's yacht, but with the lights and music added it was truly other-worldly.Once we arrived back at the beach and the mikoshi was placed in its spot, the matsuri began in earnest.Buy Noren curtains from JapanTagsJapan Shimane festival podcast japanese music
Listen to the sound of the cicadasIn the pauses between the rains, the forest and mountains around my home come alive with the sound of Cicadas (semi). For the Japanese, the sound of the cicadas signifies the arrival of high summer.The young cicada nymphs have been underground for anywhere from 2 to 17 years, and once they emerge they climb the nearest tree and shed their exoskeleton. The males then begin the calling for a mate.The discarded exoskeletons can easily be found littering the forest floor, and in the erroneous belief that they were corpses, has led to an association of the cicada with death, as in this haiku by Shuho from 1767.Cicada shelllittle did I knowit was my life.Buy organic green tea from Shimane JapanTagsJapan Shimane haiku podcast cicada
太鼓Listen to the sound of taiko drums and fluteLast Saturday was Matsuri in Kawamoto, a small town of 5,000 about 20 kilometers up the river from my village. It was a civic matsuri, so lots of free entertainment and plentiful food and drink.First up were 2 Taiko groups. For some, the plaintive wail of the shakuhachi typifies the sound of Japan. For others it may be the ethereal pluckings of the Koto, but for me nothing sounds more like Japan than the thunder of the Taiko drums.Originally the Taiko was a war drum. Used for battlefield communication, and, like the African djembe or like the bagpipes, they were used to scare the bejeebers out of the enemy.The Taiko groups of today, playing for entertainment, are a fairly modern invention, starting after the end of the last war, but in the countryside at least, they are increasingly popular.Accompanied by a solo flute that at times delved into free-form jazz, the hypnotic pounding of the taiko reverberates deep in the bones.Hiroshima GuideHostels in Japan - HostelworldHotels in Japan – BookingsHotels in Japan - Accommodation OnlineHotels in Japan - Precision ReservationsFlights to Japan – Expedia UKUNESCO World Heritage SitesTagJapan Shimane taiko drums podcast