A Japanese journey

Feb 28, 2020, 12:15 PM

Episode image
Mount Kurama train line reimagined by Nick St. George.

"The year has closed 
While still I wear my sandals 
And my pilgrim's hat 
- Bashō (trans. Basil Hall Chamberlain) 

"The 17th century Japanese poet, Bashō, spent much of his time travelling. Presented with a recording of a Japanese train journey, an audio journey seemed an obvious structure. 

"So the piece takes us through two contrasting sides of Japanese life - manic/contemplative, noisy/peaceful, brash/cultured, modern/traditional and so on... 

"With thanks to Free Music Box for the taiko drums, Librivox for the Basho readings and Freesound for the Japanese cicadas and wind chimes."

Part of the Future Cities project - find out more at https://www.citiesandmemory.com/future-cities