Suikinkutsu

Excess water from a water basin, chozubachi, drops into a hidden cavity underground. The encounter with the water surface creates a sound which resonates and brings a musical tone. Suikinkutsu is a centuries old tradition in Japan and it can be found in several zen gardens, this video clip is from Enkō-ji in Kyoto.

For a collection of suikinkutsu, visit: https://vimeo.com/album/5683754

Tranquility in dense urban settings

The Japanese garden tradition is known for its sense of natural detailing using all senses. Many of the gardens have been preserved for centuries, meanwhile the urban surroundings have changed drastically with densification, modernizations and increased noise. Despite this, many of the gardens still offer a sense of tranquility. On this page is collected a set of examples illustrating strategies to work with sound. The documentations come from a one year postdoc financed by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. Read more about the study in IJERPH 16:23: Listening to Japanese Gardens and Journal of Urban Design 2020.25.5: Listening to Japanese Gardens II.