I enjoy reading books by Yoshimichi Nakajima - he is called a "Fighting Philosopher." He speculates about everything in a philosophical manner, and complains about how hard it is to live in this society. He complains about social corruption and aberrance, which we think bad, but he also complains about things that regular Japanese are accustomed to. For example, we know Japan is a hierarchical society, we tend to interfere with each other too much, are exclusive, and we have to change, but it is true that many Japanese may be even comfortable as is. But Nakajima dislikes such a Japan. I will introduce his book "Urusai Nihon no Watashi"(= I am in noisy Japan) about Japanese and sounds; I found it very interesting.
For example, at train stations, you will hear this type of announcement: "Train coming on platform 1. Please step behind the yellow line. The incoming train is an express bound for Shinjuku, next stop is Nakano. It will not stop at the next station, Higashi Nakano.Please don't run onto the train, it is very dangerous." (sample) When trains leave, we notice it by this sound. Each station, each line, and each platform have different sounds. It means you have to hear this (Tokyo Station Platform 1) and this (Tokyo Station Platform 2) at the same time.
When you get on the train, a train conductor will say "Please refrain from talking on your cell phone and use manner mode. Turn off your cell phone around priority seats. Please give your seat to elderly or handicapped persons. When you find a suspicious item, please let us know or call the police." When you get on escalators, you will hear "Please stand on the center of the step, watch your children carefully." In elevators at big department stores, there are "elevator girls." They will tell you "Next stop is the 2nd floor, we have cosmetics and shoes. After the 2nd floor, this elevator goes straight to the 7th floor," with a big smile. And on the street you might be surprised when you hear a big truck talking to you: "I'm backing up, I'm backing up," in a beautiful woman's voice, then might be disappointed to see a macho guy is driving the truck. Large Japanese trucks are equipped with this function for when they back up. CD shops, pachinko parlors, game centers, and big electronic shops play music loudly; I get a headache when I walk through Shibuya and Akihabara, actually. The worst time is election time. Each candidate goes around the street by car, saying through a microphone "Please give me your support, please vote for our party, give me support." until 8PM.
Yes Japan is noisy because of insensitive loud sounds and countlress warning, guide.( most them would be unnessessary.)
Nakajima says this is the Japanese's infantilism. We want to be cared for always and everywhere. Japanese even want a truck to warn them "Be careful, be careful." Most of all, why don't Japanese care about so much noise? Nakajima then goes into a consideration of Japanese consciousness for sound.
Have you ever heard? Japanese let falling leaves disperse naturally, and Japanese like to listen to the singing of insects. "Living with nature as it is" is the Japanese style. But Nakajima disagrees with it. Nakajima says Japanese apply this tolerance to NON-natural sounds, like dubbed violin lessons, street vendor's cries, or loud announcements during exercise time near schools without a problem. Not only that, but he says Japanese sense a kind of emotional interest to such noise without difficulty. He says this is what caused traditional Japanese houses to be made from wood and paper, and why Japanese like to open their windows to see flowers in Spring, snow in Winter. He points out that basically Japanese tried to delete the border between inside and outside the home. So even noises and loud sounds from outside are acceptable for Japanese, just as sounds of festivals or fireworks are acceptable.
He hates this noisy Japan, thus he protests it. That is the reason why he is called a fighting philosopher. Everytime he experienced sound pollution, he went to the source of the sound and tried to stop it as quickly as possible. Actually his book is a kind of history of those protests and arguments. We have to feel sorry for him because we usually think such an argument would be a waste of time.When he went and complained to big companies, most guys in charge said "You are keen to point out such types of things, ha ha ha! However...." Nakajima was always dealth with in that way. Nakajima complained to a guy from a Takezao shop about a small sound clip like this - yes please listen to that. The track made so much noise. When Nakajima complained to him, the guy baited Nakajima: "Shut up! Don't act so big!" However, Nakajima preferred that response to that of the big companies, because the Takezao clerk spoke his mind. The businessmen avoided the issue, and used fixed phrases befitting their position. We call this TATEMAE, and Japan is a Tatemae society. I can understand what Nakajima says, but I most of all feel sorry that he has such a hard time in this society.
I draw upon a book review site "review Japan" to write this post. A writer of Review Japan was so impressed to read this part of the book.
I wonder a person who come unhinged from the seinsibility of majority, would not be saved any longer? He should give up in this society? Only people who has an average sense can live comfortably? People who can't have average sense have to be eliminated, or be patient for pain without even a shout in order not to be eliminated.
Sounds can let Nakajima goes crazy. He has to be broken because of not the sound itself, but hopless despair that nobody can't understand his pain.
Here is English a blog writes about Nakajima a little.
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