The Kyoto, in Sound Podcast

I asked my friend Ash what his favourite sound was, and he didn't really need to think about it. "The sound of Ryoko doing one of her arrangements," he said. Ryoko is his wife. She runs flower arranging classes here in Kyoto, under the name HanaYou.So we spent a morning together. We started at Rokkaku-do, the supposed birthplace of Ikebana, then walked over to Hanamasa, her favourite flower shop in the city, to choose what she'd use. Then back to her studio, where she put it all together while I recorded as close as I could get: the scissors, the kenzan taking each stem, her hands, and the quiet in between whilst she decides what comes next.Chapters:0:00 - Rokkaku-do, the birthplace of ikebana2:30 - Choosing flowers at Hanamasa4:00 - Back to the studio5:04 - The arrangementIf you're looking for something to do whilst in Kyoto, I can't recommend her classes enough. More details at http://www.hanayou.studio.Join me on a sound walk: If you're coming to Kyoto and want to experience the city through your ears, I lead small, intimate sound walks using professional audio gear. You can find more information and book a spot at http://www.kyotoinsound.com.Read the letters: Join the community and read my reflections on life in Kyoto over at http://ohayo.substack.com.Listen on the go: The Kyoto, in Sound podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Thank you for noticing with me.SJF

In this episode, I return to Umekōji Park, stepping just outside the walls of Suzaku Garden (from episode one of the podcast) to explore the busier, living side of the park.I’m joined by my friend Charles and his dog Lily, as we sit by the tracks to listen to a sound most people usually try to block out: the local commuter trains.We talk about the rhythmic “clack-clack” of the old community lines and how it contrasts with the clinical, high-tech “whoosh” of the Shinkansen passing right next to them.The conversation leads us to the idea of “third spaces”—from the park itself to the rooftop garden at Kyoto Station—and how people find little gaps in the city's architecture to simply be.Find more about my sound walks over at kyotoinsound.com: http://kyotoinsound.com.

For the first episode of the New Year, I turn the microphone around to share one of my own favourite sounds: the Joya no Kane bell.Recorded at Tanjoji temple in Fushimi-ku, this episode explores the ritual of ringing the temple bell 108 times to banish our worldly desires (bonnō).I also take a winter walk from the stark beauty of Jojakko-ji to the sacred halls of Shoren-in, exploring how the silence of winter prepares us for the resonance of the New Year.A slow, meditative listen for anyone recovering from the busy-ness of the holiday season.Find more about my sound walks at kyotoinsound.com.

A few weeks ago I went to Osawa Pond—the oldest garden pond in Japan—looking for silence and tranquility.Instead, I found a gardener with a wood chipper and a construction crew with wooden mallets.In this episode of Kyoto, in Sound, I explore what happens when the sanctuary you're seeking turns out to be a construction site. It's a sonic letter to a busy friend.Find more about my sound walks at kyotoinsound.com, with behind-the-scenes moments shared over on Substack.

On a drizzly October morning at Shinnyo-do temple in North-East Kyoto, I meet Kacchan—a respected Buddha sculptor who has worked with some of the city's most important temples. But today, she's brought me to her local temple, a place she's known since childhood.We arrive on the one day each year when the Amitabha Sutra Association performs the secret Inzei Amida Sutra. As the monks' voices rise and fall in meditation, something remarkable happens: the crows and birds in the temple grounds begin calling out in response, weaving their own prayer into the chanting.Unlike Kiyomizu-dera or Fushimi Inari, Shinnyo-do doesn't appear in guidebooks. It's a local temple—quiet, intimate, and without crowds. A place where you can simply be, and listen.Thank you to Kacchan for sharing her story and guiding me through this beautiful place.Find more about my sound walks at kyotoinsound.com, with behind-the-scenes moments shared over on Substack.

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 this episode, I speak with Liz, originally from England, who lived in Mexico and California before making Kyoto her home. She tells me about "life-affirming sounds"—the difference between human sound and machine noise, and why the bustle of Kawaramachi reminds her of what she loved most about Mexico City.From the clatter of shop shutters opening in the morning to the traditional fire prevention night-watch echoing through modern streets, Liz shows us how sound shapes our sense of home in unexpected ways.Thank you to Liz for sharing her story and providing a few of her own field recordings of Kawaramachi for this episode.Find more about my sound walks at ⁠kyotoinsound.com⁠, with behind-the-scenes moments shared over on ⁠Substack⁠.

The Takase River winds quietly through central Kyoto, where the city’s noise meets the voices of insects and flowing water.In this episode, I walk with Chie, a Kyoto-based illustrator, who tells me why the sounds of autumn are her favourite. For her, the shift from cicadas to crickets reminds her of a Japanese phrase 静と動, stillness and movement, and the balance between energy and reflection.As the river carries us through stone-lined streets, we pause to hear how these insects mark the shift of the season.Find more about my sound walks at kyotoinsound.com, with behind-the-scenes moments shared over on Substack.Please check out Chie's illustration work on Instagram.

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. For this first episode of Kyoto, in Sound, I spoke to Rumi, who grew up in Tokyo and now lives in Kyoto, about her favourite sound in Kyoto and she takes me back to her childhood summers spent in Suzaku garden with her grandmother. Through field recordings and storytelling, we explore how a single place can hold memories that span decades.Find more information at kyotoinsound.comAnd for a behind the scenes look at this episode follow over on Substack.