The Founding Charter of the Soundscape Association of Japan
We are surrounded by a diverse array of sounds—the sounds of nature, the buzzing of cities, the sounds we keep in our memories…. As members of modern societies however, we are noticing and listening to these sounds less and less.
This regression of the sensitivity in the way we use our ears has brought with it a variety of sound-related issues. It is not the case however, that we have become altogether indifferent to the creation and improvement of sound environments. Considerable progress has been made with noise control technologies and legal regulations. However these are not sufficient to adequately deal with the sound-related issues we encounter in our daily lives, and we are beginning to feel that there is in fact a need to reexamine the issue of sound environments within broader social and cultural contexts.
When paying attention to the existence of the various sounds in our daily lives, which we are prone to forget about, and when attempting to examine these sounds within social and cultural contexts, thinking of soundscapes as being a kind of audial scenery can be highly effective. The concept of soundscapes does not involve treating the issue of sound in terms of sound itself, but rather the use of sound and hearing as gateways to vividly awaken all of our five senses. It is also a concept that offers insight into the wider context of the conditions underpinning the formation of each sound, such as societal, historical, environmental and cultural factors. It can also be said to be a way of thinking that can throw new light on traditional sensitivities in which sounds were considered a more crucial element of scenery than they are nowadays, and on certain aesthetics that people in modern societies have forgotten.
Sound has up till now been dealt with using the particular methods of different fields such as acoustics, music, noise control, auditory psychology, and media/communications. People working in various city- and environment-related disciplines such as urban engineering, environmental engineering, and environmental education are increasingly perceiving the validity of giving consideration to sound and hearing. People who deal with the subject of sound but who work in different fields and have thus far been unable to engage in adequate information sharing on the subject can, thanks to the concept of soundscapes, gain opportunities to meet, engage in discussions, and collaborate on activities with each other.
It is based on ideas such as these that we have made the decision to establish the Soundscape Association of Japan. Our aim in establishing the association is, first and foremost, to encourage more people to notice and take an interest in the sounds that surround them. We also hope that through these sounds they will begin to consider not only issues relating to sounds themselves, but also their significance and their social, historical, environmental, and cultural underpinnings. We also hope to create a network to connect a diverse range of sound-related disciplines and activities and create opportunities for information sharing and international exchange.
The Soundscape Association of Japan is an association that is open to not only those working in sound-related fields such as acoustics and musicology, but also a wide range of other fields such as architectonics, landscaping, civil engineering, urban planning, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, and environmental science. The association is also open to not only researchers, but also practitioners in education, public administration, and the private sector, and not only to experts but also members of the general public. We aim to be an association that, through the concept of soundscapes, takes a fresh look at the natural world, cities, environments, and cultures, while also providing support to others who are working toward similar aims.
June 1993
|
