On the other hand Shibuya, the big commercial center in our ward (Tokyo is divided into 23 wards), is noisy beyond anything I’ve ever encountered anywhere. In Shibuya, the air itself is loud – I swear.
One day in early August, Mark and I stood in the center of Shibuya laden with bags of groceries and various items for our new household. As we stood sweating and waiting for the boys to catch up, we were a captive audience for the cacophony of voices and music coming simultaneously and discordantly from every direction. The combination of extreme humidity and uber stimulation made my brain feel like it was melting.
The main intersection in Shibuya is the biggest in the world. It’s about the size of Times Square times six, with five roads fanning out from the center like starlight. Giant video screens on the sides of surrounding buildings blast out programming to everyone in the vicinity (which is a multitude if I ever saw one). More immediately, voices from the shops and restaurants that line the street we’re on exhort us to buy what they’re selling – at least that’s what we assume.
We’re directly in front of a multi-story electronics store, from which a plethora of sounds is emanating. A female voice being broadcast over speakers keeps up a continuous stream of words in a rather demanding tone. Simultaneously, several males standing in front of the same store try to entice passersby, but more timidly – perhaps because they can actually be seen. In addition, two different sets of music are being piped outdoors at incredible decibels. Their strategy is working, although perhaps not in the way they intended, because I’m tempted to enter the store if only to escape all the noise on the sidewalk.
When in Shibuya, we try to “go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence” (Max Ehrman), but we’re so distracted by all the noise and haste that we can’t remember much of anything. That may be just as well – going placidly on a crowded Shibuya sidewalk is one sure way to get absolutely nowhere.
2 comments:
Well put, Maria. Shibuya sounds intense, no pun intended. No discussion of noise in Japan would be complete, though, without mentioning one of the pre-eminent concert venues in the world – The Budokan. Conveniently located at 2-3 Kitanomarukōen, Chiyoda, in Tokyo, mere steps or maybe a train ride, or maybe a little farther, I’m not sure, from the Regans’ doorstep. Loved by bands since it was built 45 years ago for the crowds, the acoustics, the sound engineering, the vibe, the Budokan rocks like few other arenas. Since the Beatles recorded their first live album there in ’65 through the legendary five-night sell out by Kiss in ’78 (I have the fourth-night bootleg) to many famous Dylan shows and last year’s epic Judas Priest reunion, the history of that place is, to your original point, noisy in the best way possible. If you grew up in the 70s and didn’t own Cheap Trick’s Live at Budokan…what the hell was your problem? (That one still holds up, if anybody’s wondering...) You guys need to get to some shows and soak the place up on behalf of us stateside provincials. I checked out the web site to see what’s coming up so I could clue you in, but they’ve chosen to use what appears to be a foreign alphabet of some sort. Look for AC/DC’s Black Ice Tour to hit Japan in February, though. Could be the perfect time for a visit. In the meantime, turn it UP.
Hi Maria!
Keep it coming! I love living vicariously through you. Maybe if Northwest merges with Delta-- I can get a head ache listening to all that noise in real time. It would be worth it to see you on your mama san bike!
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