Abstract:
Each spring, summer, autumn and winter has its own sound. Let's try to feel that sound with our bodies, using our bodily senses other than sight. In today's vision-dominated society, this paper appeals for the restoration of the body’s antennae (those sensors distributed throughout the body). In October 2021, I published a picture book Touching the Sound – “Hands” to Enjoy Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (音にさわる－はるなつあきふゆをたのしむ「手」)that expresses the Japanese experience of four seasons (日本の四季の風景) in a tactile way. This book is a 21st century version of the story of Mimi-nashi-Hoichi, that is, the story of Hoichi after his ears were cut off due to a family grudge. The illustrations of cherry blossoms, cicadas, fallen leaves, and snow that appear on each page are printed with tactile ridges. These unique picture books, which are fun to look at and stimulate the imagination when touched, will surely give us clues to sharpen our antennae. In the current COVID-19 disaster, where non-contact is emphasized, re-reading the story of Mimi-nashi-Hoichi, which pursues the value of invisible things, will spread a chain of diverse inspirations.
Born in Tokyo in 1967. He lost his sight at the age of 13. He graduated from the Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired at the University of Tsukuba and matriculated at Kyoto University.
In 2000, he received his PhD in literature from the Graduate School of Kyoto University.
His research specialization is Japanese religious history and tactile culture. He is working on a practical study of the “Universal Museum”, a museum that all can enjoy, and creates various events around the theme of touch throughout Japan. He has written many books, including most recently But Still We Stay in Close Contact! (Soredemo bokutachi-wa “Noukousesshoku”-wo tsuzukeru! Chiisagosha Publisher). He curated a special exhibition “Universal Museum: Exploring the New Field of Tactile Sensation” exhibited September-November 2021 at the National Museum of Ethnology.