Sound in Japan: Silence, Noise, Material, and Media

Sound art remains a relatively new term in Japan. Art trends there often favour the creation of obsessively detailed lower-level labeling while eschewing precise higher-level definitions – a myriad of new species belonging to vague genera. In audio art forms, works may be described as sound sculpture, sound objet, self-made instrument, sound installation, or soundscape, but broader categories such as sound art and its distinction from music can be said to be considered secondary. This fluidity and lack of broad and straightforward boundaries reflects a situation where sound and sound art have existed without the need for strict categorization. Here, we follow a similar course as we discuss movements and artists without recourse to questions of what may or may not constitute sound art. Our approach includes elements of the historical and theoretical, seen through the lens of practice. Context is a driving force providing the emerging themes we identify. This chapter will be of interest to readers both inside and outside Japan curious about sound practices in relation to other art forms and its connections to the global sound art scene.