Two radio series

[imomus]

I've been devouring radio series archived on the BBC website. I'd like to recommend two. The first is

The Sound of Life
BBC Blurb: 'Radio 4 listeners will be exposed to sounds never heard by mankind before when they tune into The Sound of Life – a programme which takes the listener on an acoustic journey to discover the past, present and future of sound.'

The second is

The Roman Way
BBC blurb: 'Using contemporary accounts from all levels of society, from the chattering classes to humble foot-soldiers, from senators to slaves, The Roman Way explores different aspects of everyday life, two millennia ago.'

Listening to these British programmes in Japan, I've been making connections with my recent experiences here. 'The Roman Way' has a great bit in programme 2 about bathing, which ties in with my daily excursions to the baths here in Japan. It also connects to the entry I made a month or so back about Greco-Buddhism and the strange parallels that exist between the ancient world of the Mediterranean and Japan (Stoicism, Epicurianism, a high density lifestyle with well-developed and enjoyable public spaces, and so on.)

The Sound of Life ties in with the theme of Shinto as a nature-oriented religion, and connects with its ritual celebration of sexuality. (Buddhism in Japan mostly looks after pain, suffering and death, whereas Shinto is focused on things like sex, eating and life.) Mostly, though, 'The Sound of Life' is the sound of animals trying to attract a mate by singing -- a theme I find pretty central to my own life, in Japan or anywhere else.

Comments

Animal Sex; Death & Culture

[sparkligbeatnic.livejournal.com]

Nick,

wonder if you have read or browsed this informative and entertaining book:



A enjoyable read on the sex lives of all sorts of non-human animals. I wonder whether there might be a Momus song or two lurking in the chapters of this book?

Before you write Japanese Buddhism off as being "mostly concerned with death" recall that the temples were and are major patrons of traditional "high culture" including calligraphy, painting, sculpture, drama, poetry, music, flowers, tea, ceramics, the list goes on ...

Re: Animal Sex; Death & Culture

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Before you write Japanese Buddhism off as being "mostly concerned with death"

Yes, that was rather a sweeping statement, wasn't it?

Mediterranean qualities no more

[fufurasu.livejournal.com]

How strange that while Epicurianism survives as a matter of course in the everyday reality of Mediterranean people, Stoicism and "being Spartan" have been eclipsed by exuberant emotionality. These qualities are now considered more relevant to the native Americans and the Japanese.

Re: Mediterranean qualities no more

[imomus.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. But what if we see Sparta as the original fascist state? In that case, 'being Spartan' persists in the form of the fascist and military dictators endured (stoically -- in some cases for decades) by Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece in the 20th century.

[steviecat.livejournal.com]

The Sound Of Life was interesting - I liked the Chris Watson sound recordings.