A Tiny Field for Soundscape Design

A Case Study of the Soundscape Museum in Osaka, Japan

Abstract

The author worked out his idea of the ‘soundscape museum’ as an experiment in order to put into practice ideas on soundscape design that can be executed by any individual citizen. He ran the Hirano Soundscape Museum (HSM) from 1998 to 2004 as part of a grass-roots activity for com- munity development in Hirano, Osaka, Japan. In this paper, the author reports on the activities of the HSM and discusses his concepts and methods of soundscape design he has gathered as part of this case study.