The sound of echos

Grubb talked about the preserved residence of wealthy samurai Nomura in his “Not built for Belushi” post. 

Rounding a corner leading to Nomura’s garden, an attendant wrangled us. Reading from his hand held translator he said “ come here to listen to the sound feature”. I was to place a bamboo tube to my ear with the other end between some stones. He gently poured a scoop of water around the bottom of the tube. 

I heard gentle lapping of water echoing up the bamboo. Okay, cool. “Wait, wait” the attendant said. I kept listening. “You hear?” The lapping weakened as a low distant hum faded in and deepened. I felt as though the stones, or perhaps the earth itself was singing to me. If I could capture the sound, it would rock me to sleep every night.

“Thank you, thank you”.  Oh, the guy wanted me to release the bamboo and get moving. 

As I reluctantly let go of the bamboo, another fiendly attendant invited me to sit on a low stool on the veranda and enjoy the view of the garden. She was awfully chatty. Through Google translator that is. After pointing out notable features in the garden, she asked “where from”, I answered honestly. She shook her head “Not good”. And then “Japan having problems too”. 

Ah, the earth was no longer singing and the human world came crashing back in.

We exited the home and wandered the Nakamachi district where samurai once lived with their families. Low earthen walls lined the narrow lanes. My imagination conjured a non-Belushi Hollywood version of a samurai darting into his home to relax after a day of warrioring.

Addendum about the sound “Suikinkutsu is an advanced gardening technique devised at the end of 16th century, in which water droplets are dropped into a cavity created in the ground, and the sound echoes back to the upside.”