Radio Tokyo-Edo

９日に若い人はて是非参加してほしいです

2012-03-06T16:01:00.000+09:00

９日のシンポジウムの件ですが、僕の話しの中で声優や音声ドラマ、そして若者の国際交流のことを強調します。学生、または将来大学に行きたい人などは是非聞いてほしいと思います。固い話しでもないのでご気楽に参加して下さい。これから音声の世界の新しい可能性も話します。詳しくはこのニュースブログの前のポストをご参考にして下さい。

ハンス　カールソン

ラジオシンポジウムの場所、チラシ

2012-03-04T21:36:00.001+09:00

今度のラジオシンポジウム（３月９日）のチラシをダウンロードページに載せました。ラジオの将来、大学の役割、そして日本と外国の交流に興味のある方、是非見に来て下さい。

ダウンロードページはこちらです：

http://www.tokyoedoradio.org/Project/downloads/downloads.html

場所の地図のリンクは、こちらです。
http://www.meiji.ac.jp/koho/campus_guide/suruga/access.html
http://www.meiji.ac.jp/koho/campus_guide/suruga/campus.html

シンポジウム：地・球」文化の可能性

2012-02-17T23:13:00.001+09:00

(English follows)

「地・球」文化の可能性
-ラジオが結ぶ新しいコミュニティと大学への期待-

日時:2012 年 3 月 9 日(金)13:20~17:00
場所:明治大学駿河台キャンパスリバティタワー6 階 1064 番教室

13:30~14:00
日比野純一: 立場の異なる人々を繋ぎ、相互理解を促すコミュニティラジオ

14:00~14:30
時岡浩二: 大学をベースとしたパブリックメディアの可能性

14:30~15:00
ハンス・カールソン:
新たなクロスメディア、クロスカルチャー訓練プラットフォーム

15:00~15:30
角田英一: 日本から世界への発信!―大学・留学生・外国人への期待

15:30~15:45 休憩

15:45~17:00 討論

パネラーおよび司会:

アジア21世紀奨学財団理事長角田英一氏

特定非営利活動法人エフエムわいわい代表日比野純一氏

FM797 京都三条ラジオカフェ理事時岡浩二氏

東京江戸ラジオプロジェクト研究員ハンス・カールソン氏

司会井戸田総一郎(明治大学文学部教授)

「地・球」ということばは地域と地球を結ぶという意味を込めています。地球規模の問題が山積し、グローバルなコミュニケーションが必要なことは確かですが、しかし私たちの身近な問題を見つめ足下から発信していくことも重要です。このような「近さ」(ローカル)と「遠さ」(グローバル)を媒介するメディアとして、ラジオはこれまで以上に注目すべきものになっています。「地・球」文化を生み出す豊かな可能性は大学に存在しています。大学は国境を越えるコミュニティそのものだとも言えます。大学発の「地・球」文化を構想する上で、学生・留学生・地域の人々が制作に参加するラジオのあり方を議論します。

Invitation to seminar on the future of University radio

2012-02-17T23:02:00.000+09:00

Theme: Global Communication Opportunities for Local Cultures and Communities

Radio's role and expectations on universities

Time: March 9 (Fri), 13:20 - 17:00

Place: Meiji University, Surugadai Campus, Liberty Tower, 6th floor, Room 1064

Language: Japanese

Radio can be expected to play an increasing role in connecting local cultures and communities around the world, and universities are ideal platforms for supporting this movement. Universities can be said to be communities crossing borders. This symposium will discuss how students, exchange students, and people around the world can actively participate in the creative process of connecting cultures.

Speakers (Japanese Family names first): 30 min each

13:30 - 14:00 Hibino Junitsu: Connecting people of different standpoints: radio for mutual understanding

14:00 - 14:30 Tokioka Kouji: Opportunities for university based public media

14:30 - 15:00 Hans Karlsson: A new cross-culture, cross-media training platform

15:00 - 15:30 Kakuda Eiichi: Broadcasting from Japan to the world! Expectations on universities, exchange students, and foreigners

15:30 - 15:45 Break

15:45 - 17:00 Panel discussion

Panelist presentation:

Hibino Junitsu: Asia 21st Century Scholarship Foundation, Chairperson of the Board of Directors

Tokioka Kouji: Director, FM WaiWai (Non-Profit Organisation)

Kakuda Eiichi: Director, FM797 Kyoto Sanjo Radio Cafe

Hans Karlsson: Collaborative Researcher, Tokyo-Edo Radio Project

Discussion leader: Itoda Soichiro (Professor, Department of Literature, Meiji University)

New Program: 浅草玩具の魂 (01) (Japanese)

2012-02-08T03:09:00.002+09:00

This program about the Toy Kingdom of Asakusa is recorded in Japanese. English is coming soon. 浅草は忘れられた世界が沢山ある！今回はおもちゃ屋の神谷僚一さんが登場する。第一の番組はおもちゃ大国浅草の時代がテーマだ。神谷さんは「浅草の玩具の魂、ガンタマ」の作家である。ガンタマのホームページによると「ガンタマ」とは「玩具の魂のこと。ガンコな魂でもある。1996年子供の日に発行した空想店主初の書き下ろし玩具本のタイトル。転じて『ガッツのあるいいおもちゃのこと』あるいは『すばらしい職人』のこと。」この番組は空想雑貨のおかげで実現出来ました。大変ありがとうございました。

浅草の声はスマートホーンに対応

2012-01-17T01:46:00.000+09:00

浅草の声の番組はスマートフォンやiPadに対応出来るようになりました。URLはパソコン向けのページと同じです: http://www.tokyoedoradio.org/koe/koe.php

浮世風呂の現代訳

2012-01-17T01:41:00.000+09:00

新年スペシャルの番組は１９世紀の再現もので江戸弁で録音されましたが、現代訳を用意しました。

このページで番組を聞きながら現代訳を読むことが出来ます。タイムラインに台詞のマーカーがありますので簡単に聞きたいところを探せます。

新番組：新年スペシャル：湯屋の声

2012-01-13T00:01:00.001+09:00

This program is recorded in Japanese. 式亭三馬（1776年 - 1822年）の⎡浮世風呂⎦という作品の中に出る⎡お弁当のシーン⎦。三馬は頭の中にテープレコーダーのようなものを持っていたと言えるぐらい音声を非常に大切にした作家である。⎡浮世風呂⎦は湯屋を舞台にする。江戸弁で楽しんで下さい！A short scene from Shikitei Sanba's "Ukiyoburo". It takes place in a public bathhouse somewhere in Edo in the early 1800's.

岡本さんから見たホッピー通り Asakusa Voices: Okamoto-san

2011-12-21T15:48:00.000+09:00

This week we started our first Japanese broadcasts - Asakusa Voices. This is the first program.

今週日本語で発信スタートしました！浅草の声というコーナーで人の声を通して浅草のことを紹介していきたいです。最初の番組はホッピー通りがテーマで大衆酒場岡本さんが登場します。

サイトで番組を聞くことも出来るし、専用のページで番組のコメントも出来ます。岡本さんから見たホッピー通り

New program: Three SOAS students talks borderless story telling

2011-12-07T10:51:00.001+09:00

The place for the interview: London School of Oriental and African Studies

So far we have spent most of our time creating content in Japan for a foreign audience. This time we let you do the talking. SOAS (The London School of Oriental and African Studies) is a popular choice for students interested in Japan in the UK. In this program Hans Karlsson interviews three of them: Thomas O'Brien (21), Jennifer Marley (39), and Vickie Basham (21). The interview soon turns into a rather lively panel discussion on the topic of media transcending culture, and the students weigh in on what can be done to open up Japanese culture to a wider audience around the world. Easy listening and fun for anybody interested in Japan!

The program is now available for listening on iTunes, and a program page for direct listening on this site will also be available shortly, along with show notes on terms used in the discussion. Happy listening!

The trials of starting a radio station in Japan

2011-12-01T12:54:00.001+09:00

On Tuesday, November 29, I and our project leader Prof. Soichiro Itoda had the opportunity to visit the radio station Radio Café in Kyoto, which pioneered the idea of non-profit community radio in Japan. The story they told us about their trials in achieving this goal was truly amazing and inspiring!

The cafe itself is located in the 1928 building in Kyoto's Sanjo district. It's a very cozy place in the basement, and I strongly recommend a visit (you'll find a map and business hours etc. via the above links). The building was erected 1928, and has a very interesting architecture. It also houses another cafe as well as an art gallery. The actual radio station lives around the corner, looking down from the second floor onto a shopping arcade. Inside you'll find two small studios and an office. But in spite of the humble looks of the place, the story of how it came into being is one of a small miracle.

The original idea was to create a radio station for the locals and by the locals - a non-profit organisation, independent from industry and sponsors. At the time, nobody had heard of such a thing in Japan. Nevertheless, somehow the concept started to catch on at a grassroots level. One after another, people started to offer their support. The movement got stronger and stronger, until a symposium could be held with around 150 attendants to discuss the idea of establishing a community radio station. It ended with everyone voting yes, to the surprise of the originators.

This was the igniting spark, and the beginning of an excruciating process of realisation. As this was in the age before podcasting, a broadcast licence was needed. The application form was not a form - it was closer to "the thickness of a telephone directory" and extremely complex. Short of funds the members had no other choice but to put in the time and effort to fill it out by themselves, something normally done by expensive consultants.

Finally they were able to complete all paperwork and submit it to the authorities, eargerly waiting for a response. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, but still there was nothing. When the call finally came Mr. Toshiji Machida, now general manager, picked up the phone. "The caller simply said, 'you've got the licence', but my heart leaped. It was the happiest moment of my life", he recalls.

The broadcasting licence was a big step forward, but now an even greater hurdle waited. The station had no funding, no staff, and no equipment. "We were told that we would need close to a million US dollars to get started", says Machida. "I could not see how we could ever get that kind of money - the banks were certainly not very helpful."

This is when the second miracle of the story happened. With no other options, the founders started to ask the local population for contributions. Each share was a million yen (circa 13,000 US dollars), not exactly a modest sum. Nevertheless, the idea of the local community having their own, free voice, free of sponsorship pressures, seemed to have strong appeal. Patrons started to line up - virtually all of them retirees with some cash to spare. In the end, 24 people made a contribution; equipment could be purchased, and salaries for a small staff paid. But the voice of the people could still not be heard: when the first investigation was conducted, it was clear that the reception of the signal would be terrible.

With its limited funds, the station could only afford a 20 watt transmitter. Due to the tall buildings nearby the signal would be virtually impossible for listeners to receive. But once again, the project was lucky. Because of its status as a non-profit, the station was able to get access to a spot on the rooftop of a building owned by a foundation, and the transmitter could finally be installed. "When I heard the test signal, again my heart leaped to the sky", says Mr. Machida. The first Japanese radio station run by the locals, for the locals, was a reality.

I can't help thinking that we have many lessons to learn from Kyoto. Envisioning a similar approach to Asakusa and Tokyo, I see opportunities for building a strong local foundation for the Tokyo-Edo Radio as well. I can't wait to get started.

Hans Karlsson
Producer
Tokyo Edo Radio

(Images kindly provided by the Radio Café)

Radio Workshop in Asakusa unique and relaxed event

2011-11-07T08:38:00.002+09:00

VIDEO CLIP: Mr. Ogawa Byouzou speaks to the participants

The Tokyo Edo Radio successfully held its first workshop on November the 3rd right next to Saruwakacho, one of the spots we have researched in most depth so far in the traditional Asakusa area here in Tokyo. This time the theme was not Kabuki, however, but Tobi - the scaffolding workers of Japan.

In the workshop the world of the Tobi - unknown even to many Japanese - opened in its full depth in presentations as well as a talk by Mr. Ogawa Byouzou, 82, an old Tobi boss. The problem of how to not only convey the facts but also the emotional side of the story to the world was thoroughly discussed. We practiced how this can be done via an English voice over-for Mr. Ogawa - something that is easier said than done. Some of the participants tried to convey his personality in test recordings that were then played back and discussed. We also compared to a professional recording done in Cockney, a London dialect that has some of the same characteristics of the Edo-ben, or Edo dialect, that Mr. Ogawa is speaking.

At the centre of the discussion was the importance for emotion to a story, how audio media can be used to convey emotion, and thereby help to open a new dimension of Japanese culture to a foreign audience who has never seen Japan - but may be inspired to do so after a listening experience that moves their hearts.

Mr. Ogawa serves as a splendid example of personalities that can inspire across borders, and deserve to be coveyed in the best possible way.

We thank our project leader Professor Itoda for creating this opportunity to demonstrate radio - or, rather, the Internet equivalent - as well as Mr. Ogawa for his wonderful talk. We also thank the participants for their enthuisasm and interest, and their active participation in the discussion.

Inspiring meeting at Venice University

2011-10-27T03:49:00.000+09:00

Today I talked at Venice University to a nice mix of students and staff. I was most encouraged by the reception of the talk, many of the students stayed on afterwards to continue the conversation. Venice University is the premier academic institution for Oriental studies in Italy, with over 1300 people doing Japanese studies. They are also active in radio, and it looks that we can do the same type of arrangement here as SOAS has proposed - integrating radio work with Japanese studies. I am hoping we can build a network of universities in this endeavour, London, Venice, Munich, Wien...

The presentation was video filmed and we will make it available on the Net as soon as possible.

Hans Karlsson

Possible co-operation with SOAS Radio, London

2011-10-23T02:44:00.000+09:00

I had an excellent meeting with Mr. Carlos Chirinos (portrait to the left) on Friday here in London.

Carlos is the head of the radio station at London School of Oriental and African Studies. Their studio is located near Russel Square, at the main campus. Here is a video I shot at the studio:

Video from SOAS Radio studio

When I arrived two Chinese students were about to start broadcasting a program about the Middle East in Mandarin. This is how internationalized SOAS is! When you walk into the campus you hear dozens of languages, and see faces and dresses from all over the world. The heavily mixed cultural environments is perhaps one of SOAS's greatest strengths and charm points.

Their college radio station may become an important contributor to our project. The station has two million unique downloads every year, and runs 40 shows. Meeting the students and staff has been an exiting experience for me, and the promise of future co-operation is truly thrilling!

Hans Karlsson
On tour in Europe

Successful visit to Goldsmiths University in London

2011-10-13T14:36:00.002+09:00

Hans Karlsson, Chief Radio Producer at Tokyo-Edo Radio, on Wednesday visited Goldsmiths University to do a presentation for their MA Radio class. The main lecturer for this ambitious course in radio is Mr. Tim Crook, a well known name in British radio broadcasting, and author of widely read books on the subject. Tim Crook is an award-winning journalist and academic, and has authored books on journalism, radio, and media law and researches the rituals and practices of espionage. His fascinating work "The Secret Lives of a Secret Agent" was recently published in a Kindle as well as paperback edition.

During the presentation Hans intruduced the students to the Tokyo-Edo Radio project, stressing the importance of creating new opportunities by using creative sound productions for tourism and city revival. He pointed out the poor state of presentations for foreign tourists in Japan today, and the great waste this is causing, considering Japan's and Tokyo's increadibly rich cultural history, that mainly pass unnoticed by the foreign visitor.

The presentation focused on Asakusa, its culture and problems in terms of tourism. Tim Crook and his students received the talk with great enthusiasm. Mr. Crook expressed his stong interest in the life of Edo, in which entertainment and living for the moment filled a much larger part of people's life than it tends to do today. "The talk contained material for several great films", he said. "It's hard to understand that the Japanese allow themselves to pass such opportunities up."

Mr. Crook expressed his strong interest in our work on kabuki - one of the main features of Asakusa entertainment during the 1800's - as well as the ongoing series on the tobi, drawing parallels with New York's firefighers, who also have a history of roughness and street fighting, much like their Japanese counterparts.

The lively discussion after the presentation indicated strong interest among students to take part in our creative process, as they are program makers and perfectly fit to add insights and an international perspective of our work.

Getting Goldsmiths onboard will without doubt raise the bar for Tokyo-Edo Radio, and we look forward to an active exchange with this famous and resourceful institution.

Announcing radio workshop for Nov 3

2011-10-04T13:30:00.000+09:00

The Tokyo-Edo Radio will hold a unique event in Asakusa, November 3 (Thursday). Anyone interested is welcome to apply for participation. Please hurry, seats are limited!

Sound is an excellent medium for conveying feelings and personalities. We want to demonstrate how this can be done in the case of transmitting Japanese culture to the world.
In addition, this workshop will allow attendees to directly interact with native experts in various fields and gain an increased knowledge of Japan and its people.

More information on our workshop page:

http://www.tokyoedoradio.org/Project/workshop/workshop.html

Remix of Tobi (Part Two) available

2011-09-29T15:10:00.000+09:00

A remix of the second instalment of our Tobi series, featuring international voice talent Stephen Lyons, is now available on this site as well as on iTunes (the republishing process on iTunes make take a day or two).

A word on the voice-over for the tobi boss

People in the Old Town of Tokyo - the Shitamachi - speak a dialect called Edo-ben (Edo is the old name for Tokyo). Ogawa Byouzou - the Tobi boss who is the focus of this program - is a speaker of this dialect, which in some ways resembles cockney. It has a working-class feel to it, a rough but at the same time attractive quality.

Traveler and writer Fynes Moryson stated in his work An Itinerary that "Londoners, and all within the sound of Bow Bells, are in reproach called Cockneys." The edokkos - the Tokyo equivalent of the Cockneys, are equally particular about who may be called an edokko - a "child of Edo" literally - and who may not. Other people have chosen to translate Edo-ben into cockney with success, and I therefor asked Mr. Lyons to give his impersonation a touch of this fascinating British dialect. I think he succeeds very well in conveying Mr. Ogawa's personality to the English speaking audience.

I thank both for their invaluable contributions. It is quite incredible that you can pair a man in Old Tokyo with one in Wales to create a unified presentation of a way of being.

Combs: Essential Accessory for Edo Women

2011-09-27T08:04:00.001+09:00

Written and Researched by Paul Tierney

Click here for audio program on Edo Combs.

“There is a beautiful sight” states the beautiful and alluring O-Tomi as she sees the dissolute Yosaburo in the kabuki play “Yowa Nasake Ukina on Yokogushi.”. It is love at first sight for Yosaburo as well, but there is a slight hitch: she is mistress of a local gang leader. He is the adopted son of a shop owner. Nevertheless, the two begin to exchange letters and eventually meet one night for a tryst, but are found out and events take a turn for the worse…

O-Tomi is always portrayed with a simple comb casually stuck into her hair and this comb captures the essence of her stylishness and allure. This is the yokogushi (lit. “side comb”) of the title and is representative of the importance and function of combs in Edo era Japan. Combs were not just hair care tools, they were vital hair ornaments and indicators of a woman’s social class, economic background, and even profession. (READ THE FULL ARTICLE in our resources section)

Hiragana Times mention

2011-09-25T18:07:00.001+09:00

For students of the Japanese language: Hiragana Times mentions us on their blog. You can read the post both in English and in Japanese (hiragana only for beginners, kanji for intermediate learners).

Tokyo Edo Radio's New eBook Published!

2011-09-20T23:00:00.001+09:00

The project's latest work, "A World Apart: The Rise and Fall of Saruwaka-cho" is now available in eBook form. This book traces the history of Edo's theatre district and the reasons for its development. Like any good drama, there were twists and turns, and there was more going on behind the scenes than the audience realized - power struggles between actors and theatre owners, theatre owners and investors, and conflict between shogunate officials that would ultimately decide the fate of kabuki in Edo.

Much of the information contained in the book is available for the first time in English and scarce even in the original Japanese. We hope that this book will become a reference source for people looking for a more complete history not only of kabuki, but also of life and culture in Edo as well.

"A World Apart: The Rise and Fall of Saruwaka-cho" can be purchased at Smashwords.com (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/90363) and will be available at other eBook outlets such as Amazon's Kindle shortly.

Touto Meisho - Shibaimachi Han'ei no zu Utagawa Hiroshige
Wikipedia Commons

Part Two of "Tobi - The Forgotten Heroes" now on iTunes

2011-09-06T22:16:00.003+09:00

We have just uploaded the next installment of "Tobi - The Lost Heroes" to iTunes. The programs have received very positive reviews so far. Don't miss this story, which starts at the bottom of the sea this time...

Go to iTunes to listen or subscribe.

Program on Combs now avilable in streaming version

2011-09-06T19:00:00.004+09:00

You can now play the program on combs directly from this site by going to the program Show Notes page. We hope you will push the FaceBook "Like" button underneath the program player if you enjoy the show!

Paul Tierney's program on combs published

2011-09-03T00:52:00.002+09:00

[Subscribe to our podcast to receive new programs automatically]

Paul Tierney reports from a Japanese comb store - Yonoya - in Asakusa. It is one of the few Japanese comb ("kushi") specialty stores in Tokyo, having been in business for over 300 years. Combs have a long history in Japan as hair accessories, but they can also tell the story of their wearer. If you look at an old wood-block print of a kabuki theatre audience, for instance, you can tell the social status of the women by looking at their combs. A deeply researched program collecting hard to find information as well as a live interview with the shop owner.

The program is available immediately from iTunes. An on site page with more details will be published shortly.

Next up: Edo Era Combs

2011-08-19T22:40:00.002+09:00

Paul Thierney has just created a very interesting program on combs, introducing unique material for those of you interested in the Edo era. Understanding combs opens up whole new and surprising windows to Japan. For instance, if you look at an old ukiyo-e wood-block print picture and it displays women, they will often wear combs in their hair. If you know anything about the topic you'll be able to tell what their social status is - for example, if they are prostitutes, and if so, what kind and in what time period etc. The combs will tell their story of the picture! The program will be available soon on this site and on iTunes.

First Tobi program now in home page player

2011-08-06T20:15:00.004+09:00

You can now play the trailer as well as the first program in our series on the Tobi directly from our home page. The programs are also downloadable as a podcast from Apple's iTunes. You can then listen on your mobile device or your computer without any need for Internet access. If you wonder what the strange standard in this image may be, you will find out a bit into the series... (hint: the cipher it is carrying is the Japanese hiragana character "wo"...)