LIFE CYCLE OF RICE - PHASE I
Inspired by an online workshop with sound recordist Chris Watson, twenty participants from around the world recorded the sound of ‘air’ in 2020.
The traditional kanji character for air is ‘空氣’ (kuki). ‘氣’ (ki) translates to energy flow and the circulating vital life source of any entity. The structure of ‘氣’ has rice (米) at its core, defining rice as the ‘source of energy’.
Life Cycle of Rice traces the transformation of rice through Japan’s ancient traditions and rhythms of life. Beginning at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, where echoes of the past still resonate.
SAKE BREWERY
The sake brewery blanketed in snow, at 8am, the brewers prepare for shikomi amidst the fridge-like temperature. Shikomi is the initial stage of sake production, process involves steaming 1,000 kilograms of rice and carrying it onto the sudare (bamboo blinds) for cooling. Then, the brewers combine the yeast starter and rice, and mash with water inside a tank. The mixture goes through the process of fermentation and becomes a bubbling mash called moromi.
Temperature and humidity are precisely controlled in sake brewing. The room for koji (aspergillus oryzae) is set at 30~40 degrees with 60% humidity. I grew an interest in how sounds transmit inside the diverse and unique architectural spaces within the sake brewery.
The national beverage, sake, is a declining cultural tradition. There has been zero increase in breweries since post-war era due to regulations, and family-run businesses struggle with succession, modernisation, and adapting to changing market dynamics. The aging population, the primary sake consumers, contributes to the overall decline. Younger generations turning to beer, wine, and other beverages further reducing sake consumption.
As the decline in traditional sake brewing mirrors broader challenges in craftsmanship, such as the vanishing art of making kioke, wooden barrels. The shift from kioke to stainless or plastic tanks has resulted in only one wooden barrel maker left in Japan. There is a need to capture these disappearing cultures through sonic narratives.
RETURNING TO THE SOURCE - WATER
As the decline in traditional sake brewing mirrors broader challenges in craftsmanship, such as the vanishing art of making kioke, wooden barrels. The shift from kioke to stainless or plastic tanks has resulted in only one wooden barrel maker left in Japan. There is a need to capture these disappearing cultures through sonic narratives.
RETURNING TO THE SOURCE - WATER
Water matters most for rice, the main ingredient of sake. Fine water contributes to fine rice, the essence to produce a refined cup of sake. Soft water and hard water determine the fundamental taste. A compilation of recordings of water – sounds of the river, brewers traveling to fetch shikomi mizu (brewing water) and underground water.