Opinion Toddlers and Street Noises By DAVID ZOPPETTI	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
幻児と街の騒音 幼児と街の騒音 筆者は、日本はアナウンスや音楽が 多い国だと感じてきた 電車の乗り降りに関するアナウンス、 商店街の福引きのお知らせ、学校放送、 レストランでの音楽など、 さまざまな音が生活に入り込んでいる。 最近、筆者がそれらの音に対して 以前にも増して神経質になってきたのは…。

I once did a television program about paternity leaves in Sweden and interviewed the chief of the Swedish Police School Academy, well-known for his support of fatherly sharing of household chores. I vividly remember one thing he told me: "Being with small children teaches you things you seldom learn in the adult world because you see them from a new perspective."

I am presently in the midst of my own paternity leave, taking care of my 1-year-old son while my wife is back at work, and discovering just how right he was.

For instance, noise! I always felt that Japan was an unbelievably "noisy" culture. Noise in this country is everywhere. It seems to be the spice of life, the guarantor of social order and the premise of business. This is true for all of Southeast Asia, but my neighborhood seems to be especially noisy.

"Ya-ki imo, ishiya-ki imo," vendors selling red Japanese potatoes cooked on a wood fire at the rear of a lorry. "Ta-keya, sa-o dake," extendable poles on which to hang futons or laundry (selling at the same price as 20 years ago, or so they say).

Or the loud speakers announcing the monthly lottery at the nearby "shotengai" shopping street. Or the loud speakers of the junior high school behind our house.

Or the loud speakers set along the runs in ski resorts, pouring music and personal messages on the slopes. Or the endless announcements telling how to behave or not to behave on trains. Or the noises in restaurants. I sometimes get the feeling that Japanese become either lonely or insecure in the absence of noise.

I used to think that these sounds should be seen as part of the "folklore" of Japanese society and be accepted as such by those who chose to live here. I now see things from a different perspective.

Imagine your child finally has fallen asleep for his nap and you have just settled down to get two or three hours of work done. Suddenly one of the above-mentioned instruments of torture passes by, wakes him up and totally ruins your (and his) afternoon. Then noise is simply nerve-racking — and there is little interest or sympathy left for folklore!

Among all these noises, there is one I really hate. Tokyo is getting ready for gubernatorial elections (and a series of other local elections) in April, and campaign vans are already roaming the neighborhood from early in the morning to late at night.

All they do is shout over and over the name of a candidate (who of course isn't even in the car), asking you to cast your ballot in his favor. These messages are entirely devoid of any concrete explanation regarding the policies or convictions of the candidates they represent and are nothing but a nuisance — from whatever perspective you look at it!

Politicians get enough exposure on television and I feel it is high time to finally banish this racket.

Shukan ST: March 12, 1999

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