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In this volume of “Office Hours,” we visit music culture specialist Professor Junichi Konuma in the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences at Toyama Campus. Across from Konuma’s office door is a large window with a view of the Tokyo skyline.

“My last office was smaller than this one. People would sometimes ask me ‘was there an earthquake?’ because I had things scattered everywhere. The window I have now is big so it gets a bit bright in here sometimes.”

-This seems like a good place for research. What do you usually think about here?

“Recently I’ve been thinking about how similar sound and life are. Sounds eventually disappear but nowadays we are able to record and copy them. It’s similar to how we extend our lives with advanced medical treatments. However, with recordings, we cannot hear the same sound twice. This is because we are older the second time around, even if it is only by three minutes.”

-This explains why people go to crowded concerts and music festivals. They want to experience the music in real-time.

“During class, I take students outside to listen to sounds around campus. Even if you record the sounds of footsteps, the next recording may differ depending on the height of the person’s shoes or the way they walk. Just at Waseda Campus alone is a limitless number of sounds.”

-I would like to take more time to listen to and look at things around me. Before we go, can you please share a few words for students?

“One good thing about Waseda is the large number of people and the many strange individuals. Please look around, develop new interests, and explore!”

Paperweight given by a student