Forest bathing in Kasugayama Primeval Forest

Mar 24, 08:30 PM

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Hike a little beyond the main section of Nara Park in Japan, and you enter the Kasugayama Primeval Forest – also part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara UNESCO site. If you are there during the off season and early enough in the morning, it is possible to hear the forest itself, as the monks and pilgrims of old must have done.

This recording was made on 13 December, 2024 on the popular hiking trail that winds up to the summit of Wakakusayama Hill. Although there is a background hum from the city, it primarily captures the sounds of the forest – bird song, trees rustling and wind – but at the start of the recording you can also hear the footsteps of a single hiker on the gravel path as they pass me.

UNESCO listing: Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

Recorded by Lisa Germany.

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This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.

Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage