Oto Fūkei – A Photographic Soundscape from Japan

During a vacation in Japan, I found myself instinctively pairing photographs with audio recordings from the same moments and places. I didn’t know what I was making yet, but I liked how these sounds deepened the memory of each image. Later, I discovered the Japanese term 音風景 (Oto Fūkei) — literally “soundscape” — a poetic word to describe the atmosphere of a place through its sounds. That word gave the project its shape.

This series is a quiet experiment in listening with your eyes. The photos are ordinary, almost casual — but when layered with sound, they open up into something more: a meditative space filled with fragments of everyday life, captured in a fleeting state. I like that it invites you to imagine something beyond the frame.

Here are some of the moments, with a few words about each

Shibuya, ramen café

A small ramen spot just steps away from the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. The café is loud with movement — staff calling out, bowls clinking — but the background music is unexpectedly soulful and philosophical. A peaceful counterpoint to the chaos outside. The contrast stayed with me.

Omotesandō

My wife asks if I’m getting tired of taking photos on this tourist-filled street. I say I’m not, and we take one more picture. It’s a gentle moment — her looking out for me, and us capturing it without planning to. It’s a sweet moment.

Kamakura, Great Buddha

A very traditional tourist photo — the iconic Buddha statue. But the sound tells a different story: birdsong fills the background, reminding you that this is a forested, living place. You don’t hear the birds when you look at the photo, but you remember them when you hear the track.

Osaka, metro

The metro system in Osaka has a uniquely mesmerizing sound design. Tones and jingles that don’t exist anywhere else — it almost feels like stepping into a video game. The soundscape is surreal and strangely beautiful.

Kamakura

Children are playing in the streets, and a few of them shout “hello!” to the camera. It’s one of those fleeting, joyful moments that can’t really be posed or planned. Pure presence.

Shanghai, sweet shop

This was during a layover on the way back home — still part of the same journey. The shop assistant calmly arranges boxes of sweets while gentle background music plays. Behind her, children chatter, pulling at their parents, demanding everything at once. The contrast between the calm and the chaos is lovely.

Arriving home, taxi

There’s something nostalgic about this taxi ride home. The radio plays old music that sounds like it’s coming from another time. The mood feels symbolic — the return to something familiar, something already part of you.

As the taxi driver said in the last audio: have a good day!
Thank you for watching… and for listening

Link to project: https://serge-d.com/oto-fukei
My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dubovenko.serge/

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