Of course, there's the famous ヒグラシ:

The ウグイス is amazing... sounds like the deepest of deep forests:

and then there's the 尺八. It sounds like the wind. This performance is beyond amazing:

Anyone else got any good sounds?

(any kinds of sounds are welcome, including machine noises or telephone ringtones or the noises of funny flashing things in supermarkets, etcetc)

lardycake Wrote:

うるせえなぁ。 Those poor people who have to wait next to it at the intersection.

Favorite sound from Japan:

"Irodori" by Kodo

http://[video=youtube]http://www.youtube...3A[/video]

when takashi nemoto held a lecture about japanese culture at an university in korea, this is what he played:

@IceCream: Thanks for the "Nachtigall" (ウグイス)

I'm a big fan of the sanshin, as well as the i-ya-sa-sa percussion singing they do.

I'm not sure I love it really, but the oriental turtle dove, or キジバト is a sound I hear every morning.

The way they talk and sing, and some of the percussion-like shouts, in Kabuki and other theater.

On the train:
"次は京都、京都です。降り口は、左側です。”

Entering stores:
いらっしゃいませ

But yeah, cicadas are definitely among the most defining sounds in Japan.

Oh, and I've heard this one too many times. Maybe the worst sound of Japan:

They still drive them around here.

The sweetest sound for me in Japan is the arrival call for 松本駅,

まつもと～、まつもと～、まつもと～、終着 松本です

If I've been out traveling, that sound means I'm finally back home where I belong.

nice thread!