Kumi Kato

tamayura –玉響 (dew resonance) a drop of dew on a leaf in early morning before sunrise, which will stay only for a short time and be gone by the time the world wakes up
sanshisuimei - 山紫水明 a mountain range glows in the purple pink sunlight, and reflects in the clear water in a serene silence
shinonome – 東雲 (east cloud) just before the sunrise, the lower edge of the clouds become pink, just before the entire Eastern sky emerges in the light. It is still dark and things can be only seen as silhouettes
shimonokane – 霜の鐘　(frost bell) total silence of a cold night with sharp clear air – it is so crystal clear you can hear the sound of frost forming
ukō – 雨香　(fragrant rain) fresh smell of flowers and plansts brought out just before the rain starts to fall

These moments of beauty, serenity and ephemeral can only be “seen” if we listen attentively with all our senses. They are the moments of a-wa-re - when we are so moved by the transient fragility of things passing, both human and non-human worlds. Perhaps with such mindful listening, we can capture a peaceful space that actually exists in every part of our life.

Kumi Kato teaches environmental studies at Wakayama University, Japan. She is also a research affiliate at the UQ and Cheju National University, South Korea. Her work is best described "creative ideas & expressions for sustainability”, and especially interested in the role of sounds in articulating human-nature connectivity. With her totally multi-disciplinary approach, she sees herself as a positive activist, who acts on, building on people’s strength, good-will, trust, celebration, beauty and joy. She founded an Australia-based not-for-profit organisation ecco: exchanging culture for conservation (http://www.ecco.org.au/), which supports diverse range of creative projects for sustainability, including this “Creative Conservation 3”.