Simon James French
I make field recordings and quiet music in Kyoto.<br>Most mornings you can find me somewhere in the city with a pair of microphones, listening. This is my small corner of the internet — sound, words, and just a little bit of coffee sometimes. Wander around, or read a little about me.
Recent posts
04 Jul, 2026
I Hid an Easter Egg on My Bear Blog. Can You Find It?
27 Jun, 2026
A Well to Pour Things Into
21 Jun, 2026
A Sound Like Home
30 May, 2026
The Temple Bell and the Leaf-Blower
22 May, 2026
Burying a Sound in a Bomb Shelter
09 May, 2026
Stepping Off the Treadmill
28 Mar, 2026
The Kyoto FOMO Trap
14 Mar, 2026
What is a Sound Walk?
07 Mar, 2026
An Archive of a Life
27 Feb, 2026
Finding "Home" in Kyoto
20 Feb, 2026
The Voice of the Commuter Trains: A morning spent at Umekōji Park
05 Feb, 2026
Why I stopped cycling in Kyoto
23 Jan, 2026
Tuning Out the Noise
11 Jan, 2026
Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 06
19 Dec, 2025
Why I write a list of "100 Great Things That Happened This Year" every December
14 Dec, 2025
Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 05
27 Nov, 2025
Autumn at Jodo-ji Temple, Kyoto
13 Nov, 2025
Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 04
07 Nov, 2025
Listening Like a Child Again
25 Oct, 2025
Six Months of Listening to Kyoto
16 Oct, 2025
Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 03
25 Sep, 2025
Step Inside Chion‑in
18 Sep, 2025
What Belonging Feels Like
11 Sep, 2025
Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 02
21 Aug, 2025
A Slow Walk Around Suzaku Garden
14 Aug, 2025
Kyoto, in Sound — The Podcast
31 Jul, 2025
A sound walk through Hachidai Shrine and Enkōji Temple in Kyoto
10 Jul, 2025
Here's What I Found This Week
03 Jul, 2025
The Restaurant with No Music
19 Jun, 2025
Rebuilding as Preservation
05 Jun, 2025
Untethered in Kyoto
29 May, 2025
Life Without Plot
15 May, 2025
The Sound of Arrival
08 May, 2025
Beginning, Gently
29 Apr, 2025
A Love Letter to Suffolk
17 Apr, 2025
A Reflection on Saying Goodbye to the UK
04 Mar, 2025
Pressing Reset: Why I’m Starting Over in Kyoto
02 Feb, 2025
The Weight of Thinking Too Much
26 Jan, 2025
Returning to my Second Home
08 Nov, 2024
A Video Journey Through The Horniman
25 Oct, 2024
A photo walk through Richmond, along the Thames and to Ham House
11 Oct, 2024
A gardener's field notes
27 Sep, 2024
When Achievement Feels Empty
18 Sep, 2024
My short little romp around the South of England on the Dawes Galaxy
25 Aug, 2024
Leaving the City
10 Aug, 2024
Cycling the Peaceful Kibiji Bike Trail in Okayama, Japan
27 Jul, 2024
180km of Sweat and Gears: London to Dunwich by night.
15 Jul, 2024
A house built 170 years ago in the mountains south of Osaka
30 Jun, 2024
Forté #23
22 Jun, 2024
On not writing
17 May, 2024
Live at All is Joy, London
10 Mar, 2024
Forté #22
01 Mar, 2024
Suck at something
23 Feb, 2024
Forté #21
16 Feb, 2024
Aimless Creativity vs Living a Creative Life
09 Feb, 2024
Forté #20
02 Feb, 2024
Memories of...
26 Jan, 2024
Forté #19
12 Jan, 2024
Forté #18
05 Jan, 2024
24 Challenges for 2024
29 Dec, 2023
2023 Exit Survey
22 Dec, 2023
2023 Christmas Mix 🎧
15 Dec, 2023
Forté #17
08 Dec, 2023
Embracing Imperfection
01 Dec, 2023
Forté #16
17 Nov, 2023
Forté #15
10 Nov, 2023
The importance of rituals
03 Nov, 2023
Forté #14
27 Oct, 2023
Music and Inspiration
20 Oct, 2023
Forté #13
13 Oct, 2023
Can't stop, won't stop
06 Oct, 2023
Forté #12
23 Sep, 2023
36 thoughts on the way to being 36
22 Sep, 2023
Forté #11
12 Sep, 2023
Forté #10
07 Sep, 2023
Being an artist is..
02 Sep, 2023
Meditations—my new album is available now
06 Aug, 2023
Update on my new album—Meditations
18 Jul, 2023
Forté #9
23 Jun, 2023
Wander the Night Japan
12 Jun, 2023
Forté #8
29 May, 2023
Soundscapes Radio
26 May, 2023
Forté #7
24 May, 2023
Ryuichi Sakamoto's funeral playlist
21 May, 2023
The importance of crafting a root document
13 May, 2023
The Stoic Gardener
12 May, 2023
A new album • Meditations
11 May, 2023
Forté #6
13 Mar, 2023
// 2023
11 Aug, 2022
The Exciting of Coffee
14 Jul, 2022
A collaboration with Koffee Mameya Kakeru
29 Jun, 2022
Thoughts on leaving a legacy
29 Jun, 2022
Thoughts on loneliness
28 Jun, 2022
A nice way to use Apple Podcasts
19 Jun, 2022
Curating compassion
10 Jun, 2022
Aphex Twin // Stone in Focus
10 Jun, 2022
A still moment in a Japanese garden
07 Jun, 2022
Ichi-go Ichi-e (one time, one meeting)
01 Jun, 2022
Years Gone By Playlists
29 May, 2022
Training your creative muscles
28 May, 2022
Notes on keeping an inspiration file
28 May, 2022
A quest to follow my curiosity
27 Aug, 2016
Forté #5
20 Aug, 2016
Forté #4
12 Aug, 2016
Forté #3
31 Jul, 2016
Forté #2
23 Jul, 2016
Forté #1
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