Voice Day (Koe no Hi)

What Is Voice Day?

May 8th is celebrated in Japan as "Voice Day" (Koe no Hi). The date comes from a wordplay (goroawase) on the numbers: "5" can be read "ko" and "8" can be read "e," and together "ko-e" sounds like "koe," the Japanese word for "voice." It was established in 2011 by "Koe Souken" (Voice Research Institute), which studies the voice and shares voice-related topics. On May 8, 2011, when the day was established, a commemorative event was held in which actors Tōru Emori and Akira Nakao, both known for their deep voices, faced off in an "attractive voice" contest. The voice is an everyday tool of communication that conveys emotion and personality. Since this is a time of year when fatigue from the new fiscal year (which begins in April in Japan) tends to show up in the throat, the day is a good reminder to take care of your voice and to think about putting your feelings into the words you speak.

A History of the Voice and Recording

For a long time, the voice vanished the moment it was spoken.

• Humans who speak: When humans began speaking language as we know it today is still a subject of ongoing research, debated from many angles including the structure of the throat and the workings of the brain.
• The recorded history of the voice: In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and succeeded in recording and playing back his own voice. The voice, once fleeting, could now be preserved, allowing speeches and music to be handed down to future generations.

How the Voice Is Produced

The voice is created through the coordination of breathing and the muscles of the throat.

• Vocal fold vibration: The voice is produced when air from the lungs causes the vocal folds in the throat to vibrate. The pitch of speaking voices is said to be roughly 100-150 Hz for adult men and roughly 200-300 Hz for adult women, meaning the vocal folds open and close roughly 100 to 300 times per second.
• Resonance: The sound made by the vocal folds resonates in the spaces of the throat, mouth, and nose, giving each person's voice its own character. That's why the same words can sound different depending on how you open your mouth or hold your posture.

Interesting Facts About the Voice

• Why your own voice sounds different: You hear other people's voices only as sound traveling through the air, but you hear your own voice mixed with sound traveling through the bones of your head. A recording of your voice sounds strange because it lacks that bone-conducted resonance.
• The whistle register: A very high, flute-like sound made by using only a small portion of the vocal folds. Some singers are known for using it to reach the top of their range.
• Every voice is unique: Each person's voice has its own characteristics, known as a "voiceprint." Technology that uses these features for voice-based identity verification is already in use.
• A Voice Day event: To celebrate the new day in 2011, an "Attractive Voice Café" opened, offering menus made with ingredients good for the throat and service from staff with pleasant voices.
• Watch out for dryness: The vocal folds are said to be sensitive to dryness. Drinking water regularly and keeping the air humid are the basics of protecting your voice.

Ideas for Voice Day

• Record your own voice and listen back. Hearing your speaking speed and volume objectively can help you rethink how you come across in presentations and phone calls.
• Reach out to someone important with your voice. Instead of only email or social media, try making a phone call or talking face to face.
• Take care of your throat. Soothe it with a warm drink, and on days with lots of talking, remember to sip water in between.
• Try greeting people this morning in a slightly clearer voice than usual.

Your Voice Builds a Bridge to Someone Else

May 8th is a day to pay attention to your voice -- an instrument that belongs only to you. However advanced technology becomes, the warmth and reassurance of being spoken to directly remain special. In the new fiscal year, some people may be struggling to express their feelings in a new environment. Today, why not stand a little taller and speak to someone in your own voice? A voice delivered with care will surely reach the other person's heart.