Sound Day (Oto no Hi)

What Is Sound Day?

December 6th is "Sound Day." It commemorates December 6, 1877, when the American inventor Thomas Edison succeeded in the world's first experiment recording and playing back sound with the phonograph he had invented. The day was established in 1994 by the Japan Audio Society, in cooperation with organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of Japan. The first sound Edison ever recorded is said to have been the melody and opening line of "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

A History of Recorded Sound

• 1877: Edison successfully records and plays back sound using a tinfoil phonograph
• 1890s: Disc records appear, enabling mass production and sales
• 1940s: Magnetic tape recording spreads, dramatically improving studio recording quality
• 1982: The CD arrives, bringing digital audio into homes
• 2000s onward: MP3s and streaming services transform how people consume music
• Today: Over 100 million songs are available at our fingertips on services like Spotify and Apple Music

Things to Do on Sound Day

• Listen to a favorite album all the way through on vinyl or CD
• Try out high-resolution audio or spatial audio formats
• Record your own voice and play it back (recreating Edison's first experiment)
• Experience live music at a concert or performance

Sound Day is a chance to appreciate the richness of every piece of music, voice, and natural sound that reaches our ears.