A Trail of a Poet’s Soul うたが生まれる心の小道
This section focuses on Sibitt, a contemporary Japanese storyteller/rapper, and traces how a poet’s soul flows and creates poetries and songs, then releases them to the world. Sibitt progressively updates the history of Japanese prosody in poetical expression and musicality with the timeless theme of “natsukasii mirai (≒ Nostalgic Future).” As you peek through the soul of a solitary poet-singer, we would like you to explore the human agency of prosodies in your mind. Once you leave this section, we hope your mind navigates itself to release your poetic creativity.
Looking through the Constellation of Rhymes（韻律の星座を見透かそう ）
Sibitt once visited Tsuwano in the western part of Shimane Prefecture and composed poetry through dialogues with the local people and the land. While analysing the rhymes in his manuscript, Sibitt invented the technique “To-u-in-zu.” (“To-u” means “transparent”. “In” means “rhyme”. “Zu” means “figure”.) By connecting the words in relation to each other with the same rhymes, he attempted to clarify the construction of his poetry’s rhyming scheme. Then he punched holes where the rhymes were. At night, he raised the manuscript paper up
to the moonlight in Tsuwano. There he found the constellation of rhymes. This technique has since been used in works such as “Gen-shi-to-mu”.
(* The enlarged image of the manuscript behind this panel is from “Gen-shi-to-mu”.)
Releasing the stars of words and sounds to the world（言葉や音という星々を世に放つ）
Sibitt’s first self-produced album, “Shingan Ginga,” was released in May 2021. (“Shin” means “heart”. “Gan” means “eye”. “Ginga” means “galaxy”.) In addition to writing and rapping, Sibitt himself performed and recorded all the instruments, and produced the visual and haptic poetry collection called “Shokei.” Sibitt’s expressive activities are not limited to poetry; he also attempts to use caricatures in his other works and is involved in theatrical activities. This is likely true of the outstanding poet-singers around the world.
From the bedroom studio to the world（ベッドルーム・スタジオから世界へ）
The traces of a bark beetle left on a cypress log (in the acrylic case displayed below this panel) may be the voices left behind by the little insects. In one of Sibitt’s songs, he sang, “Leave it behind for posterity – the individuality of each of us.” (“Kousei ni nokose – sore zore no kosei.”) Today, countless poetries and songs are produced and sent from small bedrooms worldwide. In the displayed room, which was designed to look like a modern bedroom studio, Sibbit arranged the manuscript paper that were actually laid in his room. What would you sing out for the world from here?