Culture The average person's opinion on space and space travel

[catsw]

I'm doing a project on the relationship between video game music and the perception of outer space, and was wondering if anyone could tell me what the average Japanese person's opinion is on space and space travel (or being in space). If you're Japanese yourself: have you ever heard of or played Super Mario Galaxy? If so, what did/does the game/its soundtrack mean to you?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Lothor]

If the media represent the views of Japanese people, then space is super interesting when a Japanese astronaut goes into space. Otherwise, there's no interest. When I was growing up in the UK, the news would sometimes report space-related stories, e.g., the Voyager satellites passing the planets. On Japanese news, I've only ever seen Japanese astronauts.

 

[Ukigumo]

Is there a relationship between video game 'music' and the perceptions of space? Dairy farming and outer space has a deeper relationship

Video game 'music' is not really music. It's series of tones and beats that give the illusion of being music used to fill cognitive spaces while one's brain is being addled by a video game

 

[Lothor]

Is there a relationship between video game 'music' and the perceptions of space? Dairy farming and outer space has a deeper relationship

Video game 'music' is not really music. It's series of tones and beats that give the illusion of being music used to fill cognitive spaces while one's brain is being addled by a video game

I wouldn't dismiss anything out of hand. It's perfectly possible that someone has hypothesised that such a relationship exists, and if the OP wants to investigate it, then good luck to them.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

The Japanese View of the Cosmos

The traditional Japanese view of the cosmos is spiritual, relational, and cyclical rather than purely scientific or abstract.

In classical Japanese thought, the universe is not seen as a cold, mechanical space. Instead, it is understood as a living, sacred realm filled with spiritual presence.

1. The Cosmos as a Sacred Realm
In Shinto belief, natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers are inhabited by kami (divine spirits). The sun goddess Amaterasu is considered the supreme deity and the mythological ancestor of the imperial line. This reflects a worldview in which celestial bodies are not objects, but divine beings.
The sky is often called "Takama-ga-hara" (the High Plain of Heaven), a realm where gods dwell. Thus, the cosmos is directly connected to both spirituality and political order.

2. The Cosmos as Relationship
Japanese star lore, such as the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi (celebrated during Tanabata), portrays stars as lovers separated by the Milky Way. This reflects a cosmology in which celestial bodies possess emotion and narrative identity.
The universe is not empty space; it is a stage for human-like drama.

3. The Cosmos as Cyclical Time
The moon's phases and seasonal changes are deeply integrated into Japanese culture. Festivals such as moon-viewing (Tsukimi) emphasize the beauty of impermanence. Time is perceived as cyclical—life, death, and rebirth follow natural rhythms.
This differs from the linear historical time emphasized in many Western traditions.

4. The Cosmos and Ancestors
In some traditions, stars are associated with ancestral spirits. During rituals like the Bon festival, it is believed that ancestral spirits return from the spiritual realm and later ascend again. The cosmos can function as a spiritual homeland.

In Summary
The traditional Japanese cosmology can be described as:
Spiritual rather than materialistic
Relational rather than mechanistic
Cyclical rather than linear
Integrated with nature, society, and ancestry
Rather than separating heaven, nature, and humanity, Japanese thought tends to see them as continuous and interconnected.

The Cosmology in "竹取物語(Taketori-Monogatari)The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter"

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is one of Japan's oldest narratives and presents an early Japanese view of the cosmos.
In the story, Princess Kaguya is discovered inside a glowing bamboo stalk and later revealed to be a being from the Moon. Eventually, celestial beings descend from the Moon to return her to her original world.
From a cosmological perspective, the tale suggests that:
The Moon is not an empty object but an inhabited, higher realm.
The heavens are morally and spiritually superior to the human world.
Earth and the cosmos are connected and permeable; beings can travel between them.
Human life is transient, while the celestial realm represents eternity and purity.
Unlike modern scientific cosmology, space is portrayed as sacred and hierarchical. The Moon functions as a divine or transcendent homeland, reflecting a worldview in which the universe is alive with meaning and spiritual order.

 

[Ukigumo]

I wouldn't dismiss anything out of hand. It's perfectly possible that someone has hypothesised that such a relationship exists, and if the OP wants to investigate it, then good luck to them.

I'd be really interested to read the hypothesis concerning the supposed link.

 

[catsw]

I'd be really interested to read the hypothesis concerning the supposed link.

I have a couple avenues I'm thinking of going down.

One, is how the perception of space affects the music that's made about it. Now with Nagashima's super helpful information (thank you so much Nagashima), I'm going to re-listen to the Super Mario Galaxy (SMG) OST and see if I can find any of those themes. Like, in the style of music or the instruments used. If not, I'm also planning to see if I can find any interviews with the composers of the soundtrack to see what they had in mind while making it, and plan to compare that to the wider cultural beliefs of Japan.

Two, is how playing space games and listening to their soundtracks can change the way we think about space. I didn't think about space much as a kid; if I had played SMG, it likely would have been my first big exposure to the concept. Video games are very involved, too. Having your actions directly push forward the story can make the experience a lot more engaging than movies, and those are (as far as I'm aware) pretty well known to have an impact on people's perceptions of things. It's totally fine that you don't consider videogame soundtracks as music; even if they're just sound, they're sounds that are playing throughout the majority (depending on the game) of your experience. So, I theorize that playing a game about space while listening to something like Comet Observatory (3) from SMG can make someone feel differently about space compared to listening to something like Entering Zero-G from Dead Space (2008).

Thank you for commenting, by the way! I think it's very important when crafting a theory to talk with people who have different opinions from yourself.

 

[Ukigumo]

I have a couple avenues I'm thinking of going down.

One, is how the perception of space affects the music that's made about it. Now with Nagashima's super helpful information (thank you so much Nagashima), I'm going to re-listen to the Super Mario Galaxy (SMG) OST and see if I can find any of those themes. Like, in the style of music or the instruments used. If not, I'm also planning to see if I can find any interviews with the composers of the soundtrack to see what they had in mind while making it, and plan to compare that to the wider cultural beliefs of Japan.

I composed four tracks for a concept album piece about a journey to Ganymede! It's as yet, unfinished.

I've written pieces for film and media students who often want 'spacey' themes.

I use hardware synthesisers/drum machines and sequencers (because I'm a huge fan of Tangerine Dream!)

Two, is how playing space games and listening to their soundtracks can change the way we think about space.

How will you differentiate between the visual and aural associations? Without doing this you won't be able to say anything meaningful as to what aspect is driving the association (or not).

I didn't think about space much as a kid; if I had played SMG, it likely would have been my first big exposure to the concept. Video games are very involved, too. Having your actions directly push forward the story can make the experience a lot more engaging than movies, and those are (as far as I'm aware) pretty well known to have an impact on people's perceptions of things.

2001: A Space Odyssey/Gravity/From the Earth to the Moon compared to comparably poor graphics of video games?

It's totally fine that you don't consider videogame soundtracks as music; even if they're just sound,

I was being controversial. Soundtracks are music but their role is supportive and so tend not to be too penetrating into one's conscious; that'd distract from the game. Stand alone music is designed to catch one's attention, interest and captivate.

My partner's nephew is a monosyllabic, computer science, gamer nerd. I was hurried to discover he only listens to something called 'copyright free music' or something which sounds like video game music. It really is banal utilising the 'millennial whoop' and other cliches. So on a road trip I subjected him to Pink Floyd, Rush, Genesis and told him to listen to the lyrics as well as the music. He was astounded and what they were able to convey often in less than obvious ways.

they're sounds that are playing throughout the majority (depending on the game) of your experience. So, I theorize that playing a game about space while listening to something like Comet Observatory (3) from SMG can make someone feel differently about space compared to listening to something like Entering Zero-G from Dead Space (2008).

What do you mean by 'differently'? Have you quantified how one genre makes people feel so you can make a comparison with, say white news?

I ran a student project using transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure the neural activations and muscle priming in response to a piece containing appoggiatura, harmonic shifts etc which are known to be 'stimulating' ('I Would Love To' -Steve Vai) and a more sedate, atmospheric, indeed spacey piece ('Trapped Feeling' from Thief by Tangerine Dream) and compared them with white noise. I presented it at the Neuroscience and Music III conference in Leipzig, where music therapy was the theme, (and attended wonderful J S Bach concerts everyday as part of Bachfest). If you're interested, I'll tell you the conclusion of this study!

Thank you for commenting, by the way! I think it's very important when crafting a theory to talk with people who have different opinions from yourself.

I should ask, at what level are you doing this work. Undergraduate, postgraduate?

 

[mdchachi]

(because I'm a huge fan of Tangerine Dream!)

I haven't thought about them in decades. Should dig out and blow the dust off my old CDs.

 

[Ukigumo]

Sit in the dark and listen to Ricochet Pt 2, Tangram and Logos Part 1. I always imagine Ricochet pt 2 was like the luge ride we take into the afterlife!

 

[Ukigumo]

Pyjamas are the most appropriate attire for composing!

 

[thomas]

Amazing studio, @Ukigumo!

Probably more "poppy" and less cosmic-mystic, but does anyone remember Jean-Michel Jarre? Oxygène and Équinoxe take me right back to my 80s childhood.

 

[johnnyG]

Amazing studio, @Ukigumo!

Probably more "poppy" and less cosmic-mystic, but does anyone remember Jean-Michel Jarre? Oxygène and Équinoxe take me right back to my 80s childhood.

I had and listened a lot to Zoolook long ago.

And @Ukigumo I mostly play guitar, but I've also had a few keyboards over the years, and some rack mount things like a mixer and a couple synth modules (TX802, TX81) along with midi interfaces and some other toys, like the yamaha G10 and the rack mount box that came with it. (all long gone now)

Wife plays on on a high end yamaha electric, not one of the grand versions but still with weighted keys (looks more like a massive spinet and it weighs a ton, cost a fortune when she got it).

 

[Ukigumo]

Amazing studio, @Ukigumo!

thomas, I think I can see that 'lost book' in the top right of the photo

Probably more "poppy" and less cosmic-mystic, but does anyone remember Jean-Michel Jarre? Oxygène and Équinoxe take me right back to my 80s childhood.

Oh they were great albums! He did became a bit too poppy in his later albums but those and 'Magnetic Fields' were brilliant. I still listen to them in the gym.

The first time I really became aware of the synthesiser (and J S Bach) was with Walter (Wendy) Carlos album, 'Switched on Bach' and Berlin School-type music on hearing Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' coming through a huge Grundig valve radio when I woke up for school, at the age of 9. I had no idea what I was hearing but I was transfixed.

 

[Ukigumo]

I've just noticed, I don't have a single a Japanese-made synthesiser

 

[catsw]

I composed four tracks for a concept album piece about a journey to Ganymede! It's as yet, unfinished.
I've written pieces for film and media students who often want 'spacey' themes.
I use hardware synthesisers/drum machines and sequencers (because I'm a huge fan of Tangerine Dream!)

That's incredible!! I only play clarinet--I don't consider myself super musically inclined, so I find people who compose to be extremely talented. And when you say you use synths and sequencers -- that's for the space themes, right?

How will you differentiate between the visual and aural associations?

I'm gonna show people clips of the same gameplay, but change the music overlaying it. Then, I'm going to ask if their perception of the game's 'environment' (which is space in this case) changed at all between showings.

2001: A Space Odyssey/Gravity/From the Earth to the Moon compared to comparably poor graphics of video games?
... their role is supportive and so tend not to be too penetrating into one's conscious; that'd distract from the game.

I don't think graphics alone make an experience. And, definitely, most video game music is like that. However, I think they still subtlety affect the way we experience the game and its narrative. How they do that is one of the things I'm studying for this project.

My partner's nephew ... only listens to something called 'copyright free music' or something ...

Only listening to copyright free music is wild work Good on you for culturing him.

Have you quantified how one genre makes people feel so you can make a comparison with, say white news?

If you're referring to the genres of, say, horror vs adventure, and how that makes people feel -- I don't really know how I would quantify that? I'll keep that in mind though; maybe I'll run into a situation where knowing this will help.

If you're interested, I'll tell you the conclusion of this study!

That would be amazing!! Also, I checked out both those songs, and thanks for putting em on my radar! Definitely gonna listen to more Tangerine Dream especially.

I should ask, at what level are you doing this work. Undergraduate, postgraduate?

Undergrad. It's our final (despite being due in only two weeks) for my Music and Space class -- it's not the most...formal, thing though. One of the ways in which we can present our project is through a podcast of all things.

 

[JayJJ]

I have a couple avenues I'm thinking of going down.

One, is how the perception of space affects the music that's made about it. Now with Nagashima's super helpful information (thank you so much Nagashima), I'm going to re-listen to the Super Mario Galaxy (SMG) OST and see if I can find any of those themes. Like, in the style of music or the instruments used. If not, I'm also planning to see if I can find any interviews with the composers of the soundtrack to see what they had in mind while making it, and plan to compare that to the wider cultural beliefs of Japan.

Two, is how playing space games and listening to their soundtracks can change the way we think about space. I didn't think about space much as a kid; if I had played SMG, it likely would have been my first big exposure to the concept. Video games are very involved, too. Having your actions directly push forward the story can make the experience a lot more engaging than movies, and those are (as far as I'm aware) pretty well known to have an impact on people's perceptions of things. It's totally fine that you don't consider videogame soundtracks as music; even if they're just sound, they're sounds that are playing throughout the majority (depending on the game) of your experience. So, I theorize that playing a game about space while listening to something like Comet Observatory (3) from SMG can make someone feel differently about space compared to listening to something like Entering Zero-G from Dead Space (2008).

Thank you for commenting, by the way! I think it's very important when crafting a theory to talk with people who have different opinions from yourself.

Absolutely! Your approach is fascinating, linking game music, player experience, and cultural perception could reveal some really unique insights.

 

[JayJJ]

View attachment 135364
Pyjamas are the most appropriate attire for composing!
View attachment 135365

Wow, you look stylish!

 

[JayJJ]

The Japanese View of the Cosmos

The traditional Japanese view of the cosmos is spiritual, relational, and cyclical rather than purely scientific or abstract.

In classical Japanese thought, the universe is not seen as a cold, mechanical space. Instead, it is understood as a living, sacred realm filled with spiritual presence.

1. The Cosmos as a Sacred Realm
In Shinto belief, natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers are inhabited by kami (divine spirits). The sun goddess Amaterasu is considered the supreme deity and the mythological ancestor of the imperial line. This reflects a worldview in which celestial bodies are not objects, but divine beings.
The sky is often called "Takama-ga-hara" (the High Plain of Heaven), a realm where gods dwell. Thus, the cosmos is directly connected to both spirituality and political order.

2. The Cosmos as Relationship
Japanese star lore, such as the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi (celebrated during Tanabata), portrays stars as lovers separated by the Milky Way. This reflects a cosmology in which celestial bodies possess emotion and narrative identity.
The universe is not empty space; it is a stage for human-like drama.

3. The Cosmos as Cyclical Time
The moon's phases and seasonal changes are deeply integrated into Japanese culture. Festivals such as moon-viewing (Tsukimi) emphasize the beauty of impermanence. Time is perceived as cyclical—life, death, and rebirth follow natural rhythms.
This differs from the linear historical time emphasized in many Western traditions.

4. The Cosmos and Ancestors
In some traditions, stars are associated with ancestral spirits. During rituals like the Bon festival, it is believed that ancestral spirits return from the spiritual realm and later ascend again. The cosmos can function as a spiritual homeland.

In Summary
The traditional Japanese cosmology can be described as:
Spiritual rather than materialistic
Relational rather than mechanistic
Cyclical rather than linear
Integrated with nature, society, and ancestry
Rather than separating heaven, nature, and humanity, Japanese thought tends to see them as continuous and interconnected.

The Cosmology in "竹取物語(Taketori-Monogatari)The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter"

Sometimes I like to play some game that makes me feel so relaxed, like I'm in space. I just go to 25 € no deposit bonus and I always choose something with a high rating. It's a great resource for space inspiration, as it has a lot of interesting games in one place.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is one of Japan's oldest narratives and presents an early Japanese view of the cosmos.
In the story, Princess Kaguya is discovered inside a glowing bamboo stalk and later revealed to be a being from the Moon. Eventually, celestial beings descend from the Moon to return her to her original world.
From a cosmological perspective, the tale suggests that:
The Moon is not an empty object but an inhabited, higher realm.
The heavens are morally and spiritually superior to the human world.
Earth and the cosmos are connected and permeable; beings can travel between them.
Human life is transient, while the celestial realm represents eternity and purity.
Unlike modern scientific cosmology, space is portrayed as sacred and hierarchical. The Moon functions as a divine or transcendent homeland, reflecting a worldview in which the universe is alive with meaning and spiritual order.

Fascinating! I love how Japanese cosmology blends spirituality, relationships, and cycles, making the cosmos feel alive rather than just a physical space!