This is a cup of coffee you can't miss if you are a Ghibli fan.

A video of Ghibli's sound director brewing coffee recently went viral in Japan. But first, close your eyes and have a listen to the coffee being prepared. (Subtitle is available, you may need to turn it on manually.)

Sounds like just an ordinary coffee in the making. But when you check out the brewing process... it's something pretty unique!

The master of sound effects

Meet Koji Kasamatsu. While he works as a sound director for many TV and cinematic works, his oral sound effects were crucial to the success of Hayao Miyazaki's last feature anime "The Wind Rises".

The majority of the sound effects, from prop-aircrafts to earthquakes, were produced by mouth or with his body. Kasamatsu showed off his skills again with the above video (which was produced to promote WONDA, a brand of coffee sold in Japan).

In the making-of video, you can see how Kasmatsu stacks up various effects that create the sound of coffee being brewed and poured. He sat in front of a computer for 2 hours to produce what amounts to about 15 seconds of sound.

While you may not find the sound of coffee as produced by mouth particularly appetizing, with over 100,000 views, many people seem to be pretty mesmerised by the wide variety of sounds you can make with your mouth.

Original recording for comparison

And here's the real coffee sound that became the basis of Kasamatsu's work. Compare the difference and see what you think!

The video certainly makes me want to watch "The Wind Rises" all over again, and try and imitate the sound Kasamatsu has produced.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.