1. Features and effects of KOTO reminiscence method

Healing Japanese Souls

Dr. Ishikawa (a former professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology and a senior scientist at Riken) is talking about KOTO reminiscence method as follows:

Logically well-designed music therapy

The human genome contains a large family of GPCR (G-protein coupled receptor), and those are involved in five senses, namely seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, that are essential to maintain our lives. By stimulating these GPCRs, old memories are brought back. I believe that KOTO reminiscence method conducted by Ms. Watanabe should stimulate the five senses, especially somehow specific to us Japanese grown up in the Japanese cultures.

Healing people’s deepest sadness

Since KOTO reminiscence method, a music therapy using KOTO play, is logically well-designed, it will be able to heal the deepest sadness of people who had lost families and homes by the earthquake disaster.

Frequencies of KOTO Waves

Frequencies of sounds are important for people’s feelings. KOTO reminiscence method includes effects from this aspect.
KOTO is a instrument that can change the frequencies immediately. No other instruments can’t do the same.

Frequencies cause effects through the air and water

70% of our bodies is water, and every material has its own natural frequency. By adjusting the frequencies, the KOTO sound can reach every material in our body.
Cymatics:when the sound wave is transmitted through water, air or sands, the frequencies of the sound affect their own natural frequencies.
For frequencies of sounds, see this video.
Memories of water:a theory in which our thoughts can affect the world of materials.
→Dr. Masaru Emoto is investigating crystallization of water through sounds and feelings…see his research video

Tuning to Healing Frequencies on Site

The sound of music all over the world is tuned to A=440 Hz that was recommended by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1953.
There should be a merit to tune to A=432 Hz.
Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who influenced Dr. Carl Gustav Jung also, said

”the sound tuned to C=128 can support freedom of the human spirits. The inner ear of the human is constructed to tune to C=128 Hz. ※C=128 Hz represents A=432 Hz.

KOTO in the Ancient times and Mythologies

We can see ”KOTO” many times in Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). When Ookuni-nushi-no-mikoto plundred the daughter of Susano-o-no-mikoto, Ookuni-nushi-no-mikoto plundered the sword, bow-and-arrow and KOTO (ama-no-nugoto) also. The sward and bow-and-arrow are thought to represent political powers, and KOTO may represent prayers to Gods. KOTO was a holly instrument at the Ancient ages.

At ”Harayama Kofun (old tomb)” at Izumizaki, Fukushima, a Haniwa statue representing ”a boy playing KOTO” was found from underground. KOTO may be played during a funeral ceremony for a King. (From ”Kofun in Fukushima” Fukushima prefectural museum 1992)

KOTO music was prayers to Gods: In the late fifth Century, KOTO was used to heal people’s sorrows during a funeral.
Thus, KOTO had healed minds of Japanese in the past, and is healing and will heal people’s minds at present and in the future.

Catharsis Effects

KOTO reminiscence method has Catharsis effects and facilitates purification of the hearts.

Not all memories are good though…

During KOTO reminiscence method, people do not always recall good memories.
Some may feel ”joy” and others may feel ”pain” by looking at the same photo.
People will talk to themselves by listening to KOTO and looking at pictures, and recall everything to their minds.

A case of a lady who lost words

I like to introduce one case.
There was a lady of the age of about 80 who rarely spoke to others in the nursing house, even not communicating with her family.
Staffs in the house had worried about her, but…one day while KOTO reminiscence method was conducted and I was playing “Furusato (my old hometown)”, the old lady shed tears and wrote ” I sang the song long time ago” with trembling letters.
After that、she sobbed and told me that she was told ”Oh! You can not speak” by another resident some time before. Since then, she has not talked with others because she has been afraid that others might be thinking her strange. She told me about this little by little.

Please do not lock the sadness inside of your mind

It seems that KOTO reminiscence method recalls her painful past memories…after she confessed the memory, she looked like a different person, communicating a lot by writing and becaming ”a talkative person”.
You may think that sadness, anxiety and anger are bad things, but after recalling such feelings, their minds can be clarified.
Since KOTO reminiscence method aims to produce the Catharsis effect, it will not proceed based on conductor’s assertive schedule.

2. Merits for nursing home

KOTO reminiscence method conductor aims to help nursing home to have more new residents, but not just to play KOTO music for elderly people.

Usual music events at nursing home end up with just playing music.
The aims of KOTO reminiscence method conductors are:”giving deep impression to residents and their families””delivering such impression to people” and ”obtaining new residents”.
If a nursing house spends more and more money for advertisements, contrary to their wishes, it may happen to result in reputation such as ”the house may not be attractive to people” or ”staffs do not work for long time”.
It should be cost-effective since, during the recreation time at the house, the house may use the time for advertisement of the house. KOTO reminiscence method conductor can provide such an additional value and help the house in such a way.

Acquire new residents !

People do not move by logics, but move when their hearts feel something. In “Taihei-ki” written in the 14the Century, there is a sentence ”even a Demon was impressed by listening to KOTO.” KOTO plan is touching the heart of the elderly people by making the best use of such powers of KOTO. To acquire new residents, we are establishing achievements while keeping artistic features.

Advertisement and image-up !

KOTO reminiscence method conductor not only can make the elderly people happy but also can do more. KOTO reminiscence method has been beneficial to every facility. When the residents become happier, the family will be happy to see them and the staff will be happier too. These will produce the most effective advertisements and work as image-up of the facility.

Saving the cost for advertisement

Your nursing home is so dependent on the advertisement? Spending a lot of money for advertisement? By employing the KOTO reminiscence method, the facility may save the cost for advertisements. The facility will be recognized as resident-oriented facility and open to the community of the local area. Too much advertisements will make adverse effects.


As a branding strategy

KOTO reminiscence method will facilitate branding since KOTO reminiscence method includes ”sophisticated” and “calm” KOTO play with Japanese tastes and high expertise in advertisements. These will help the development of a branding strategy of your welfare facility. It is said that if costumers read 30 pages of your blog, the contract rate will be 80%. You can establish good branding without making so much efforts for selling.

Deep trust and sympathy

Since KOTO reminiscence method is so impressive, it will help to establish deep trust and sympathy by residents and their family. Residents and visitors think that the facility must be good since it provides the costumers with KOTO reminiscence method. Once it is established, there are merits such as: being unique among welfare facilities, no need to compete to others by fees, consistent stay may be expected.

Recreation and public relations

Many staffs say ”the recreation time is important…but everyone is busy in doing daily duties and can not spend time for recreation.” The most time consuming process is planing and arrangements. Even if staffs are spending a lot of their time, the satisfaction of residents may be usually less than expected. KOTO reminiscence method not only provides good recreation and entertainment activities, but also public relations activity at the same time.