The Story of How I, Who Write Novels While Listening to Wind Music and Create Songs with Shampoo, Was Not Just 'Good at Verbalization'｜A Record of an Epic Journey to Unravel 'Synesthesia' (1)

Introduction: This is (1) of a 4-part series

The story that is about to begin is a record of a three-day epic journey of thought, in which a 35-year-old single woman (currently on leave from her job as a junior high school teacher), who thought, Maybe I have synesthesia, repeatedly questioned herself and experimented on herself due to her skeptical nature.

Furthermore, everything written here actually happened.
There are many things written that are hard to believe and surprising, but please forgive me as I am the most surprised person of all...

1. It started with a meditation lesson (Review of the previous session)

—Tuesday, November 18, 2025. I made a shocking discovery.

...I might have an ability close to 'synesthesia'.

The trigger was Ms. Laura's meditation lesson.

My first meditation experience in life. There, a memory was revived for me.

.....

⭐️ Memory of a liquor store near the elementary school

At a shop called Suzuki Liquor Store near the elementary school, many liquor bottle caps were lying on the ground. I would pick them up and look at them, imagining, 'Who drank from this bottle?' and 'What kind of person brought this bottle to this place?'

While other friends were playing with the caps as spinning tops, I was spontaneously imagining stories from the 'pictures drawn on the caps' or the 'shape of the caps'.

When I told my friends, they called me a 'pathological liar,' and since then, I stopped talking about my imagination.

.....

Without knowing 'what this memory meant,' I then went to a lunch meeting.

There, too, images of people I met for the first time, Y and G, popped into my head, and when I told them, they were surprisingly accurate.

For Y, an image of R&B music and a wagon car, and an image of moving came strongly to mind. In fact, Y had experience making wagon cars at a Suzuki factory and said she often listens to Western music. She also had a period as a backpacker (she is currently a coach).

For G, an image of bright orange with a purple core, and strings came to mind. In fact, G had instructed that strings must be included when composing music, and due to her self-sacrificial values, she called herself 'Okan' (Mom).

As these events piled up, I consulted my AI partners (Claude and ChatGPT) after returning home.

Then, both of them said that I have an 'ability close to synesthesia'.

What I had thought was 'brain noise' until now

Ever since I was called a 'pathological liar' in elementary school and nearly bullied for it, I have tried to 'seal away' this ability.

'This is just brain noise'

'It gets in the way of the tasks I need to do'

'People will think I'm weird again'

Thinking that, I kept a lid on it for a long time. No, to be precise, I 'tried not to pay attention to it'.

Even if something seems to come to mind, I'll ignore it as much as possible. Even if something does come to mind, I'll try to forget it as much as possible.

I lived for 30 years thinking that way.

But I was wrong.

This is neither a 'pathological lie' nor 'brain noise'. It is a 'talent' called 'synesthesia'.

If I make use of this 'talent', I can move, surprise, or convince someone. I might even be able to move someone's emotions and connect it to business!

And so, I steeled myself.

If I'm going to do business, I can't just set prices easily without determining the true value of my abilities.Let's take a thorough look back at my life once more from the perspective of 'synesthesia'.

Thus, 'my epic journey of thought' began...

2. There was a hint in the message on the colored paper

...Having said that, I wonder where I should start looking back on my life...

As I looked around the room, thinking vaguely, something suddenly caught my eye.

The colored paper I received from the students of the wind music club when I left my post.

I picked up the colored paper and slowly opened it. The junior high school where I worked until last year. I worked there for 7 years. As an advisor, I conducted on the competition stage many times. I enjoyed the small talk while going down the stairs after finishing the meetings every day. I also played the drums at the school festival. I even played the piano and the contrabass...

As various memories came flooding back, I read it carefully, and...

Thank you for everything over the past three years, Mr. R (pseudonym).

Club activities were fun.

I noticed that hidden within those standard messages were words like these.

I was always made to laugh by your unique analogies when you wanted to express music!

Your analogies during ensemble practice were so funny and enjoyable, they were the highlight of my week.

...'Unique analogies during ensemble practice'???

This keyword was written not just by the two people whose photos I posted, but by many others as well.

There was even a message that said, 'By listening to your funny and precise analogies during ensemble practice, I was able to see your bright and humorous side.'

I was taken aback.

...That's right. I used to use analogies a lot during ensemble practice!

What was normal for me was unique to the students.

I was in the wind music club during my student days, but I played the contrabass in junior high and percussion in high school.

In other words,I have never played a wind instrument.
And of course,I have never conducted either.

I went to Yamaha Music School, so I can play the piano, but that's mostly by ear, and even now, there are many things I don't understand when reading sheet music.

Someone like me had to work with dozens of students, create and pull together songs during weekend ensemble practices, and perform on big stages, including competitions.

Under that kind of pressure, here is what I did naturally.

It was,conveying the image of the song through analogies.that was it.

That trumpet part there, it needs to be brighter. You know, for example, you go to see the first sunrise of the year, right? It's like staring at that along the coast. The kind that wakes you up instantly. I'd like you to play with that image in mind.

The way you're playing the staccato on the flute there is great, but I want something sharper. As it is now, it's a bit fuzzy, isn't it? Like cotton candy. That's not it; for example, I want the density of that cotton packed tightly into a doll. You know, just like the strap keychain on so-and-so's music stand.

Wow! The way you're keeping that rhythm makes it sound like an elephant stomping on the ground. But this song isn't the savanna; it's more like a stylish cafe, right? So, to use an analogy, I want you to keep the rhythm like you're dribbling a basketball.

When it came time to work on a new piece, I would first listen to a model performance on CD or YouTube to form an image in my head. I would then write that down in the score (where the sheet music for all instruments is combined) and head into the ensemble rehearsal.

Then, I would actually listen to the sound the students produced, compare it with the image that had come to mind, and put it into words to convey it.

For me, this was normal every single time.

Because, for me, when I listen to music, images appear.

I can see colors.

A story begins.

So, I just put that directly into words and conveyed it.

'Doesn't everyone listen to music like this?'

Thinking that, I tried to create unity in the piece by aligning the scenery that the performers and the conductor were seeing.

…But, for the students, it must have been 'unique'.

That's why they said my ensemble rehearsals were 'interesting,' 'precise,' and 'something to look forward to.'

Perhaps this is also 'an example of the talent of synesthesia working positively'...

3. A phone call at a miraculous time

While I was thinking about such things, a LINE message arrived.

'Long time no see. Can you talk on the phone now?'

I was surprised when I looked at my smartphone screen.
It was actually from Mr. S, who I worked with in the wind music club until last year.

Mr. S transferred at the same time as me (this April) and is still continuing as an advisor for the wind music club. Just before I went on leave, I even went to help out secretly and gave advice to Mr. S's students...

The content of the call was about worries specific to teachers (I will write an article about this later too).
After talking for a while, I also explained my current situation.
That was when the topic of the story about the 'Ceiling Painting Phoenix' novelcame up.

The original story of Ceiling Painting Phoenix

'Ceiling Painting Phoenix' is the piece we first challenged in a competition as a duo, Mr. S and I. It is a dramatic 7-minute piece that opens with a soprano sax solo and also features wooden clappers and a shime-daiko drum.

When it was decided that we would perform this piece at the competition, a story came to mind after listening to it just once.

An adult is lost in life.

Then, a message arrives from the heavens.

Before they know it, they have slipped back in time to the Edo period.

After overcoming wars and famines, they realize something.

The meaning of living in the future era.

(Note: In reality, the story is long enough to fill both sides of an A4 sheet of paper, but since the data is on the school computer, I cannot post it here💦)

I turned the story that came to mind into a novel, added image illustrations, color-copied it, and distributed it to all the club members.

To share the image of this piece with everyone as we took on the competition.

Something ordinary people cannot do

Mr. S: "R-sensei, didn't you write that in the brief moment I took my eyes off you back then?"

Me: "Well, yes, I suppose so."

Mr. S:"R-sensei's strength is that sentences come to mind immediately. Ordinary people can't just listen to a song and write a story in an instant. If you go into business, I think you can definitely differentiate yourself there. You can say, 'I can do it right away!' "

...Things that don't immediately come to mind for other people, I can think of?

This can also be explained by 'synesthesia.' Because, the moment I listen to music, I can see it. The imagery.

Listen to a song, and a story emerges.

Turn that into a novel.

This was something other people couldn't do.

It was something only I could do.

And that was helping to deepen the students' performances.

'Synesthesia' was being put to use even during my time as a teacher.

After hanging up the phone with Mr. S, I thought about it once more.

“I thought I had sealed it away, but in fact, I had been using it all along.”

“As a teacher, when I was teaching music to my students.”

“I just hadn't realized that it was a 'talent' of mine.”

4. Rereading 140 Articles

It was past 9 p.m. after the phone call ended.
But my journey to look back on my past showed no signs of ending.

...I'll try rereading all the Note articles I wrote since I took a leave of absence!

There might be scenes there too where my 'synesthesia' was positively expressed.

I opened my MacBook once again and displayed my list of Note articles.

Exactly 140 articles.

I had written this many in about five months since July.

I decided to reread them in order of popularity.

The 'Iwate Trip [Part 1]' that was read 9,687 times

⭐️ Click here for the 'Iwate Trip [Part 1]' article

Among the articles I've written on Note, the most popular one by far is the 'Iwate Trip' article I wrote in October.

Among them, [Part 1] is read by far the most, andit currently has 9,687 views.

The highlight could be said to be the scene in the latter half of the article where, on the way back from a river called the British Coast, Hikaru Utada's 'Anata' happened to play on Apple Music, and the music linked with the situation, making me cry.

The scene of the river flowing with a roar, the music of Hikaru Utada's 'Anata', and the 'image of the story of Kenji Miyazawa and myself' in my head as I walked on my solo trip.

For me,the scenery I'm looking at, the music, and the story becoming one,connecting,and having my emotions moved to the point of crying or feeling joy is a natural thing.

But it seems to be a precious experience for others, which is why this article is still being read and supported.

Words said to me by a friend who works in marketing.

"Because this part can only be written by Aaru-sensei, this is why the view count is growing so much."

There isn't even a tiny bit of useful travel information here. But the uniqueness of my senses is supported by everyone.
...

...Even during my solo trip, my 'synesthesia' was being expressed positively.

5. The Kawagoe trip I haven't been able to turn into an article

Actually, a few days before this Iwate trip,I also took a trip to Saitama on October 1st and 2nd.
(Having been completely satisfied with writing the Iwate article, I left the Kawagoe trip alone until now...💦)

Of course, it was a solo trip, and my goals were 'Kawagoe food hopping' and the 'Kadokawa Musashino Museum.' (Sorry, I'll introduce the photos from the first day here 💦)

On the first day, I walked a lot while being hit by rain, reaching my limit.
I sprawled out on the bed at the Kawagoe Tobu Hotel.

There, I happened to find and buya pouch set of BOTANIST 'SANTAL' shampoo, treatment, and oilat a drugstore, so I decided to try it out.

In the hotel shower, starting with the shampoo.
When I opened the pouch, lathered it up, and used it...

...What is this scent???

Because I close my eyes tightly so that the foam and water don't get in, the images become even more vivid.

And then,before I knew it, while I was drying my hair, a song had been created.

Not 'the power to verbalize,' but 'being different from others from the sensory stage'

...Why can I compose a song just by washing my hair with shampoo?

To me, it's not that big of a deal, but it seems to be a big deal to others. Here, I want to talk about something a bit difficult.

People often tell me,"Aru-sensei, your 'power to verbalize' is amazing.".

For example, when they hear that I wrote the novel 'Ceiling Painting Phoenix' in one hour,

For example, when they hear that I have written over 140 note articles,

I think most people would say that first.

Of course, I also believed in that power, and until just yesterday, I was single-mindedly thinking about starting a business as a 'Life Storytelling Companion'.

But, looking back on my life so far from the perspective of 'maybe it's synesthesia,' I realized.

It's not 'the power to verbalize,' but 'being different from others from the sensory stage.'

6. Receiving 'stories' from everything

What I realized looking back on my life so far. To summarize, I can do things like this.

・Music → Story

・People → Story

・Drinks → Story

・Spaces → Story

・Scents like shampoo → Story

・Art works (paintings, three-dimensional works, etc.) → Story

And furthermore,

・People → (Imagine a story) → Music

・Drink → (Imagine a story) → Music

・Space → (Imagine a story) → Music

・Scent → (Imagine a story) → Music

・Art work → (Imagine a story) → Music

I can do all of these in real time.

...No, to be precise, rather than saying I 'can do' it, if I am relaxed, the environment is set, and I am left alone, it 'happens automatically'.

There are multiple 'directions of translation'

In other words, if I were to turn my ability into a flowchart, it would look like this.

[Input]

Everything 'perceived through the five senses'

↓

[Intermediate Layer (Inside my head)]

'Story' = Images play automatically

(Colors, sounds, scenes, stories, and emotions all emerge as one)

↓

[Output]

• Words (note articles, novels, poems)

• Music (songs)

• Both (songs with lyrics)

7. The story in my brain was the cause

And this entire process is not something I 'do through effort,' but something that 'happens automatically.'

Of course, as a Japanese language teacher, I think I have more 'verbalization skills' than the average person, and as a wind band advisor with experience playing instruments, I think I have more 'composition skills' than the average person. But that alone doesn't explain it.

The reason I was able to write the novel 'Ceiling Painting Phoenix' in one hour was not because of my 'verbalization skills,' but because the story came to me the moment I heard the music.

The reason I was able to compose the song 'Grape Tea-gurt' was not because of my 'composition skills,' but because the story came to me the moment I drank it, and I translated that into music.

The reason I was able to compose 'Ms. Lola's Theme Song' in 15 minutes was not because of my 'composition skills,' but because Ms. Lola's story came to me, and I translated it into lyrics and music.

This is my essence.

A way of putting it that fits better than 'synesthesia'

That is why I decided to stop explaining my abilities using only the three kanji characters for 'synesthesia'.

'An ability close to synesthesia'

or,

'Sensory Translator'

A person who perceives the image of everything through the five senses, receives a story, and translates it into words or music.

Having lived for 35 years, I have finally realized this.

Memories from my elementary school days.

The 'unique analogies' from my time as a teacher.

The note articles I wrote after taking a leave of absence.

Music production.

They were all 'translations of images.'

I wasn't creating by receiving inspiration from images. It wasn't that I was judging good and evil from images either.

How could I rephrase images into another form while keeping them as raw as possible? I have been working hard all by myself, trying to translate them accurately. It finally makes sense, and it feels right.

Conclusion: Even So, I Still Can't Fully Believe It

Having written that, I, being a skeptic, still cannot fully believe it myself.

“I want to know more deeply about my own abilities.”

“Is this really an ability close to 'synesthesia'?”

“Could it be that I am just a 'person with a rich imagination' who is mistaken?”

“Could it be that I am just a 'person who is good at verbalization' who is mistaken?”

So, I decided.

“Tomorrow morning, I will conduct an experiment.”

“I will eat breakfast and try to see if any images come to mind from that.”

“If I am truly someone with an ability close to 'synesthesia,' something should come to mind.”

I went to bed feeling both excited and anxious.

“I wonder what kind of discoveries I will make tomorrow.”

To be continued in (2)!!

(Please continue to support me 🎵)