Article by: Asuka Watanabe

Aoi Yamaguchi, who has synesthesia, worries and experiences

Aoi Yamaguchi has “synesthesia” and is worried that she is perceived as a “wonder girl” because of it.

Synesthesia is a phenomenon in which multiple senses are evoked by a single piece of information, and one in 23 people have it in some form. Yamaguchi explains that she senses color in letters and gender and personality in numbers, and the larger the specific number, the more clearly her personality is perceived.

She senses colors in her emotions and impressions of people, and creates watercolor paintings of them, which she posts on the Internet and gives to others as “synesthesia art. She also hopes to spread awareness of synaesthesia through hands-on events where people can hear sounds and feel colors, with the goal of having her work included in compulsory education textbooks.