Why Tokyo Has Musical Train Stations

Japan’s train stations have something called “train departure melodies”. These melodies are each 7-seconds long and were created to help commuters and train conductors know when the doors of the train are about to close. There are HUNDREDS of train departure melodies for different stations, lines, and for each direction that the train is going. There is actually one man behind many of the jingles, his name is Minaru Mukaiya.

Watch Great Big Story's video on Minoru Mukaiya:

Leave a comment with any questions you have and we’ll make sure to include it in a future video.

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[thefabulousleowang]

In Maihama station, the station plays Disney melodies because this is the station where Tokyo Disney Resort is located in

[ramairturbine]

They were originally used to make sure people could tell which train was leaving-- each track has a different jingle so nobody has to rush onto a train that isn't departing yet. This is especially useful when you have stations like Shinjuku that have almost 30 platforms

[starrwulfe]

Fact: in 2000 while doing my study abroad in Osaka, I created MIDI files of JR West, Kintetsu and Hankyu jingles so I could have them as ringtones on my phone. The Hanwa line and JR East’s “general announcement” tones are still on my phone as text ringtones to this day.

[DavidLin]

The 7 second rule only applies to Tokyo Metro. JR East has music as long as 30 seconds (excluding the infinitely looping variations), and most have a length of 10 or 15 seconds. The conductors or station staff can stop the music early or keep it looping depending on the actual dwell time needed for safety. In general the longer ones have a smaller chance being fully played, and there's a station, Etchujima, famous for playing only one beat due to very low ridership.

[adorableredfox]

Fun fact: The song at 2:34 is Koisuru Fortune Cookie by AKB48. AKB is an abbrivietion of Akihabara which is also located in Tokyo.

[TilmanBaumann]

Oh the constant din of jingles in Japan. It's charming but also absolute madness. Even pedestrian crossings have one, imagine living next to one.

[azravalencia]

Fun Fact: In Indonesia, we also have this kind of Train Departure song. The jingles used is Westminster Chimney, but in high pitched. Pretty similar with Japanese School Announcer in terms of tempo.

Some station (mostly Regional Large Stations) also have its local song used as departure/arrival song for trains. For examples, in Jakarta Jatinegara they use song "Kicir-Kicir", Surabaya Pasar Turi used "Rek Ayo Rek", or Bandung with "Manuk Dadali".

[sarahkatherine]

As a small person (I'm short), I found new meanings of those melodies: they help me know if I am on the correct station.
During rush hours, it is hard for me to see the station screens or have enough attention to (be able to) hear the station announcement, and the melody help me know that yeah, I should get off at this station.

Once I was tired and board the train to the opposite direction. At the following stop, I heard the melody I'm not familiar with and know that I board the wrong train.
Yes, I was tired, and the moving became a routine so I didn't pay attention to the announcement.

[radry]

The music is NOT for the door closing notification nor the departure. The melody starts playing as soon as you arrive. They are there so you know which station you are at without looking outside because often you can't even see where you are in a cramped train.

[Xavier-mzwt]

As someone who's been interested in these jingles for almost 2 years yet hasn't stepped foot in Japan, I really appreciate this video. Having heard hundreds of melodies through the videos that Japanese people upload, I feel proud that I could recognize almost every single melody in this video. Thanks for sharing your research as videos like these that are in English are hard to find.

[evilmatt]

4 years ago today we were in Tokyo. We stayed in Takadanobaba and the jingle for that station feels so nostalgic now that it brings me so much joy when I hear it.

[pvqxtib]

I'm Japanese.
Matsudo Station Melody is called "Matsudo Telephone Shopping" in Japan.

[nonamezebr]

When we were in Japan with friends, we used to call these melodies "endings", like an anime ending. I also made a ringtone from ikebukuro station melody - these MIDI's works great for this purpose)

[MR.ALFE]

In Spain we have music on the highways, to prevent drivers to drive too close from the side, avoiding accidents by falling asleep or being unaware of the road. The music starts when the wheels drive through the continuous line on the sides. And it sounds quite loud. Sometimes is a piece of a classical song or sometimes is a typical Spanish melody such as "la macarena". Its fun

[tripsleo]

Thanks for posting, I have added the Akihabara Station melody as my ringtone to remind me of my trips to Japan.

[sdmtkyf]

Thanks to the youtube, we can easily retrieve station melodies these days.When I found and listened to the melody of the place I had left 20 years ago, so many memories vividly revived.

[tark_iol]

Ever since I was a kid, I've had an alarm clock that plays train melody. It's already broken, but my heart still beats when I hear the melody I used to listen to every day.

Even without such alarm clocks, people living in Tokyo wake up from their dozes when they hear the melody of the nearest station to their office or home. However, when the melody is heard, the doors of the train are about to close.

[CarfDarko]

Amazing video, I love the way how you explain it in the tiniest details. Being a long-time (part-time) musician myself I really love that the creator visits the places and truly tries to make the music fit the enviroment, in my book that is writting music with the heart at exatly the right place.

Also love the connection between the musician and Densha de Go!

Keep up the creativity!

[DrBovdin]

Having worked in Japan for a short while some 15 years ago, I as so many others also took a keen liking to the jingles. It was a great way of being sure one got on the correct train, especially when changing.
And yes, I still have a few of them as ringtones at the ready on my phone 😊

[Elfangel]

I've always loved those melodies. Even listening to them in your video gives me shivers, I feel nostalgic.