The History and Creativity Behind Japan’s Train Station Songs

Much more than mere melodies

All photos, unless otherwise indicated, were taken by the author

As an endless sea of people funnel through long, narrow corridors, the din of marching feet is drowned out only by a constant stream of megaphone announcements.

As you approach the ticket gates, a new sound permeates the atmosphere — the incessant digital beeps of electronic commuter passes being swiped over sensors.

Finally, upon reaching the platform, the train station auditory experience crescendos with the main event: the thunderous sounds of massive steel carriages, barreling in and out of the station.

Among this cacophony, there is one seven-second sound that brings order to chaos: the hasha merodi, or “train departure melody.” A softer, calming alternative to a blaring buzzer, a surprising amount of work and creativity goes into creating the pre-departure tunes that play on train and subway platforms throughout Japan.

Read on to learn the history behind these melodies and the unexpected amount of care that is involved in creating them.

A Brief History of Train Departure Melodies