Departure melodies: Celebrating the jingles contribution to the rail experience in Japan | The Japan Times

Like the ubiquitous neon signs and abundant convenience stores scattered throughout Tokyo, departure melodies at train stations are probably something many  

Like the ubiquitous neon signs and abundant convenience stores scattered throughout Tokyo, departure melodies at train stations are probably something many residents don’t give much thought to as they travel around the city each day
And yet so much thought has been put into the creation of such tunes, it’s probably about time they get their dues
The East Japan Railway Co, or JR East, introduced its first hassha merodi departure melodies at various stations on March 11, 1989
Thirty years later, the jingles exist as part of the cacophony of noises that barrage the senses during commutes, which is ironic since they were originally created to tackle the problem of stress
While commuting in Tokyo during rush hour continues to be a soul-crushing experience at the best of times, the mechanical sounds and shrill announcements that used to accompany a train’s departure prior to 1989 was a constant source of irritation for passengers
Hiroaki Ide, a sound engineer who was tasked with creating new seven-second departure melodies for JR East in 1989, remembers the circumstances at the time well
Technical capabilities at the time restricted audio output at train stations, distorting the announcements that were broadcast over the inadequate public address system Add that to the noise that tens of thousands of people make when moving through passageways and you have an environment that’s far from relaxing
 

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