With its random beeps, whirs, and jingles, the soundscape of Tokyo has long fascinated foreigners. The city’s vast subway system is no exception. An iconic “departure melody,” however, will soon be replaced by pop songs at three busy stations. Last year Tokyo Metro solicited suggestions on its website, and it recently revealed the winners.
Band and song names seem to have played a role in the selection.
The group Nogizaka46, for instance, had one of its songs chosen for its namesake station in Nogizaka. The song is “Kimi no Na wa Kibō” (Your Name is Hope), released in 2013.
The Akihabara station—noted for electronics stores—will feature the 2013 hit “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” (The Fall-in-Love Fortune Cookie) by AKB48. The band is from the Akihabara, hence the “AKB” in the name:
The 1961 classic “Ginza No Koi No Monogatari” (A Love Story in Ginza) will serve the Ginza station:
The songs will make their subway debut in the spring.