One Man and a History of Jingles Linka Wade (Gunma)
Mukaiya Minoru is a name you’ve probably never heard, but you’ve absolutely listened to his works. Multiple times. Possibly even every day. Maybe you even know some of his tunes so well, you can hum along with them. Millions of people listen to his music every day, and he is one of the most played musicians in the world. Yet, each of his hit songs is only seven seconds long. Mukaiya is the composer of around 170 (he lost count along the way) hassha merodii. Hassha merodii (発車メロ ディー) is translated as “train departure melody,” and is the little jingle that plays in train stations to signal when the train is about to leave. The jingles are unique to each station, with almost every train station in Japan having one. Some specific lines even have their own hassha merodii, such as the famous Yamanote Line jingle. So, how does someone become the (almost) exclusive composer of Japan’s distinctive train station jingles?
Who is Mukaiya Minoru?
Mukaiya spent most of his music career playing keyboard for a band called Casiopea, where he was introduced to using synthesizers. In 1985, he founded Ongakukan, a company that began with music lessons and leasing recording equipment, then moved to develop computer games—including a renowned train simulator game creatively named Train Simulator. The train simulator grew into more games, games so realistic that they caught the attention of JR (Japan Railways Group). Now, Ongakukan makes advanced simulators for training JR train and shinkansen operators. The company also branched out into some other things
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along the way, including artist management to manage Mukaiya’s jingle compositions (1). At heart though, Mukaiya was a tetsudou otaku, colloquially known as “a big ol’ nerd for trains” (2) You’re probably familiar, at least somewhat, with the culture of train fanatics—I know I have regularly been treated to excited chatter about favorite trains from my elementary schoolers. Hassha merodii made their entrance to train stations in 1989, and Mukaiya recognized a way to combine his passions for music and trains. He said that “As a musician and train enthusiast, it’s an honour to make train departure melody—I feel joy making it and it’s also made by a train fan” (6). He took over the role of the primary composer after the original sound engineer, Ide Hiroaki, retired in the early 2000s (3).
Composing a Hassha Merodii
Each melody is exactly seven seconds long— the exact amount of “dwell time” a train has in a station to remain perfectly on time. Each is composed very carefully. The noise of the jingle can’t be irritating to the passengers, and it can’t be too disruptive. The sound has to integrate smoothly into the atmosphere of the train station and for Mukaiya, the jingle has to fit the train station or line. When composing a melody for a station, Mukaiya will visit that station and observe it. How does the train come in? Around a curve, or through a tunnel? What’s the geography around that station like? What’s the area around the station like? Is it historical, or more hip and modern? All these factors are taken into account to make the perfect melody. The jingles in Kyoto, or other areas with historical significance, are composed using traditional instruments such
