Musical Street Crossings
One thing that will almost guarantee a double-take from first-time foreigners in Japan is that some of the pedestrian crossings play music when the light is green. The most common tune that they play is “Toryanse” which is a children’s song. The lyrics (translated) go as follows:
Let me pass, let me pass
What is this narrow pathway here?
It’s the narrow pathway of the Tenjin shrine
Please allow me to pass through
Those without good reason shall not pass
To celebrate this child’s 7th birthday
I’ve come to dedicate my offering
Going in may be fine but returning would be scary
It’s scary but
Let me pass, let me pass
Let me pass, it’s green and safe to go, hehe.
I’ve tracked down a video of one of the pedestrians crossings near Kyoto Station in action. For some reason, the pitch of the song is higher in crossings in Tokyo than in Kyoto. Go figure.
You can also find a midi of the song here.
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