Japan is full of incidental music. Train stations on the Yamanote line have signature tunes, busy crosswalks play music, and all around the city at 5 o’clock, songs play on the public address system. I phoned the ward office to find out the name of the tune that’s played in our neighborhood.
Mariko Harada was only slightly taken aback by my strange question. She asked what park I lived near and promisd to check and call back. A few minutes later, I had an answer. Our park plays Yuuyake Koyake, a folksong about the evening sunset.
