World · East Asia & Pacific · 4 hrs ago
Japan’s musical roads turn local tunes into tourist attractions
About 50 roads in Japan play music as cars pass over grooves cut into the pavement.
The grooves make tires produce notes, and the melodies sound best when drivers travel at the speed limit.
The roads were first designed to encourage safer driving, but local authorities now also use them to attract visitors and highlight local culture.
Suehiro Sangyo, a construction company in Maebashi, developed the technology, and its first musical road opened in Gunma Prefecture in 2007.
Songs are chosen to reflect each area, from a folk song in hot spring town Kusatsu to a hit by singer AI in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The Kagoshima road opened in March after residents submitted song suggestions, and it has drawn attention on social media.
More installations are being requested, though roads need suitable stretches of pavement and enough distance from homes to limit noise; some have been removed after residents complained.
Japan has about 50 musical roads that play tunes as vehicles drive over grooves cut into the pavement.
The roads were designed to encourage drivers to obey speed limits, but they are increasingly used to attract tourists and promote local culture.
Suehiro Sangyo, a construction company based in Maebashi, developed the technology and says requests for installations are increasing.
Local authorities often choose songs that reflect the history, culture or identity of their communities.
Some installations have been removed after complaints from nearby residents or because road surfaces deteriorated.
- Who
- Suehiro Sangyo developed the technology, while local authorities commission many installations.
- What
- Roads with grooves in their surfaces produce melodies as vehicles drive over them.
- When
- The first musical road was installed in 2007. A recent addition opened in March.
- Where
- Around 50 musical roads are found across Japan.
- Why
- They were originally intended to encourage drivers to obey speed limits and are increasingly used to attract tourists and promote local culture.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Suehiro Sangyo applied for a patent for the musical-road technology and later secured it.
The first musical road was installed in Numata, Gunma Prefecture.
The first installation was removed after the road surface deteriorated and its grooves disappeared.
A musical road playing AI's song Happiness opened in Nagashima, Kagoshima Prefecture.
- Number of roads
- Around 50 across Japan
- Technology developer
- Suehiro Sangyo Co., based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture
- First installation
- Numata, Gunma Prefecture, in 2007
- Gunma installations
- 11
- Nagashima song
- Happiness by singer AI
- Nagashima public suggestions
- 100 submissions covering 73 titles
What people are saying
Every road has its own story,
I hope the melodies will inspire people to think about the history and culture of the places they're driving through.
We hope it will encourage people to visit our town for a drive,