Japan’s Rail Network

“Dragon Quest” Theme Rings Out on Shibuya Trains (Video)

Culture

From July 5 to September 12, the overture from Dragon Quest is warning passengers that trains will depart on Shibuya Station platforms.
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Celebrating the Thirtieth Anniversary

Since the launch of the first game in 1986, Dragon Quest has become Japan’s most famous role-playing game, with over 10 entries in the series. The iconic overture is being played at platforms 3, 4, and 5 of the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line at Shibuya Station to warn passengers that train doors are closing before departure. This coincides with the Dragon Quest Museum exhibition held from July 24 to September 11, 2016, at the Shibuya Hikarie entertainment complex to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the series. The tune was composed by Sugiyama Kōichi, who has overseen all of the games’ music.

The Tōkyū rail company is also running a special Shibuya Hikarie train on its Tōyoko Line until mid-September, with hanging poster advertisements featuring Dragon Quest characters.

Posters from the Shibuya Hikarie train. (courtesy of Tōkyū)

(Originally published in Japanese on July 6, 2016. Video shot and edited by Ōtani Kiyohide of Nippon.com.)

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