In the town where I live, we have two tunes. One on 4:30 p.m., and the other on 5:00 p.m. I believe those music are for reminding kids to go home before the sun goes down. Although, many kids stay out after 5 p.m. đ
Everyday at 5 p.m., the loudspeakers around town play a charming little tune. At first, I thought âwell isnât that a nice little tune,â but as the weeks went on, I wanted to know what purpose it served. End of the workday? Not likely with all of those salarymen shuffling home at 9 p.m.
My Japanese googling skills are getting better and today I finally found the answer, although the next question is why I was thinking about the 5 oâclock song at 9 in the morning.
Turns out, it really is called the 5 Oâclock Chime (äșæăźăăŁă€ă or goji no chaimu) and each city has its own version. Itâs actually a daily test of the Municipal Disaster Management Radio Communication Network. Much like the Emergency Broadcast System in the U.S., if you hear the chime at any other time than 5 p.m., trouble is aâbrewing.
In Kawagoe, our song is called âWildâŠ
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