Movie buffs who pass through Hibiya Station after November 3rd will be delighted to hear a familiar tune playing as each train departs. Tokyo Metro is changing the departure melodies at the station for services on both the Hibiya and Chiyoda lines — and the new melody is based on “Godzilla’s Theme” from the iconic monster movie series.
Hibiya Godzilla Square and Hibiya Station
The Hibiya area is considered sacred ground for fans of the Godzilla movies, as it is home to the headquarters of Toho, which has produced the Godzilla series for over 70 years. The area is also home to two statues of Godzilla at Hibiya Godzilla Square and Toho Cinemas Hibiya.
A still from the original Godzilla movie
With the cooperation of Toho two departure melodies have been developed, both based on the original theme created by film score composer Akira Ifukube for the original 1954 Godzilla movie. The departure melodies will differ slightly depending on the direction of travel, with one melody being played on platforms 1 and 3 and another on platforms 2 and 4.
Godzilla Minus Zero is the latest entry in the movie franchise
The melodies will begin playing on November 3rd, which is known as “Godzilla Day” because that’s the day in 1954 that the original Godzilla movie premiered in Japanese movie theaters. The franchise’s latest film, Godzilla Minus Zero, will also open in Japan that same day.
Article Michael Lambe. Images (1) TM & © TOHO © Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd (2) TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. (3) TOHO Studios All rights reserved.
