My wife and I recently went on a brief day trip to Yamanashi Prefecture, which always soothes her soul. On the way there, she asked, “Wanna check out the Melody Road?”
I had never heard of Japan’s musical roads (メロディーロード; “melody road”) before this. Digging in, I was surprised to find there were several dozen of these locations in Japan alone – and many more all over the road. Here’s the background on this clever invention, along with some of the more famous musical roads connected to Japanese pop culture.
The invention of the musical road
Picture: 交通素材家 はそぴ / PIXTA(ピクスタ)
Musical roads are variations on the rumble strip, which warns sleepy drivers when they’re veering off the road. Some enterprising folks discovered that, if you put such grooves in the road apart at specified intervals, they’ll produce musical notes.
Two artists in Denmark, Steen Krarup Jensen and Jakob Freud-Magnus, created the first musical road in 1995. They took off in 2007 when Japanese engineer Shinoda Shizuo accidentally created musical notes while using a bulldozer. His company, Shinoda Manufacturing, teamed up with the Hokkaido Research Organization to perfect the technology.
Since then, musical roads have appeared all around the world. In many cases, they’re used to draw tourists. Other countries, however, install them as a safety measure. Some maintain that the songs keep drivers alert and awake. Since the song is only played correctly when a driver is moving at the correct speed, they can also encourage people to mind speed limits.
Enjoying anime roads and more in Japan
Since then, numerous musical roads have popped up all across Japan. Wikipedia JP currently lists 37 in existence around the nation. A few of these will no doubt be of interest to those whose primary draw to Japan is pop culture – specifically, anime and manga. Below, I’ve listed some of the highlights in each region of the country.
Obviously, if you want to enjoy these as a traveler to Japan, you’ll need to rent a car. Before you leave for your trip, make sure you get an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). These licenses are recognized by any country that participates in the 1949 Geneva Convention. They can only be issued by your country, so it’s best to get one before you leave for your trip.
For United States residents with a valid US state driver’s license, you can get one at any AAA branch for $20. You’ll need to fill out the application and bring two passport photos, too. If you’re already abroad and are staying for a while (e.g., you’re staying in Japan for a full 90 days or want to get a temporary license before getting an official Japanese driver’s license), you can request one by mail.
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The Cruel Angel’s Thesis Road – Hakone
The Cruel Angel’s Thesis road.
The most accessible for most vacationers to Japan will be the road near Lake Ashi in Hakone, a short 90-minute drive from Tokyo. It’s along the Ashinoko Skyline, which is a sight in its own right. The Skyline gives stunning views of Mt. Fuji in the west and Lake Ashi to the east.
The road is also notable for playing Cruel Angel’s Thesis, the theme song from the popular anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, on the descending road. The road opened on April 21st, 2015. The ascending road plays Fujinoyama, a Japanese folk song dating back to 1910.
富士山（ふじの山）Fujinoyama／歌いだし♪あたまをくものうえにだし／見やすい歌詞つき【日本の歌Japanese traditional song】
【すく♪いく音楽ライブラリー】歌う・聴く・探す キングレコードによる音楽図書館、すく♪いく音楽ライブラリー。 四季折々、季節を感じることのできる美しい日本の風景と、美しい歌声がマッチングした何度見ても飽きない映像になっています。見やすい歌詞がついているので、映像をお楽しみながら一緒に歌いましょう。 富士山（ふじの山） 〈文部省唱歌〉作詞：巌谷小波／作曲：不詳 ●たいらいさお あたまを雲の 上に出し 四方の山を 見おろして かみなりさまを 下にきく ふじは 日本一の山 青ぞら高く そびえたち からだに 雪の きものきて かすみのすそを とおくひく ふじは 日本一の山 Mt. Fuji With its head high above the clouds Looking down on all the mountains around Hearing thunder roll far below Mt. Fuji is the greatest mountain in Japan Soaring high into the blue sky Dressed in the gown of white snow With the misty veil trailing far below Mt.
The full version of Fujinoyama, if you want to add another song to your karaoke repertoire.
The Ashinoko Skyline is a toll road, so make sure when you rent a car that you also rent an ETC card, which is the card recognized for automated tolling on Japan’s highway systems. It costs 1,000 yen for regular-sized vehicles.
Yamanashi Prefecture – Lake Kawaguchi’s Fuji Subaru Line
Our drive over the Fuji Subaru Line.
The Fuji Subaru Line leads to one of the most popular of the four stops at Mt. Fuji’s 5th Station, where hikers depart for their climbs during hiking season. (And only during hiking season…right? Right??) At 2,300 meters above sea level, it’s also a good spot to soak up some views even if you don’t intend to climb the mountain.
Along the way, you’ll hit a stretch of road that plays Fujinoyama. It plays the first part of the song on the way to Mt. Fuji and the latter half of the song on the way back.
Gunma Prefecture – National Highway 353
Gunma Prefecture has a total of 10 musical roads – 27% of all such roads in Japan. Perhaps the one of greatest interest to Japanese pop culture fans is this one on National Highway 353, which plays Itsumo Nademo, the theme song from Hayao Miyazaki’s popular animated film Spirited Away. This road leads to Shima Onsen, which served as the basis for the spirit world onsen in the film.
(If you want to visit a slightly less popular bathing spot, check out our list of hidden onsen across Japan.)
Gunma Prefecture – Gunma Melody Line
【全10か所】 歌詞付きで紹介！！ 群馬メロディーライン集
全国に30か所以上あると言われているメロディーロードの内 10か所は群馬県にあります。 それを、群馬県では「ぐんまメロディーライン」と呼んでいます。 そんな「ぐんまメロディーライン」10か所すべてをご紹介します！ ・目次を作成したのでよろしければご活用ください！ オープニング 0:00 ①いつも何度でも/中之条町 0:50 ②星に願いを/高山村 1:33 ③四季の歌/みなかみ町 2:18 ④うさぎとかめ/桐生市 4:01 ⑤チューリップ/前橋市 4:53 ⑥静かな湖畔/高崎市 5:41 ⑦こいのぼり/神流町 6:28 ⑧雪山讃歌/嬬恋村 7:16 ⑨草津節/草津町 8:09 ⑩うれしいひなまつり/上野村 9:06 ・その他オススメ動画 【無料観覧地6選】 西武園花火を無料で！！ 園外の無料観覧地＆撮影地集 https://youtu.be/dY-8n9qHvhk 【全5か所】埼玉県にある環状交差点（ラウンドアバウト）【2021年版】 https://youtu.be/ewEOFzvm69k 【グランツーリスモ7】Gr3 Bop（高速）全車データ公開 https://youtu.be/B9RcCoGu77Q #群馬メロディーライン #メロディーロード #ぐんまメロディーライン
A collection of all 10 musical roads in Gunma, including When You Wish Upon a Star.
Let’s not limit ourselves to Japanese animation, folks! Disney is incredibly popular in Japan, which is reflected in Prefectural Highway 36’s Melody Line. The road is en route to the Gunma Astronomical Observatory, where you can get some killer views of the night sky in Japan. So, appropriately enough, this road plays When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio.
Tottori Prefecture Highway 47 Yonago Sakai Minato
鳥取県境港市 ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 メロディーロード
鬼太郎空港沿いの道路に出来た「メロディー道路」を走ってみました。 ゲゲゲの鬼太郎のテーマ曲がタイヤからの走行音となって聞こえます。車自体の走行音が大きくてほとんど聞き取れませんが、 耳をすませてお楽しみください♪ 実際はもっとハッキリ聞こえます。ドライブにおすすめです！ http://n-sign.jp/ 株式会社エヌサインは出雲の看板店です。 …
If you travel to Shimane Prefecture to visit the spectacular Izumo Taisha Shrine, you’ll likely need a car once you get there. But that also means you can pop over to Tottori Prefecture and ride Highway 47, which will play out the theme song to the popular yōkai anime GeGeGe no Kitarō.
Planning a trip to Japan? Get an authentic, interpreted experience from Unseen Japan Tours and see a side of the country others miss!
“Noah [at Unseen Japan] put together an itinerary that didn’t lock us in and we could travel at our own pace. In Tokyo, he guided us personally on a walking tour. Overall, he made our Japan trip an experience not to forget.” – Kate and Simon S., Australia
See a side of Tokyo that other tourists can’t. Book a tour with Unseen Japan Tours – we’ll tailor your trip to your interests and guide you through experiences usually closed off to non-Japanese speakers.
Want more news and views from Japan? Donate $5/month ($60 one-time donation) to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund to join Unseen Japan Insider. You’ll get our Insider newsletter with more news and deep dives, a chance to get your burning Japan questions answered, and a voice in our future editorial direction.
Fukushima Prefecture – Okuaizu Symphony Road
JR Tadami Line. (Picture: くまちゃん / PIXTA(ピクスタ))
You should travel this road anyhow because it’s beautiful, as it travels along the breathtaking JR Tadami Line. When you do, you’ll also be treated to a little musical ditty that may be familiar to US travelers: Country Road by John Denver. If you time it right, you can listen to the song as you pass in tandem with the train on the Tadami Line.
Hiroshima Prefecture – Fruits Road
Drivers on the Yasuda-Kamo line in the town of Sera who maintain a 60km/h speed will be treated to another Studio Ghibli treat: Sampo from My Neighbor Totoro. It’s quite a trip, however: If you’re in Hiroshima to see sights such as the Peace Memorial Park, it’ll take you over a 90-minute drive to get out there.
Sources
Musical Road. Wikipedia (EN + JP versions)
『残酷な天使のテーゼ』が聞こえてくる“エヴァンゲリオン メロディペーブ”が4月21日より開通. Famitsu
車で走ると道路から演歌やアニメ曲 その仕組みは「レコード盤」. Asahi Shimbun
【2025年最新】全国のメロディーロード – 全37ヵ所. Gaisha Baton
AloJapan.com