Some crosswalks chirp or play a little tune — what's that for?
At many crossings a green light triggers bird chirps or a melody, telling you it's safe to cross.
They're accessibility signals for visually impaired pedestrians, with police-standardized sounds that encode crossing direction.
Why — five layers
National police guidance standardizes the sounds; paired crossings use different tones so blind users can tell direction.
Building the city so disabled residents can move independently reflects an inclusion-first design goal.
Sounds often pause late at night to avoid disturbing nearby residents — accessibility balanced against meiwaku.
International view
Audible signals exist in many countries; what's distinctive is the standardized direction-encoding sounds — not that they exist at all.
But not always
Older 'toryanse' melody signals are being phased out for the two-tone bird chirps, so you'll hear both.
What to do
Treat the sound as a cross-now cue, but still check the light and traffic — some units go quiet at night.
Sources
- National Police Agency signal-sound guidance
- Accessible pedestrian signal specs