Departure melodies, known in Japan as hassha merodi, became a standard part of JR East stations in the late 1980s, replacing harsh buzzers with short musical cues for each platform. Shinjuku is one of Tokyo's busiest JR interchanges, served by lines including the Yamanote, Chuo and Saikyo, and its platforms each use distinct tunes to signal departures. Short recordings of these chimes circulate online among rail fans, travellers and creators who want an authentic Tokyo station sound without recording it themselves on a crowded platform.