TOKYO - Daiso, the renowned Japanese 100-yen store, has changed its traditional closing music, "Hotaru no Hikari," to a new tune that foreign visitors can more easily recognize as a signal that the store is closing.
From "Hotaru no Hikari" to "Good Day ～Closing Music～"
Daiso, known worldwide for its affordable and diverse products, attracts many foreign tourists to its Ginza store in Tokyo. A new initiative has been introduced this week, changing a long-standing in-store feature.
Koichi Goto, Global Public Relations Manager at Daiso Industries, explained, "To make it clearer for our overseas customers that the store is closing, we have changed the closing music from Tuesday this week."
The traditional closing song, "Hotaru no Hikari," familiar to Japanese customers, has been replaced due to concerns that it was not easily understood by foreign visitors. In collaboration with music distribution company USEN and Waseda University's Marketing and Communication Research Institute, Daiso developed a new closing song that would be more universally recognizable.
The new music, titled "Good Day ～Closing Music～," features a small orchestra and a gentle, nostalgic melody.
Creating a Pleasant Experience
Hikari Yamashita, an executive officer at USEN, commented on the new composition: "The goal was to subtly inform customers of the store's closing without giving a forced impression, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction and a desire to return."
Foreign Visitors' Reactions
Foreign tourists were asked which song better conveyed the closing time. A woman in her 30s said, "The new song feels more like 'closing.' In America, 'Hotaru no Hikari' is associated with New Year."
A man in his 60s found the new music to be "very calming and relaxing."
On the evening of June 13, as the new closing music played at the Ginza store, shoppers, including many foreign tourists, began heading towards the registers and exits.
A group of tourists from Thailand shared their thoughts on the new music, saying it felt like "home" and gave a sense of "being on vacation," with a "relaxed" feeling.
Goto expressed optimism about the new music: "We hope that customers from any country will recognize the closing time and leave with a pleasant feeling."
Daiso's decision to change its closing music reflects its commitment to enhancing the shopping experience for its global customer base.
Source: ANN
