News Kakokawa street piano removed over too many violations

Kakokawa City in Hyōgo Prefecture has decided to remove a street piano after officials concluded too many people were displaying poor manners while playing.

The local council in Kakogawa placed a piano inside the area's main railway station in November. Authorities hoped residents would respond to a global trend that has seen a massive rise in street pianos. But officials were disappointed by apparent rule-breaking, such as people playing too long or singing. In law-abiding Japan, some directives were laid out for the piano's use. Officials insisted that users disinfect their hands before playing, that performances should be kept to 10 minutes and that people should avoid voice accompaniment. But they decided to pull the plug because too many people used the piano for longer or sang loudly while playing. Some budding musicians stand accused of practising the same sounds repeatedly - for up to an hour - while others provoked complaints by continuing to play during station announcements.

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Tough to see stories like this. It reminds me of the old guy who complained about noise at the park, and so the city decided to remove the park*. The solutions to the perceived problems always seem to involve making the world a slightly more joyless place. But I can see how older users of public transport might be inconvenienced if they can't hear the announcement for the sound of the piano playing. Yet its also unrealistic to ask the piano players to stop every time an announcement is made - it would kill any impulse to play music. I wish a compromise could be made in situations like these. I feel there is also a common sense compromise to be made in the case of the redevelopment of Meiji Gaien, but I'm not optimistic that the development contractor will be willing to do this.

*This was the story I heard, anyway. I don't know if there is a deeper backstory to this.

OK, there was a slightly complicated backstory, but the gist is the same. An old guy complained about the noise, so the park managers decided to relinquish the park to the city, and the city closed it - making this section of Nagoya a slightly joyful place to live.

Slightly less joyful place to live, I mean.

Majestic said:

OK, there was a slightly complicated backstory, but the gist is the same. An old guy complained about the noise, so the park managers decided to relinquish the park to the city, and the city closed it - making this section of Nagoya a slightly joyful place to live.

Noise complaint forces closure of children's park in central Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

A children's park in Nagano City, central Japan, is being removed because of a noise complaint by a local resident.

www3.nhk.or.jp

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Woah, woah, woah, that's Nagano, not Nagoya! That's an entirely different joyless place to live in Central Japan!

Good God, you're right!
Nagano has always been kind to me, so hopefully the loss of this one park doesn't doom the place too much.

In terms of joylessness, Nagoya is in a league of its own. (This may arouse the ire of Nagoya-philes).
For me, the best part of Nagoya is the departure lounge of the Nagoya airport.

The best part of Nagoya without question is Yabaton in Yabacho. Just be ready to wait in line to get in.

Getting a little more back on topic, the closing of the piano is too bad. But what did they expect? Even in 'law abiding Japan' people are people. Hopefully it won't cause another curse of the Colonel! Or something similar.