Community Professional loudspeakers are providing the audio for a digital signage installation in one of Tokyo’s busiest public spaces.
Hachiko Square, sometimes called Hachiko Plaza, is probably the busiest and best-known meeting place in the Japanese capital. Named in honour of the famous statue of the ‘Faithful Dog Hachiko’, the square is bordered by a department store, two railway stations and the well-known Shibuya pedestrian scramble crossing that is reputed to be the busiest in the world.
The plaza is usually teeming with people, especially during evenings and at weekends. It is a prime people-watching spot and a very popular meeting place. Most people, locals and tourists alike, gravitate toward the bronzed Akita Inu statue referred to as Hachi or Hachiko. The original statue was erected in 1934 to honour the dog who met his master, Professor Ueno Hidesaburo, every day at the station after work. When Professor Ueno died in 1925 and did not return, Hachiko continued to wait for him daily for the next nine years, appearing exactly when the train was due. The story continues to be told and the 2.4 million people who use Shibuya Station pass by the bronze dog each day.
Such a location provides a perfect advertising opportunity, and professional sound company Katoya Recording Service was commissioned to provide sound for a 24.3m x 17.3m LED screen, which is mounted on a roof overlooking the intersection.
Mr Katoya, managing director of Katoya Recording Service, explained the choice of loudspeakers: “To provide high quality and intelligibility within a defined area at such a distance required high-power loudspeakers with exceptional control. We chose two Community R.5-66Ts, with 60º x 60º dispersion for the main area, and an R.5-HPT with 60º x 40º dispersion to focus on the distant crossroads. They deliver the sound clearly to the areas where the displays are seen, but do not create a noise problem with spillage.”
A Powersoft M30D HDSP+ETH was chosen to drive the Community loudspeakers, for its power, audio quality and on-board DSP.
With R Series’ proven all-weather capabilities, Katoya Recording Service has provided a system with the quality and reliability that the application required, and a system that will be heard by millions for many years to come.
