Posted on
by
Photo of a poster with a drawing of a group of people walking while hunched over using their mobile phones. The text in Japanese asks people to stop using their phone while walking and look up.
A poster in the Tokyo metro.

I enjoy good signage, and the signs and posters in Japan are particularly interesting. This may be because I can’t read the text and it looks kind of cool. However, the bright colors and drawings must make these grab the attention of even the most jaded Japanese speaker.

What follows is a sampling of what I saw, in no particular order…

Photo of a poster hung in an outdoor arcade with a drawing of a pigeon in flight above laundry hung on a line. Text in Japanese asks not to feed pigeons and warns of the longer term consequences to the neighborhood.
Don’t feed the pigeons, please.
Photo of a blue and white sign with text in Japanese and English instructing people to refrain from talking.
From an elevator in Tokyo.
Photo of a neighborhood recycling poster with some drawings and very densely packed instructions in Japanese.
A neighborhood recycling poster.
Photo of a Yamato Transport sign with their familiar, yellow and black cat logo and Japanese text advertising courier service.
Cat delivery!
Photo of a sign with Japanese and English text. The English text reads "Please do not climb on the artwork. If you scratch or damage it, reparation will be sought." There is also a pictogram of a person climbing the pumpkin artwork with a red cross through it. Kusama's red Pumpkin art is in the background as is a ferry boat.
Don’t climb on the artwork!
Photo of a sign with Japanese text that prohibits fishing from the bridge. Some swan boats are visible in the background.
No Fishing! (I think)
Photo of a metal plaque with instructions on how to operate a flood gate in Japanese.
Flood gate operation instructions.
Photo of a surveillance camera sign with Japanese text. There is also a sort of keychain with some plastic tools and Japanese text that reads "Stuck with coins, please use it."
Cameras in use, and some stuck coin tools.
Photo of a large sign in Japanese and English and a drawing depicting the relative difficulty of the hiking trail. In English, the sign says "As there is o vending machine on the way to the observatory, it would be advisable to get your water here. Please note that no beverages are sold at the Misen observatory. They are, however, available at Shishiwa (the summit station) and at the Reikado Hall (approx. 20 min. on foot).
Get your water now.
Photo of a sign with Japanese text and a pictogram of a person blowing a whistle and holding up their hand.
Do not enter!
Photo of signs with phone numbers and Japanese text.
Sea taxi stand.
Photo of a sign with a pictogram of falling rocks in the rain and Japanese text.
Falling rocks/sand, move away if raining!
Photo of a sign instructing people what to do if the siren goes off. There is text in Japanese and English. The English text reads "Caution After teh warning sign goes off, get away from the river.
Beware of dam breaks!
Photo of a concert promotion poster with drawings fo a grand piano, and the cat in a crescent moon.
Glitter picture!
Photo of a sign on a street in Tokyo prohibiting touting.
No touting!
Photo of a poster in a Tokyo metro station with a dragon attempting to board a train when the doors are closing. There is text in Japanese and English. The English text reads "Rushing onto the train is dangerous!!"
No rushing!
Photo of a poster with Japanese text and a pictogram of a dog pooing with a red cross through it.
No pooing!
Photo of a sign on a bridge with Japanese text prohibiting motorcycles and bicycles.
No bicycles!
Photo of a sign with Japanese and English text instructing people not to get close to, feed or show food to the monkeys. There is also a pictogram of a monkey with a banana and a red cross through it.
No monkey feeding!
Photo of a concert poster in Japanese and English. It is a drawing of the inside of a (possibly New York City) subway car with passengers and a man playing a saxophone. The English text reads "Blue Giant Momentum".
Looks like NYC.
Photo of a promotional poster with a drawing of a cat drinking something from a cup.
Thirsty cat.
Photo of the back of a tray table on the Hello Kitty Shinkansen that shows the layout of the train from overhead.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen!
Photo of a sign on a train platform with a silhouette of a girl standing next to a man in uniform that is retrieving her hat from the tracks with a device. Text in Japanese instructs to tell a worker if you've dropped something on the tracks.
Don’t go onto the tracks if you drop your hat!
Photo of a sign with Japanese text and a kid riding a bicycle downhill, quickly. The text instructs people to slow down.
Slow down!
Photo of signage in Shinjuku station in Japanese and English warning of a dead-end hallway.
Dead end!
Photo of a sign with Japanese text and a cartoon drawing of a wild boar. The text loosely translates to don't approach wild boars.
Don’t approach wild boars!
Photo of a delivery truck with a logo depicting a bear with a hat carrying a box. The text reads "Meitetsu Transportation".
Bear delivery service!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.