Morioka city tackles language barrier with fun signs

[Taro Toporific]

Japan city tackles language barrier with quirky signs
BBC News (World) 2015-Feb-09
...The signs are in use in the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, where officials hope they will make visitors who don't speak Japanese feel more welcome...more...

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[matsuki]

(Long) Pork inside?

[yanpa]

Pork sword inside?

[wagyl]

The actual signs, while fun and funky, are at times poor at communication and a little culturally inappropriate. Many require an understanding of the English written word to get the meaning, and the pig illustration is maybe a little too cute when it is trying to address a culture which sees pigs as unclean. But then again, this is the country with illustrations masquerading as informative maps, and with smiling dancing turd characters, so maybe I am expecting too much.

[Russell]

Well, now I know that in Iwate prefecture I should not run in a hot spring, but rather swim and dive...

[Grumpy Gramps]

I always had the problem that I simply don't get the meaning of Japanese pics. Trying to help my nephew to go through a couple of Eiken tests, I always needed wifey to help out with the picture stories, because I didn't have the foggiest idea what they meant.

Same here. Without the Engrish sentence, I'd be lost. The differences between the pictograms for "Shoes off" and "Shoes OK" for instance are way too subtle for me to get without reading the subtitles. Both look more like "Cheese inside" to ky me

[Russell]

I always had the problem that I simply don't get the meaning of Japanese pics. Trying to help my nephew to go through a couple of Eiken tests, I always needed wifey to help out with the picture stories, because I didn't have the foggiest idea what they meant.

Same here. Without the Engrish sentence, I'd be lost. The differences between the pictograms for "Shoes off" and "Shoes OK" for instance are way too subtle for me to get without reading the subtitles. Both look more like "Cheese inside" to ky me

Is it me, or are these pics completely identical? And where are the shoes? I only see Japanese-style slippers...

[wagyl]

And where are the shoes? I only see Japanese-style slippers...

Every shirtless tourist with a chonmage only wears geta, everyone knows that!

[Taro Toporific]

And where are the shoes? I only see Japanese-style slippers...

Every shirtless tourist with a chonmage only wears geta, everyone knows that!

Obviously, one set of slippers are the dread Japanese Toilet Slippers.

toilet-slipper.jpg

[Russell]

And where are the shoes? I only see Japanese-style slippers...

Every shirtless tourist with a chonmage only wears geta, everyone knows that!

Obviously, one set of slippers are the dread Japanese Toilet Slippers.

toilet-slipper.jpg

You don't want to confuse those gaijin tourists, now do you?!?

Just let them go into the toilet on their socks, soaking up all those delicious urinal secretions, which will be so useful as preservatives of them precious tatami mats.

[Coligny]

I always had the problem that I simply don't get the meaning of Japanese pics. Trying to help my nephew to go through a couple of Eiken tests, I always needed wifey to help out with the picture stories, because I didn't have the foggiest idea what they meant.

Same here. Without the Engrish sentence, I'd be lost. The differences between the pictograms for "Shoes off" and "Shoes OK" for instance are way too subtle for me to get without reading the subtitles. Both look more like "Cheese inside" to ky me

It's because YOO are not the target audience duh !!!

[Grumpy Gramps]

Aha, magic!

[matsuki]

Well, now I know that in Iwate prefecture I should not run in a hot spring, but rather swim and dive...

My recent headache, try asking a Japanese to explain what the difference is between a Bar, Baa, Baru, and Baaru is.....