Roadworks around the country are being brightened up by the use of animal figures in barricades. The aim is partly aesthetic but the company providing them, Sendai Meiban, says they may also help reduce the frustration drivers feel at the disruption. The idea first came up when work needed to be done near Hokkaido's Asahiyama Zoo in 2006 and Sendai Meiban came up with some monkey figures. The seemed to go down well and the range now includes giraffes, deer, dolphins, frogs and elephants. In Okinawa, the company has provided figures based on the half-dog half-lion Shisa which is a popular decoration found across the island. The cost of renting this equipment is around 20-30% higher than standard barricades but construction companies bidding for public works projects hope that their willingness to improve the look of building sites will help increase their chances of winning approval.
Source (Japanese)
