Toyama, Jan 31 (News On Japan) –
A yellow, diamond-shaped signal depicting a cane-carrying aged girl has drawn consideration on-line as a uncommon and mysterious street signal, just for it to emerge that even native authorities haven’t any report of who put in it and say it isn’t an official site visitors signal.
The uncommon signal, which seems to indicate an aged girl trying to cross the street, was noticed on a municipal road in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, and has been described on social media as “extremely rare.”
Closer inspection exhibits that whereas the signal resembles an official warning signal used to alert drivers to potential hazards, its design doesn’t match any image licensed underneath Japan’s street site visitors rules.
Mayu Kuroda, a street signal fanatic who posted the picture on social media, stated the submit had been seen greater than 580,000 occasions. “I’ve seen many types of pedestrian crossing and caution signs before, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one with an elderly woman illustrated on it. I thought it was extremely rare,” Kuroda stated. She has beforehand traveled to round 100 places in Japan and abroad to {photograph} uncommon street indicators.
Seeking clues to the signal’s origin, reporters spoke with a lady who had operated a close-by store till about two years in the past. She recalled {that a} comparable signal might have stood barely additional ahead and recommended it might be linked to a welfare facility that when operated close by, presumably to assist aged residents crossing the street to buy.
However, a consultant of the previous welfare facility stated they’d no information of when, how, or by whom the signal was put in.
Takaoka metropolis officers accountable for street administration additionally stated they have been unaware of the signal’s origin. Shinichi Nakazawa, head of town’s civil engineering upkeep division, defined that warning indicators are strictly outlined by regulation. “The types of warning signs are set by regulation, and there is no officially recognized warning sign depicting elderly people. That means this is not a formal traffic sign, and there is no record of its installation. We do not know who put it up,” Nakazawa stated.
Legal consultants warn that putting in such indicators with out authorization might be unlawful. Lawyer Takashi Matsukuma of Hashimoto Sogo Law Office famous that solely street directors, similar to native governments, and public security commissions are permitted to put in site visitors indicators on public roads. “Even if the intention was well-meaning, placing something similar without permission is highly likely to be unlawful,” he stated.
If deemed a violation, penalties may embrace a custodial sentence of six months or extra or a fantastic of as much as 100,000 yen.
Takaoka metropolis has stated it’s unlikely the signal was formally put in by the municipality and plans to research its origins additional.
Source: FNN