Japan Signs: No Crossing
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012
This is a sign that is quite common especially in the busier areas of big cities like Tokyo.
There are certain places where you are not allowed to cross, and the arrow indicates the next part of the street where you are allowed to cross the road safely.
Kanji Breakdown
横断 (おう-だん) – Crossing
禁止 (きん-し) – Prohibit/Ban/Forbib
This is a good example of where just knowing one basic kanji eg 止 (stop) can come in very handy. Don’t be bothered about not knowing the other three kanji just yet as they are N2 and N3 level so you’ll get those later if you’re just starting off.
You might look at the sign and get confused by the four kanji in its entirety but break it down one by one until you identify the kanji you know and take it from there.
Obviously this sign is fairly obvious in its meaning but at least if you know (止) then you will know to stop and follow the arrow.
