Toyama, Jan 31 (News On Japan) - A yellow, diamond-shaped sign depicting a cane-carrying elderly woman has drawn attention online as a rare and mysterious road sign, only for it to emerge that even local authorities have no record of who installed it and say it is not an official traffic sign.
The unusual sign, which appears to show an elderly woman attempting to cross the road, was spotted on a municipal street in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, and has been described on social media as “extremely rare.”
Closer inspection shows that while the sign resembles an official warning sign used to alert drivers to potential hazards, its design does not match any symbol authorized under Japan’s road traffic regulations.
Mayu Kuroda, a road sign enthusiast who posted the image on social media, said the post had been viewed more than 580,000 times. “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 said. She has previously traveled to around 100 locations in Japan and overseas to photograph unusual road signs.
Seeking clues to the sign’s origin, reporters spoke with a woman who had operated a nearby shop until about two years ago. She recalled that a similar sign may have stood slightly further forward and suggested it could be linked to a welfare facility that once operated nearby, possibly to help elderly residents crossing the road to shop.
However, a representative of the former welfare facility said they had no knowledge of when, how, or by whom the sign was installed.
Takaoka city officials responsible for road management also said they were unaware of the sign’s origin. Shinichi Nakazawa, head of the city’s civil engineering maintenance division, explained that warning signs are strictly defined by law. “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 said.
Legal experts warn that installing such signs without authorization could be illegal. Lawyer Takashi Matsukuma of Hashimoto Sogo Law Office noted that only road administrators, such as local governments, and public safety commissions are permitted to install traffic signs on public roads. “Even if the intention was well-meaning, placing something similar without permission is highly likely to be unlawful,” he said.
If deemed a violation, penalties could include a custodial sentence of six months or more or a fine of up to 100,000 yen.
Takaoka city has said it is unlikely the sign was officially installed by the municipality and plans to investigate its origins further.
Source: FNN
