AKITA, Apr 14, 2026 (News On Japan) - In a traffic safety class held at a certified childcare center in Akita, Ronald McDonald made a special appearance, teaching young children how to cross the street safely.
The event took place at Keyaki Childcare Center in Iijima, Akita City, where the :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} partnered with :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} to host a hands-on traffic safety workshop for preschoolers.
Ronald McDonald, the mascot of the global fast-food chain, joined the session to engage children in learning essential road safety habits. Together, they practiced checking traffic before crossing by looking right, then left, and then right again, ensuring no cars, motorcycles, or bicycles were approaching before stepping onto the crosswalk.
The children were also taught to raise their hands while crossing to make themselves more visible to drivers, reinforcing the importance of being seen at pedestrian crossings.
In addition, all McDonald's locations across the prefecture are registered as designated safe havens where children can seek help in emergencies. During the session, participants learned to call out loudly for help if approached by strangers and to run to these safe locations if they feel in danger.
One child commented that while Ronald McDonald seemed a little scary at first, they quickly found him cute, along with other characters who appeared during the event.
Police officials said they will continue organizing similar traffic safety classes across the region to help protect children from accidents and crime, while also urging drivers to prioritize pedestrians at crosswalks.
Source: ABS Akita Broadcasting
