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Signs and road markings

The check asks what common signs and road markings mean, described in words. Learn the four sign types, the stop and no-parking signs, and the colour and shape of lines on the road.

Key rules

• A sign is a board. A marking is a line, symbol or word on the road surface.
• Main signs have four types: regulatory, instruction, warning and guidance.
• A supplementary sign under a main sign can limit the time, the day or the vehicle type.
• The "一時停止" sign (red inverted triangle) means: stop just before the stop line, or just before the intersection if there is no line, and do not block crossing traffic.
• The "徐行" sign means you must go slowly, at a speed at which you can stop at once.
• "No parking" and "no parking or stopping" are different signs. No stopping is the stricter one.
• A one-way sign (white arrow on blue) forbids driving against the arrow. The "車両進入禁止" sign (white bar on red) marks the exit of a one-way road.
• A yellow line forbids changing lanes across it. It also applies to a white lane line with a yellow line along your side.
• Do not enter a "立入り禁止部分" (striped area). Do not enter a "停止禁止部分" if you could get stuck in it.

Numbers to remember

Common traps

• Sign vs marking: a stop line is a marking, the 一時停止 board is a sign. The sign says you must stop; the line says where.
• "No parking" does not forbid stopping briefly; "no parking or stopping" does.
• Read the supplementary sign: a rule may apply only at certain hours or to certain vehicles.
• One-way sign and entry-prohibited sign are different things.
• Yellow and white lines do not mean the same: a yellow line on your side bans lane changes.

The Japanese stop sign is a red inverted triangle with 止まれ, not an octagon. Many signs use Japanese text, so learn the shapes and colours.

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