Public Information Symbols in Japan

The book "Symbol Signs" (AIGA, 1993) documents the development of the standard symbols for use in airports by the American Institute of Graphic Arts for the U.S. Department of Transportation. A similar process was undertaken in Japan by the "The Study Committee of Public Information Symbols" from April 1999. As with the US effort this was a joint private government partnership with the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport and the Nippon Foundation. The Study recommended 125 Public Information Symbols in 2001.

The symbols are in eight categories:

1. Public Facilities
2. Transport Facilities
3. Commercial Facilities
4. Tourism,Culture,Sport Facilities
5. Safety
6. Prohibition
7. Warning
8. Mandatory

There are three grades (A, B and C), with "Grade A" having the most commonly used symbols. There is also a fourth category of "Existing", which is presumably of symbols in common use which the committee did not particularly like, but felt obliged to include.

The Symbols follow the style of the US AIGA DOT symbols and mostly use the AIGA recommendations, but have more detail. As an example, as well as an "Information" sign (small case "i"), there is a "question and answer" sign ("?").

The sample syvbmols are prtovided as 70 x 70 pixel PNG files. The sybmols are mostly monochrome in black on a white background. The safety signs are in green or red, prohibition signs in red and black on a white background and warning signs in black on a yellow background. PDF, EPS and GIF archioes are proveded of each set of symbols at higher resolutioons. However, the symbols are not provided as individual files at higher resolutions, making the m much harder to use.

Public Facilities

Grade A

• 
  Question & answer
• 
  Information
• 
  Hospital
• 
  First aid
• 
  Police
• 
  Toilets
• 
  Men
• 
  Women
• 
  Accessible facility^(*1)
• 
  Slope^(*1)
• 
  Drinking water
• 
  Smoking area
• 
  Smoking area^(*2)

*2 Use the symbol below wherever so required by the fire prevention ordinance.

Grade B

• Check-in / Reception
• 
  Lost and found
• 
  Hotel / Accommodation
• 
  Tickets / Fare adjustment
• 
  Baggage storage
• 
  Coin lockers
• 
  Lounge / Waiting room
• 
  Meeting point
• 
  Bank, money exchange
• 
  Cash service
• 
  Post
• 
  Telephone
• 
  Fax
• 
  Cart
• 
  Elevator
• 
  Escalator
• 
  Stairs
• 
  Nursery
• 
  Cloakroom
• 
  Dressing room
• 
  Dressing room(women)
• 
  Shower
• 
  Bath
• 
  Water fountain
• 
  Trash box
• 
  Collection facility for the recycling products

Transport Facilities

Grade B

• 
  Aircraft / Airport
• 
  Railway / Railway station
• 
  Ship / Ferry / Port
• 
  Helicopter / Heliport
• 
  Bus / Bus stop
• 
  Taxi / Taxi stand
• 
  Rent a car
• 
  Bicycle
• 
  Cable car
• 
  Cable railway
• 
  Parking
• 
  Departures
• 
  Arrivals
• 
  Conecting flights
• 
  Baggage claim
• 
  Customs / Baggage check
• 
  Immigration / Quarantine / Inspection

Commercial Facilities

Grade B

• 
  Restaurant
• 
  Coffee shop
• 
  Bar
• 
  Gasoline station
• 
  Cashier

GradeC

• 
  Shop
• 
  Newspapers,magazines
• 
  Pharmacy
• 
  Barbar / Beauty salon
• 
  Baggage delivery service

Tourism,Culture,Sport Facilities

Grade B

• 
  View point
• 
  Athletic stadium
• 
  Football stadium
• 
  Baseball stadium
• 
  Tennis court
• 
  Swimming place
• 
  Ski ground
• 
  Camp site
• 
  Hot spring

Grade C

• 
  Park
• 
  Museum
• 
  Historical monument
• 
  variant 1
• 
  variant 2

Existing

• 
  Nature reserve
• 
  Sporting activities
• 
  Squash court
• 
  T bar lift
• 
  Chairlift

Safety

Grade A

• 
  Fire extinguisher
• 
  Emergency telephone
• 
  Emergency call button
• 
  Emergency exit
• 
  Safety evacuation area

Prohibition

GradeA

• 
  General prohibition
• 
  No smoking
• 
  No smoking^(*1)
• 
  No open flame
• 
  No entry
• 
  No parking
• 
  No bicycles
• 
  No admittance
• 
  Do not rush
• 
  Do not touch
• 
  Do not throw rubbish
• 
  Not drinking water
• 
  Do not use mobile phones
• 
  Do not use electronic devices
• 
  Do not take photographs
• 
  Do not take flash photographs

*1 Use the symbol below wherever so required by the fire prevention ordinance.

Grade B

• 
  Do not use prams^(*2)
• 
  No swimming
• 
  No camping

*2 Require supporting text

Grade C

• 
  Do not eat or drink here
• 
  No uncaged animals

Warning

Grade A

• 
  General caution
• 
  Caution, obstacles
• 
  Caution, uneven access / up
• 
  Caution, uneven access / down
• 
  Caution, slippery surface
• 
  Caution, drop^(*1)
• 
  Caution, overhead
• 
  Caution, electricity

*1 Require supporting text

Mandatory

Grade A

• 
  General mandatory
• 
  Quiet please
• 
  Please stand on the left^(*1)
• 
  variant / Please stand on the right^(*1)

*1 Require supporting text

Grade B

• 
  Line up in twos^(*2)
• 
  variant 1 / Line up single file^(*2)
• 
  variant 2 / Line up in threes^(*2)
• 
  variant 3 / Line up in fours^(*2)
• 
  Directional arrow
• 
  variants

*2 Require supporting text

Existing

• 
  Close safety bar
• 
  Open safety bar
• 
  Get off
• 
  Raise ski tips
• 
  Skiers have to get off