Signs: They're Big in Japan

As anyone who has read this blog knows, I really like (am borderline obsessed with) cute cartoon characters and mascots on signs. The trip to Japan presented the opportunity to see another wacky Asian culture's take on how signs should be made. In Japan's case, they aren't nearly as heavy on the cutesy mascot type sign. That's a slight bummer, but they more than made up for it in all out zaniness.

The way I see it in my experience, there are three primary reasons that a Japanese sign is funny to me. Type 1: the designers designed it to be funny, and pulled it off. Type 2: the designers are going for something I completely don't understand and find hilarious. Type 3: sometimes my favorite, the Japanese word sounds like something in English. In the end, I think the reason number two definitely comes up the most.

I have in this post 15 of my favorite signs I saw in Japan, so hit the play button for some background music and enjoy:

This one is a totally common street sign. I think it's for a crosswalk or something about the sidewalk but the picture is just not clear at all to me.

This one was a HUGE sign in the electric district of some weird old dude.

This is actually a type 1, they want to discourage people from drinking and passing out in the subways. We could use signs like this in Korea, everywhere.

This sign was in the gondola near Mount Fuji, just oddly worded with a typo. I missed getting a picture of a guy holding this sign at a gondola stop that said 'The passenger who wishes to get off will raise my hand.'

This is on a toy vending machine, the character looks a little like a poo.

Something about not smoking....

Hey, it's another Type 1 spotting, from the famed Condomania.

I have no idea what this sign is going for, but I don't want my karaoke to leave me angry and nose deep in some water.

Just a sign I liked, maybe a restaurant?

Just Tommy Lee Jones tryin' to sell me some coffee.

This is an awesome sign that was down in a subway stop. The world needs more signs like this.

This was actually posted to warn about officers stationed to control traffic. I don't know if I would like being compared to an Alfalfa mouse.

If you're riding the crazy train, remember your point card.

Type 3!!!! But, it reminds me of the number 2.

Just a cute food court sign.

Anyway, thats it for today, I thought I would take a break from the day to day recaps and switch it up a little. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about New Years Day in Japan.