Japan is a country of signs. Kanji appears on every door, every train platform, every elevator button, and every store window. For Japanese learners, the good news is that many of these signs repeat the same kanji — once you learn about 50 key characters, you can navigate almost any situation.
Let’s walk through a typical day in Japan and decode every sign you’ll see along the way.
Entrances & Exits: 入口・出口
The very first kanji you’ll encounter when entering any building:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Where You’ll See It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 入口 | いりぐち | Entrance | Buildings, stations, parking lots |
| 出口 | でぐち | Exit | Buildings, stations, parking lots |
| 非常口 | ひじょうぐち | Emergency exit | All buildings (green sign with running figure) |
| 正面入口 | しょうめんいりぐち | Main entrance | Large buildings, department stores |
| 通用口 | つうようぐち | Staff / service entrance | Back of buildings |
Restroom Signs: トイレの表示
Finding the right restroom is a survival skill. Here are the kanji you need:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 男 | おとこ | Men |
| 女 | おんな | Women |
| 空 | あき | Vacant / Available |
| 使用中 | しようちゅう | In use / Occupied |
| 故障中 | こしょうちゅう | Out of order |
| 手洗い | てあらい | Restroom (lit. “hand washing”) |
| 化粧室 | けしょうしつ | Restroom (polite, lit. “powder room”) |
Danger & Warning Signs: 危険・注意・禁止
These signs could save your life. Learn them before everything else:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 危険 | きけん | Danger | Construction sites, cliffs, machinery |
| 注意 | ちゅうい | Caution / Warning | Wet floors, steps, general alerts |
| 禁止 | きんし | Prohibited | No smoking, no entry, no photos |
| 立入禁止 | たちいりきんし | No entry / Keep out | Restricted areas |
| 撮影禁止 | さつえいきんし | No photography | Museums, temples, stores |
| 禁煙 | きんえん | No smoking | Restaurants, public areas |
| 喫煙所 | きつえんじょ | Smoking area | Designated outdoor areas |
| 火気厳禁 | かきげんきん | Strictly no fire/flames | Gas stations, storage areas |
Direction Signs: 方向の表示
Navigating streets, stations, and buildings requires these directional kanji:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 東 | ひがし | East |
| 西 | にし | West |
| 南 | みなみ | South |
| 北 | きた | North |
| 左 | ひだり | Left |
| 右 | みぎ | Right |
| 前 | まえ | Front / Before |
| 先 | さき | Ahead / Beyond |
Train station exits often use 東口 (ひがしぐち, East exit), 西口 (にしぐち, West exit), 南口 (みなみぐち, South exit), and 北口 (きたぐち, North exit). Knowing these saves you from exiting on the wrong side of the station.
Store Signs: お店の表示
Walking down any Japanese street, you’ll see these on shop doors and windows:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 営業中 | えいぎょうちゅう | Open for business |
| 準備中 | じゅんびちゅう | Preparing (not yet open) |
| 定休日 | ていきゅうび | Regular holiday / Closed day |
| 本日休業 | ほんじつきゅうぎょう | Closed today |
| 開店 | かいてん | Store opening |
| 閉店 | へいてん | Store closing |
| 売切 | うりきれ | Sold out |
| 半額 | はんがく | Half price |
| 割引 | わりびき | Discount |
| 税込 | ぜいこみ | Tax included |
| 税抜 | ぜいぬき | Before tax |
Transportation Signs: 交通の表示
Train stations and buses are covered in helpful kanji:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 乗車 | じょうしゃ | Boarding |
| 下車 | げしゃ | Alighting / Getting off |
| 改札 | かいさつ | Ticket gate |
| 切符 | きっぷ | Ticket |
| 片道 | かたみち | One way |
| 往復 | おうふく | Round trip |
| 自由席 | じゆうせき | Non-reserved seat |
| 指定席 | していせき | Reserved seat |
| 優先席 | ゆうせんせき | Priority seat |
Elevator & Building Signs: エレベーターの表示
Inside buildings, elevators and floor directories use these consistently:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開 | ひらく / あく | Open (door) |
| 閉 | しまる / とじる | Close (door) |
| 階 | かい | Floor (1階 = 1st floor) |
| 地下 | ちか | Basement (B1 = 地下1階) |
| 屋上 | おくじょう | Rooftop |
Emergency Signs: 緊急時の表示
Know these before you need them:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 非常口 | ひじょうぐち | Emergency exit |
| 消火器 | しょうかき | Fire extinguisher |
| 避難 | ひなん | Evacuation |
| 救急 | きゅうきゅう | Emergency / Ambulance |
| 警察 | けいさつ | Police |
| 交番 | こうばん | Police box |
Related Reading on Kanjijo
Frequently Asked Questions
The top priority signs are 入口 (entrance), 出口 (exit), 男 (men) and 女 (women) for restrooms, 危険 (danger), 禁止 (prohibited), and 非常口 (emergency exit). These cover safety and basic navigation in any building or public space.
Use Kanjijo’s flashcard system to study common sign kanji with spaced repetition. You can also watch Japanese walking tour videos on YouTube and try to identify signs, or use Google Street View to virtually walk through Japanese cities and practice reading signs in real context.
Yes, standard kanji signs like 入口, 出口, 危険, and 非常口 are consistent nationwide. However, some regional areas may have local dialect expressions or older kanji variants. Train station names vary by region, but signage kanji remains standardized.
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