Rocking in Hakata

Thanks for the links, Lost in Ube. Cool stuff. :-)

A little late to the party but we have the little man with the hat in Ube too.
Plus this.

I don't think this qualifies as Braille, per se. At least not in the sense that it's meant for blind people. There can't possibly be THAT many blind people in Japan for them to go to those lengths ALL over the country.

Instead, I propose that they're actually for the intoxicated. Those folks, with their ties undone, their faces scarlet, who can't figure out how the hell to get home and run the risks of running into the street. The bumps give them something to follow. Probably... around in circles till they pass out behind a dumpster.

Deas let's get up a new post eh? I'm tired of writing on this one.

Guidance bumps are called "点字ブロック（てんじぶろっく）" or "Braille Block" in Japan, as they are made for people who are visually impaired. This is an another example of odd Wasei Eigo.

I wonder "Braille writing on a drive-through ATM at a bank" is in the USA !? It must be a joke.

TofuUnion - I don't know if the guidance bumps on the ground in cities in Japan count as "Braille." Braille is meant to be read, like the alphabet. I think they are more like signs for the blind. Do you agree?

It's true that we don't have that kind of thing in many cities in America, but I will tell you something funny. The strangest place I have seen real Braille writing is on a drive-through ATM at a bank. It makes you wonder how many blind people drive in America....hahaha. :-)

I didn't imagine the crosswalk signs could be so humorous.
There must be so many things in Japan which appear weird to people from other countries.

By the way, did you notice Braille points on the ground at pedestrian's crossing in the cities ? I don't remember I have seen them in abroad.

Old fogey. You're OLD!!! You smell....like old man. =P

Kathy - old hag. HA. Eat that. Yes, the musical ones are for the visually impaired. :-P What other reason could there possibly be?

Nikki - yeah. Ha ha. If they have roads, they're probably so few that they never intersect. Ha ha. Rural. Yup. Yeah.

Deas - stop making useless comments on your own blog, you loser. Quit while you're ahead.

Yeah you're right. that was dumb of me.

The musical ones are for people who are visually impaired, I do believe, FYI.

Old man.

Wendy...guilty as charged...sent you an email...

Chuck - you think they actually have crosswalks on his island? Wait...they have roads??

Alex - really? I guess I never noticed until recently. The musical ones crack me up. I remember beatboxing to the tunes in Kyoto and Kamakura. Ha ha. Made the locals giggle. Are you sure it's the same design, though?

Clay - oooooh...I thought he looked familiar...hahaha.

why it's Hiroshi Abe from those house commercials, silly Deas.

Dude, I'm here as the Mikan Police: Where is my article? I went back and counted and you have written 9 blog posts since the original deadline. Again, I don't need it right away, but um, a DEADLINE might be nice. Please don't let me float around cyberspace all by myself with nothing to read. . .

Those are everywhere! Well, everywhere that I've been in Japan. The first city I went to in Japan was Osaka back in 2001. I noticed the crosswalk man was wearing a hat, and I thought it was cute, and I thought it was an Osaka thing, especially the little songs that play at the large crosswalks. Then I went to Tokyo to study and it was the same thing! And again in the boonies of Fukushima. I like the idea that pedestrians are required to wear hats.

If it wanted to be *REALLY* accurate it would have an old person hunched over at a 90 degree angle either waiting or crossing the street.

Actually, I think they might have those over on Ethan's island.