Finding at Tama – Theo

交通信号灯
TRAFFIC LIGHT
THEODORUS JONATHAN WIJAYA
ウィジャヤテオドルスジョナタン
• I found that even there is not any car on the street, people would still standing on
their feet to wait the pedestrian light to change from red. The nice thing I found was
that actually, the color of the pedestrian crossing sign is not really green (at least to
me), it is more into blue.
• Take a look at these pictures. The above one is Japanese pedestrian light and below is
American pedestrian light. Now you can see what I meant. The hue of the green is
pretty indistinguishable with our bare eyes.
• In the “ Traffic Safety Guidelines for Pedestrians and Cyclists”, an official document
written bilingually by the National Police Agency, it is said that “green light” indicates
that “pedestrians can proceed to cross the street” but the Japanese counterpart
stated 青色の灯火 (あおいろのとうか, the blue-colored light).
Pedestrian light in Japan
• It opens my eyes into other words: 青葉 (あおば, blue leaves), 青芝 (あおしば, blue
lawns) and 青りんご (blue apples), 青二才 (あおにさい, lit. “blue 2-year-old”), the
well-known Tokyo upper-class district called 青山 (あおやま, blue mountain).
• Surprisingly, the first traffic light set up at Hibiya Crossing in 1930 was 緑色 (みどりい
ろ) but as language evolves, people started to call it 青 rather than 緑.
• This color nomenclature turns out to be greatly affected by primary colors in
Japanese painting which are red, blue, and yellow. Hence, blue joins to the traffic
light group.
Pedestrian light in USA
• Government also obeys the international convention
about pedestrian light which commands “go” sign in
green color. But they decided to use the “bluest”
possible hue of the green.
• I believe this could only happen if the government wants
to preserve local values and appreciate nation’s custom
more than a rigid law. The government is not eager to
change the use of 青 to 緑 because they value it more.
• The government could adapt itself to the international
law by not changing local values.
• This case can support how important history, culture,
and national values to Japanese.
Reference
http://insight.japantoday.com/blue-apples-blue-traffic-lights-japanesecolor-perception/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/25/language/the-japanesetraffic-light-blues-stop-on-red-go-on-what/

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