Multilingual Posters Designed to Prevent Railway Accidents; Tourism Ministry Prepares Warnings in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, March 18, 2026

In an effort to prevent accidents involving foreign visitors at railway crossings, the tourism ministry has designed multilingual posters warning against trespassing onto tracks. They are expected to be displayed at major train stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area and at airports.

With the increase in inbound tourism, accidents involving foreign tourists at railroad crossings have been occurring with alarming frequency in recent years. Two Chinese women were struck and killed by a train in Kobe in January last year, and a Taiwanese tourist was struck and killed in Arita, Saga Prefecture, in August.

These accidents have been attributed to insufficient multilingual signage near railroad crossings and a lack of awareness regarding Japan’s rules for crossing. In response, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has produced poster designs in four languages — English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Messages include “Do not enter when the crossing alarm sounds” and “Stop before the crossing and look both ways.”

The ministry provided the design data to railway operators and other relevant parties on Tuesday. They are scheduled to be displayed mainly at major station platform and airports.