Those JDM Decals Mean Something!

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A couple days ago, a friend posted a pic of a Japanese symbol on the back of a car. The kind of sticker you might see on a Japanese ‘drift car’ at the track. In fact, any Honda Civic at the local car meet-up really isn’t considered complete without a big muffler and one of these decals. Who knew they actually had meaning!

Turns out that there are very specific stickers, actually required by law in Japan, which must be displayed on cars belonging to certain types of drivers. The symbols require other drivers to exhibit extra care and caution around vehicles bearing these decals.

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Shoshinsha Mark (Beginner Driver):

Sometimes called a wakaba (Japanese for ‘green leaf‘) this symbol is required to be displayed on the front and back of a car (regardless of the driver’s age) when they’ve had a license for less than a year. Failure to display gets the driver slapped with a ¥4,000 fine, and 1 demerit point. Interestingly, the symbol has been adopted by drivers of classic JDM cars worldwide.

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Koreisha Mark (Aged Driver):

The tear-drop version introduced in 1997 was called the momiji (Japanese for ‘autumn leaves‘) before being replaced in 2011 by the yotsuba (‘four-leaf clover’). Optional for license holders over 70 years-old, but mandatory for those over 75, the symbol warns “aged person at the wheel”.. Interestingly, JDM fans around the world have co-opted the symbol to indicate that they are experienced drivers.

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Choukaku Shougai Mark (Hearing Impaired)

A hearing impaired driver is required to affix this decal to the back of their vehicle to warn drivers that honking their horns is pointless. The symbol appears to be a butterfly, but is an abstract illustration of two ears. The nuanced symbol is practical, but also adds a degree of beauty and humanity to impersonal communication on the road.

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Shintai Shougai Mark (Disabled Driver):

A license holder with physical disabilities, which may prevent the usual operation of a vehicle, are recommended to display this decal on their car. The symbol uses the familiar white on blue often used to indicate disability. However, the four-leaf clover shape, rather than a person in a wheelchair, is intended to reflect a wider array of disabilities than the ”standard’ symbol implies.

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It’s easy to confuse bumper stickers and race decals with these Japanese driving symbols. These colourful symbols look much like the decals that come in the box with go-fast parts.

However, these symbols help Japanese drivers identify those motorists who deserve a little more patience. Would someone really tailgate and honk at a grandma in traffic? No, that would be very impolite.

Japan puts a special duty of care on drivers, slapping them with a ¥6,000 fine and 1 demerit point for cutting off a vehicle displaying any of these decals. Quite an enlightened system they have over there.

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