The Japanese government announced it is taking steps to make Tokyo more user friendly to foreign tourists by adding English to traffic signboards that were previously written in romanized Japanese.

The central government and the Tokyo metropolitan government started replacing romanized Japanese text on signs Aug. 20 with one that makes sense in English on nine such signboards at traffic signals in the vicinity of the National Diet Building, a major sightseeing spot.

One such problem sign is "Kenseikinenkan." Another reads, "Sangiin nishi tsuyomon." Officials said they have received complaints from foreigners, who said those signboards could be made easier to understand.

Before the year is out, "Kenseikinenkan" will be replaced by "Parliamentary Museum," whereas "Sangiin nishi tsuyomon" (Upper House west side gate) will become "Councilors Office."

The transport ministry will take care of signs that line national highways, whereas the metropolitan government will replace those under its jurisdiction in the Tokyo area, officials said.

The central government, which has singled out tourism as one of the major pillars to promote economic growth, said in a 2015 guideline that common nouns should be written with the corresponding English word on signboards. That has led the central and metropolitan governments to rewrite some public signs so that a park is now spelled "park" and a station is now spelled "station."

Until now, the names associated with the National Diet Building, the Ministry of Finance and other government entities were considered exceptions to the rule.

One official in the metropolitan government's Bureau of Construction said that was because "Text should be understood by Japanese. Motorists should not be confounded."

This time around, however, the foremost priority is on friendliness to foreigners, the officials said, adding that they hope to implement similar changes on more traffic signs if the project proves successful and does not cause problems for locals.

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Writer: Junichi Bekku 

This news was published on August 20, 2013.

Source: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201308200054