English road signs being installed in Japan for 2020 Olympics
Image: Twitter/MPD_koho Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department official twitter account
In anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) have begun replacing road signs with new ones that include English translations.
The city’s police department said that some 35,000 to 140,000 stop signs within the capital will be replaced by the opening of the Games in 2020, according to an announcement made by the MPD via The Mainichi.
Based on records, 2016 saw the highest number of foreign visitors to Japan at 24 million. With more foreigners expected to visit the country in the coming years, the National Police Agency decided to make it easier for foreigners to get around by adding English translations to Japanese road signs.
There is an estimated 1.7 million stop signs and slowdown signs all over Japan.
Priority signs will likely be those pointing to tourist destinations, as well as places near airports where a lot of visitors rent cars from. Alfred Bayle/JB/rga
