Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 踏切 (fumikiri) mean? Railroad crossings in Japan
Updated: 2026-10
踏切 (ふみきり, fumikiri) is a railroad crossing, where a road and railway meet. As a rule, you stop just before it (before the stop line if there is one) and check with your own eyes and ears before proceeding. The only exception is when the crossing has a traffic signal and you follow it. Statements like 'you must always stop' are the classic false answer.
What the law says (Art. 33)
Article 2 of the Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) has no separate definition of 踏切; how to cross is set out in Article 33.
| Provision | Content |
|---|---|
| Art. 33(1) | Stop just before the crossing (before the stop line if any) and confirm safety before proceeding. When following a traffic signal, you may proceed without stopping |
| Art. 33(2) | Do not enter while the barrier is closing or closed, or while the alarm is sounding |
| Art. 33(3) | If you cannot move on the crossing, immediately alert railway staff or police with an emergency signal etc., and take steps to move the vehicle off |
How the 教則 (rules of the road) says to cross
The National Police Agency's Rules of the Road (交通の方法に関する教則) add the following.
- Open the window and check both ways with your own eyes and ears
- Right after one train passes, another may come from the other direction
- Even when following the car ahead, stop and check
- Do not enter if traffic beyond the crossing may leave you stuck on it
- To avoid stalling, do not shift gears; cross in one go in the low gear you started in
- Keep slightly toward the center to avoid dropping a wheel, watching for pedestrians and oncoming cars
If you get stuck on a crossing
Alerting the train driver comes first. At crossings with alarms, press the emergency button (踏切支障報知装置) on the post. If there is none, use a flare (発炎筒); if you have no flare, burn something smoky to signal. Get passengers out and move the vehicle off the crossing.
Numbers linked to crossings
The no-stopping and no-overtaking zones around crossings use different distances and are easy to mix up.
| Rule | Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| No stopping or parking | The crossing and within 10 m before and after it | Art. 44 |
| No overtaking | The crossing and within 30 m before it | Art. 30 |
How it appears on the test, and the traps
Also watch for 一時停止 (full stop) being swapped with 徐行 (slow down). A crossing requires a stop, not just slowing down.
- 'You must always stop just before a railroad crossing' → False (not when following a signal)
- 'When following the car ahead, you need not stop' → False
- 'No stopping within 5 m before and after a crossing' → False (10 m)
- 'No overtaking at a crossing and within 30 m before it' → True
- 'If stuck, first alert the train with the emergency button etc.' → True
Practice questions using this term
- At a place away from any intersection, where there is no pedestrian crossing, bicycle crossing lane, or railroad crossing, if a traffic light is installed you must stop just before the traffic light.
- You must not stop or park at a railroad crossing or within 5 meters before and after its edges.
- Overtaking is prohibited at a railroad crossing and within 30 meters before it.
- If your car stops moving inside a railroad crossing, first alert the train driver, for example by pressing the emergency button, and get everyone in the car to a safe place.
- When going through a railroad crossing, you must in every case stop just before it and check that it is safe.
FAQ
Q. When don't I have to stop at a crossing?
A. When the crossing has a traffic signal and you follow it. You still need to check safety.
Q. Where exactly do I stop?
A. Just before the crossing, or just before the stop line if there is one.
Q. How close to a crossing may I stop or park?
A. Not on the crossing or within 10 m before and after it.