Japanese Road Signs: Regulatory vs Instruction Signs (規制・指示標識)

Regulatory vs instruction signs: comparison table

Under Japanese law, road signs (道路標識) are divided into main signs (本標識) and auxiliary signs (補助標識), and main signs come in four types: guide, warning, regulatory and instruction (Article 1 of the Order on Road Signs, Lane Lines and Road Markings – 道路標識、区画線及び道路標示に関する命令). In the knowledge test (知識確認), the pair most often confused is 規制標識 (kisei hyōshiki) and 指示標識 (shiji hyōshiki).

What the four main types and auxiliary signs do

The National Police Agency's Rules of the Road (交通の方法に関する教則) describe warning signs (警戒標識) as signs that “inform road users in advance of dangers or situations requiring attention”, and guide signs (案内標識) as signs that “show place names, directions, distances and so on for the convenience of travelers.”

Auxiliary signs (補助標識) are usually attached below a main sign. They state the reason for a restriction or limit the times, days of the week or vehicle types it applies to. An auxiliary sign never stands alone; always read it together with the main sign above it.

They are installed by different bodies, too. Guide and warning signs are installed by the road administrator (道路管理者 – the national or local government), while most regulatory signs and the instruction signs are installed by the prefectural Public Safety Commission (Article 4 of the same Order). Traffic regulation is the Commission's job under Article 4 of the Road Traffic Act, which is why most regulatory signs fall on its side.

Telling them apart by color and shape

Sign colors are set in detail in Appended Table 2 of the Order on Road Signs. As a rough guide:

Why “blue sign = instruction sign” is a dangerous shortcut

A common mistake is to assume every blue square sign is an instruction sign. Under Appended Table 2, one-way, no travel except in the indicated direction, exclusive lanes and the moped right-turn method (二段階, two-step) signs are all white on blue – yet they are regulatory signs. Ignoring them is a violation.

The reliable test is the sign's role. If it restricts what you do (“you may only go this way”, “only these vehicles may use this lane”), it is a 規制標識. If it tells you about a place or a permission (“this is a crosswalk”, “you may park here”), it is a 指示標識.

Watch out for look-alike names. “Priority road” (優先道路) is an instruction sign telling you that you are on the priority road; “priority road ahead” (前方優先道路) is a regulatory sign telling you not to obstruct traffic on the priority road ahead. Likewise, “parking allowed” (駐車可) is an instruction sign and “no parking” (駐車禁止) is a regulatory sign.

How to read auxiliary signs

Auxiliary signs narrow a main sign down to when, for whom and from where to where. Test questions often try to make you read them the wrong way round.

• “8-20”: the restriction applies only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; outside those hours it does not apply
• “日・休日を除く”: not on Sundays and public holidays
• “原付を除く”: mopeds (原動機付自転車) are exempt and may pass, park, etc.
• A vehicle type such as “大貨等”: only that type of vehicle is restricted
• “ここから” (from here), “ここまで” (to here), “区域内” (within the zone), “終わり” (end): the extent of the restriction

Real-style test questions

These questions come from the menkyopass question bank, in the same true/false format as the actual test:

Question: “道路標識のうち本標識は、規制標識、指示標識、警戒標識、案内標識の4種類である。” (Main road signs are of four types: regulatory, instruction, warning and guide.) Answer: True (○). Auxiliary signs supplement main signs and are not one of the four types.

Question: “『横断歩道』の標識は、青地に白で歩行者が描かれた指示標識である。” (The crosswalk sign is an instruction sign showing a pedestrian in white on blue.) Answer: True (○). The yellow diamond with children, “school, kindergarten or nursery nearby”, is a warning sign – similar picture, different sign.

Question: “『車両通行止め』の本標識に『原付を除く』という補助標識が付いている道路は、原動機付自転車も通行することができない。” (On a road with a “closed to vehicles” sign plus an auxiliary sign “except mopeds”, mopeds may not pass either.) Answer: False (×). “〜を除く” removes that vehicle type from the restriction, so mopeds may pass.

Practice road-sign questions in English

The knowledge test uses written true/false questions rather than pictures, so you need to connect each sign's Japanese name to its type and meaning. In the menkyopass mock test (the first test and three topics are free) you can drill road-sign questions with explanations in English.

Practice questions using this term

• On a road with this sign, up to three motorcycles may ride side by side.
• At an intersection with this sign, you may drive through as long as you slow down and check that it is safe.
• Where this sign is posted and there is no stop line, you must stop just before the intersection.
• Where this sign is posted, not only parking but also stopping is prohibited.
• Even where this sign is posted, you may stop to let people get on or off.
• Even where this sign is posted, stopping for up to 5 minutes to load or unload goods is not a violation.
• Within the zone covered by this sign, you must drive with your horn sounding at all times.
• On a road with this sign, vehicles cannot enter from either direction.
• On a road with this sign, no motor vehicles, motorized bicycles (mopeds), or light vehicles (bicycles, etc.) may pass.
• On a road with this sign, vehicles cannot pass but pedestrians can.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japanese Road Signs: Common Mistakes in the Conversion Test
• Japan Traffic Light Rules: Yellow, Flashing, Arrows, Signals
• Japan Parking and Stopping Rules: 5 m, 10 m, 3 m, 1 m
• Flashing Yellow vs Flashing Red Lights in Japan (点滅) Explained
• Japan Maximum vs Minimum Speed Signs: The Underline Difference

Sources (in Japanese)

• e-Gov法令検索「道路標識、区画線及び道路標示に関する命令」（第1条 分類、第4条 設置者、別表第二 色彩）
• e-Gov法令検索「道路交通法」（第2条第1項第15号 道路標識の定義、第4条 公安委員会の交通規制）
• 警察庁「交通の方法に関する教則」（令和6年11月13日現在・全文PDF）第1章第2節「標識の意味」