Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 路側帯 (rosokutai) mean? Side strips in Japan
Updated: 2026-10
路側帯 (ろそくたい, rosokutai) means a side strip: a strip along the edge of a road with no sidewalk (or on the side without a sidewalk), separated by white road markings (Road Traffic Act (道路交通法), Article 2, paragraph 1, item 3-4). It serves pedestrians or keeps the roadway functional. Cars may not drive on it as a rule; when stopping or parking, the 0.75-meter width and the line type decide whether you may enter it.
Legal definition and width
The Act defines a side strip as "a strip-shaped part of the road, near the edge of a road without a sidewalk or of the side without a sidewalk, provided for pedestrians or to keep the roadway effective, and separated by road markings". It is not a sidewalk (歩道), which is separated by curbs or fences.
Its width is in principle 0.75 m or more; where unavoidable, it may be 0.5 m to less than 0.75 m (Enforcement Order (施行令), Article 1-2).
Spelling and reading: 路側帯 (ろそくたい / rosokutai).
Three kinds of side strip (tell them by the lines)
The Rules of the Road (教則) list three road markings.
| Type | Lines | Stopping/parking | Bicycles and light vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side strip (路側帯) | One solid white line | May enter if wider than 0.75 m | Allowed (strips on the left side of the road) |
| No-stopping/parking side strip (駐停車禁止路側帯) | Solid + broken white lines | May not enter | Allowed (strips on the left side of the road) |
| Pedestrian side strip (歩行者用路側帯) | Two solid white lines | May not enter | Not allowed |
Rules for cars and side strips
Whether a vehicle may enter depends on the situation.
- Cars may not drive on side strips (Article 17(1)). When crossing one to enter a garage or similar, stop just before it and do not obstruct pedestrians (Article 17(2))
- Bicycles and other light vehicles may use side strips on the left side of the road unless this seriously obstructs pedestrians; not the two-line pedestrian strips (Article 17-3)
- Stopping/parking: do not enter a side strip 0.75 m wide or less; stop along the left edge of the roadway (Enforcement Order Art. 14-6)
- Single-line strip wider than that: enter it and leave at least 0.75 m on your left
- Expressway side strips are for emergencies; do not drive on them even in a traffic jam. In an unavoidable breakdown you may stop on a sufficiently wide shoulder or side strip
Test traps
Example 1: "On a road with a narrow side strip 0.75 m wide or less, you must enter the strip to stop or park" → False. Stay out and stop along the left edge of the roadway.
Example 2: "On an expressway you may drive on the shoulder or side strip in a traffic jam" → False.
Example 3: "If there are no pedestrians, you may cross a side strip at slow speed" → False. Stop just before it, whether or not anyone is there.
Lock in the 0.75 m rule in your language
Since October 2025 the knowledge test has 50 True/False questions in 30 minutes; you need 45 correct. Side strips appear in both the parking and expressway topics. menkyopass lets you practice with English explanations (the first mock test and three topics are free).
Practice questions using this term
FAQ
Q. What is the difference between a side strip and a sidewalk?
A. A sidewalk is separated by curbs, fences or similar structures; a side strip is on a road without a sidewalk and is separated only by white markings.
Q. May a bicycle ride in a side strip with two white lines?
A. No. Two solid white lines mark a pedestrian side strip; cars may not stop or park there and bicycles and other light vehicles may not ride in it.
Q. How much room do I leave on the left when parking in a side strip?
A. At least 0.75 m. You may not enter a side strip 0.75 m wide or less at all.