Japan Green Traffic Lights: The Curious Case of Blue Signals

Japan green traffic light: The traffic light signals are a universal sight in cities across the world. Those who learn driving will understand those terms very well, like the red colours, yellow, and green are famously recognized in every cities. But Japan green traffic lights in the cities has a different unique quirk that mostly confuses visitors and even those learning the Japanese language.

In Japan, what the rest of the world calls a “green” traffic light is frequently described as “blue.” But, why is this the case? This remarkable linguistic and cultural aberration is centuries old and profoundly ingrained in history, language, and government policy.

The Linguistic Origins of Japan’s ‘Blue’ Traffic Lights

I know many people will be wondering why is it that way, but here is the fact…main reason why they refers the Japan green traffic lights as blue got to do with the history of the Japanese language. There were only four primary colour categories in ancient Japanese: kura (black), shiro (white), aka (red), and ao (blue/green), and that’s where Japan green traffic lights surface.

In ancient Japanese, there were only four primary color categories: shiro (white), kuro (black), aka (red), and ao (blue/green). The language didn’t earlier identify blue and green as distinct categories. Instead, ao was employed to designate a variety of colors, including what modern speakers would recognize as green. And the actual word for green, midori, emerged from descriptions of plant life and nature.

Perhaps, the shift didn’t fully replace the older system of colour classification, even as of today’s era, because of there are remnants of this older way of perspective.  Green apples, for example, are still termed aoringo (blue apples), while fresh vegetables are sometimes referred to as aona (blue greens) in Japanese.

Government Policy and Traffic Lights

The question remains: why does Japan officially use “blue” to describe traffic signals that are clearly green? The solution is a combination of historical linguistic practices and state policies. When modern traffic signals were introduced to Japan in the early twentieth century, the Japan green traffic light was known as midori. However, because ao was still commonly used to refer to different hues of green, the word was ambiguous in everyday language. This problem became more obvious when traffic laws needed to be standardized.

In 1968, the Japanese government made a deliberate policy decision to officially designate the Japan green traffic lights as ao in legal documents. This decision was made to align with traditional linguistic usage and avoid confusion among the public. However, recognizing that the rest of the world referred to this color as green, the Japanese government ensured that traffic lights in Japan used the bluest shade of green available to make the terminology somewhat more accurate.

The Visual Difference: Are Japan’s Green Traffic Lights Actually Blue?

One of the most intriguing aspects of this naming convention is the color itself. Are Japan green traffic lights actually blue? The answer is both yes and no.

While remaining in the green spectrum, Japanese traffic lights appear slightly bluer than those in other countries. This little color shift is deliberate. When the policy was introduced, authorities ensured that the green lights used in traffic signals contained enough blue tones to justify the term ao while still being recognizable as green. This compromise allowed for both linguistic tradition and international standardization to coexist.For the untrained eye, Japan green traffic lights might not look noticeably different from those in other parts of the world. However, in side-by-side comparisons, one can often see that Japanese green lights have a slightly bluish tint, setting them apart from their Western counterparts.

The distinction between blue and green in Japan goes beyond traffic lights and extends into broader cultural and linguistic areas. The enduring use of ao to describe shades of green can be found in everything from everyday speech to educational settings. Children in Japan learn to recognize colors based on this framework, reinforcing the historical connection between blue and green in their perception.Furthermore, this unique classification influences art, design, and even marketing. Products that would be labeled as green in the West may be referred to as blue in Japan, and vice versa. This sometimes leads to amusing misunderstandings for foreigners encountering Japanese descriptions of color for the first time.

Comparison with Other Countries

Japan green traffic lights—as we know that Japan is not the only country with unique color classifications. Various languages around the world have different ways of grouping colors. For example:

• In Russian, there are two distinct words for what English speakers consider “blue” (goluboy for light blue and siniy for dark blue), treating them as separate colors.
• Some African and Asian languages do not differentiate between blue and green at all, using a single term for both colors.
• In Korean, pureun can sometimes mean either blue or green depending on the context.

These linguistic differences highlight how culture shapes perception. While the rest of the world has a clear distinction between blue and green, Japan’s historical use of ao to refer to both continues to influence its official and everyday language.

Japan’s blue-green traffic lights are an excellent example of how history, language, and policy combine to produce a distinct cultural phenomena. While the lights are legally green, the custom of naming them ao has persisted because to long-standing linguistic conventions and legislative decisions. This tiny but fascinating distinction is only one of many ways Japan adds a distinctive spin on everyday notions.

Understanding this Japan green traffic lights distinction enhances visitors’ and language learners’ appreciation for Japan’s rich cultural legacy. So, the next time you’re in Japan and see a “blue” traffic light, you’ll understand why it’s called that—even if it still appears green to you!

Read More: 60 Habits You Develop After Living in Japan That May Be Unfamiliar Abroad