Japan’s Traffic Sign Spain Doesn’t Have: The Flying Cat

In Spain we are used to seeing traffic signs that warn of the possible presence of a wild boar or a deer. On some Japanese roads, however, the warning is somewhat more curious: a cat can suddenly appear on the roadway. They are yellow signs with silhouettes of felines and messages such as ネコ飛び出し注意 (Neko tobidashi chūi), something like “caution, cats that jump out suddenly.” These signs are not part of the national Japanese catalog; they are notices installed in specific locations.

The word “tobidashi” is especially relevant, because it describes precisely that sudden intrusion of an animal or a person into the path of a vehicle. These warnings form part of a series of measures that Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has implemented at points where animal collisions are most common.

In Okinawa the problem is even more serious

In areas like Okinawa, the warning isn’t always about stray cats: on the island of Iriomote lives the cat that gives it its name, a wild endemic and protected feline whose population is threatened, among other factors, by traffic accidents. For that reason, authorities have for years been placing road signs and tightening speed controls to reduce the risk.