I promised my granddaughter that if she was accepted into college in Japan as part of an exchange program that we would make a trip to visit her there. It seemed like wherever we went, there were signs directing one to do or not do something. In areas where there were lots of international tourists, the signs were bilingual, and the message clear although sometimes it seemed odd to my American sensibilities. Others, like this one inside of an elevator in one of the shiny skyscrapers in Tokyo, makes its message clear even for those who don’t know any Japanese. The Japanese are far too polite to command “Keep Fingers out of closing doors” or even “Watch your fingers” instead a translation says something like, “These elevator doors may present a hazardous environment,” Such a polite message!
