Decipher the strange symbol that is stuck on cars in Japan

In Japan, you will see many cars with symbols like an arrow with two colors of blue and yellow or a drop of water with red and yellow. What is the meaning of these symbols?

The shoshinsha logo will be stuck on the car driven by a new driver in Japan. (Photo: Nikkei).

The Shoshinsha emblem, also known as Wakaba, is a V-shaped or arrow-shaped arrow that new drivers need to post on their cars for at least a year after they get their license. However, drivers who claim that they do not have enough experience can continue to paste the symbol even after the above time period passes. 

True to its meaning, the shoshinsha symbol serves as a 'warning' to road users that the driver does not yet possess sufficient control skills.

The shoshinsha symbol is plastered on the cars of elderly drivers. (Photo: Nikkei).

In contrast to the Shoshinsha symbol is the Koreisha symbol with the shape of water droplets with orange and yellow colors. Accordingly, drivers aged 70 and above, when traveling, should stick this symbol on both the front and the back of the vehicle. Meanwhile, for drivers aged 75 or older, this is mandatory. 

The people sticking this symbol to show that their driving skills may be incomplete due to age or inexperience.

Since February 2011, the Koreisha symbol has been transformed from a two-color drop of water into a four-leaf clover similar to four different colors.

However, outside of Japan, there are many people who stick the Koreisha symbol on the car even though their age is not as high as to show that they are an old driver.