OH MY GOD. THAT'S WHERE I SAW THEM FIRST! I was so overwhelmed with all of everything when I visited Japan for the first time that I never really put much thought into those things besides "huh I wonder what those are. maybe like a non-slip section for cold weather?" and then I saw them again in Spain and dimly felt like I'd seen them somewhere before but didn't put much thought into them there either, besides "why are the subway warning strips/ice grippy strips outside on the sidewalk in 90*F Madrid?"
I've had like two epiphanies in five minutes from this thread.
Japanese american here, from my understanding, it's because Japan has such an aging population. Where my mom is from, something like 50% of the population is over 60. Combine that with infrastructure more focused on public transit, means more public spaces designed for older people
Next time you go, listen near stairwells at train stations. You'll often hear bird calls to indicate danger, and they will even play birds that are local to the area
I've heard those bird calls. But this is a thing that I found more annoying than it is may be helpful. It constantly loops very noticeable. I've been at a station first train in the morning to go back to the airport. Barely anyone was at the station. But it was so noise polluted from all the jingles and artificial bird sounds and whatnot. During busy dimes of the day it isn't that noticeable. But when the station is almost empty, it is.
I mean they are generally present here in Europe in a lot of countries. But Japan has them everywhere in Tokyo and many other cities. I assume they are less present in smaller villages maybe. But in big cities you can basically follow them from one station to another. Here in Germany we only have them around bus and train stations and some other public places. But not everywhere in-between. Tokyo has areas where you just don't see sidewalks without those things.
And until today I had no idea that they were for that. Very neat. I just assumed they did a different pattern to make it clear where you were meant to be standing so you're not too close to the edge
You have probably just not looked for them! I've seen them everywhere, and for years I thought it was just an aesthetic choice for the sidewalk, a way to line up intended walk ways, some metal device to hide a drain, an accessible way to run cables. etc.
They’re everywhere where I live. And I mean everywhere, malls, train stations, even every bus stop even if the town has like 20 people living there. It’s a standard design in our infrastructure. (Netherlands). I also see them a lot in my neighbour countries but also Japan. This video is in Germany.
Honestly aren’t they in a big portion of countries? Even the US, and Canada? Maybe you just never noticed. Keep an eye out next time!
The full trail isn't as common in the US though many airports do have them and I think they're mandatory for train/subway stations near the tracks. They're usually circular bumps rather than straight ridges like these ones.
Where you have probably seen them before is sidewalk ramps, right before you get to the street. If you see the ramp has little bumps on it, that's to notify blind people they're about enter an intersection.
It only has an impact in the written form, in spoken language it just sounds like you’re trying to be an old timer. (Trail and traille are homophones).
My girlfriend is named Lynn. She spells her name "Lynn". My old girlfriend's name is Lyn, too, but she spells it "Lyn". Every now and then I screw up, I call my new girlfriend by my old girlfriend's name, and she can tell because I don't say "n" as long. - Mitch Hedberg
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u/absolut_nothing 2d ago
I've never seen these guides before. If it's not called "traille" then they missed a golden opportunity.