The hope arrows of Hokkaido, Yabane

Hello, I am Shiho.

I have lived in Hokkaido since I was born. I don't know much about other prefectures, so I was surprised when someone from another prefecture said to me, "This is only found in Hokkaido" when I thought it was common thing in Japan. Recently, I was surprised by something like that.

The Yabane

It is the Yabane means arrow feathers. It is one of the signs on the roadway and looks like this. Hokkaido has a lot of snow and the lanes are hidden by heavy snowfall and poor visibility due to snowstorms makes it dangerous for drivers. These signs are useful in such situations. They are mainly used to prevent traffic accidents. 

Height of the Yabane

They are basically installed at a height of approximately 5m above the road surface and are not affected by snow. It guides the driver's sight and tells them the direction they should go and the width of the roadway. The arrow is 1.2m long. 1.2m is about the height of a first or second grader. It is bigger than I thought.

A heavy snow in Hokkaido

Blizzard in Hokkaido

A Yabane I found

I found a Yabane on my way to school the other day. The round things on the surface reflect the light and in areas that are heavily affected by snowstorms, they install self-light-emitting on the surface.

A Yabane taken from a bus

They had appeared in previous Japanese university entrance examinations

In researching this sign, I found an interesting topic. In fact, it seems that Yabane was used as a question in a university entrance exam. Here is that question.

2015 university entrance examinations, geography questions

This is a geography question from 2015. You are asked which items are not suitable measures against snow in Hokkaido: number 1 is a solar-powered clock, number 2 is a vertical traffic light, number 3 is a Yabane, and number 4 is a fire hydrant with a high hose. This may have been a lucky question for people in Hokkaido.

Driving on snow-covered roads or in a snowstorm can be very dangerous, so please drive safely.

Thank you for reading to the end!