If you’d like some reading practice, for starters click on this photo of a Kyoto city summer safe cycling campaign poster to see an enlarged version that will let you see the text more clearly. Then, use the rikaichan popup dictionary or your favorite reference tool on the text I’ve transcribed just below the photo if you need some help with it.
This poster caught my eye because of its visual impact and the number of common kanji compounds featured here in the context of a very topical issue in Japan that police and lawmakers are struggling to address.
Not needing a car is one of the biggest benefits of living in Kyoto, but with the number of inattentive cyclists and pedestrians increasing, the chances of an accident are also more likely. As well as no lights at night and common distractions like cellular phones and headphones, the racing bikes without brakes fad is also addressed in the text with katakana, along with a couple other English words that are often used in Japanese.
Originally posted 2012-08-11 10:08:03.