Why Japan excludes certain letters from its vehicle license plates
In short: In many countries, vanity plates are a matter of personal style. In Japan, the choice of characters on a license plate is governed by strict cultural and practical logic. Certain hiragana characters are banned entirely to prevent confusion during accidents or to avoid offensive associations.
The Japanese registration system uses a specific set of hiragana characters that serve as unique identifiers for vehicles. However, several characters are intentionally omitted from the available pool due to their visual similarity or cultural connotations. For instance, the character 'お' (o) is excluded because it looks too similar to 'あ' (a), which could lead to misidentification during a car crash. Similarly, 'し' (shi) is avoided because it resembles the kanji for 'death,' and 'へ' (he) is omitted because it resembles the kanji for 'fart.' The system also categorizes vehicles by engine size and dimensions using a numerical class code. For example, passenger cars with engines under 2000 cc typically receive 5-series plates, while those exceeding that displacement are assigned 3-series plates.
Beyond cultural taboos, practical communication also dictates the system. The character 'ん' (n) is excluded because it is difficult to convey clearly over a telephone call. Additionally, archaic characters like 'ゑ' and 'ゐ' are no longer used in common speech and are omitted to prevent confusion. These restrictions ensure that the registration plates remain functional and unambiguous for law enforcement and emergency services. The registration process is strictly regulated by the national government through Land Transportation Offices. However, local municipalities handle the registration of specific vehicles with smaller engine displacements. Furthermore, official imperial cars are exempt from standard plate requirements and use a unique special number.
The system also distinguishes between vehicle types through color coding: white plates with green text for private cars, green plates with white text for commercial vehicles, and yellow plates with black text for 'kei' (lightweight) cars. For international travel, the Ministry of Transport provides special plates where these unique Japanese scripts are replaced by Roman letters to ensure the markings are readable abroad. Rear plates must be permanently attached to the vehicle with a seal covering one bolt. These are only removed when a car is sold for scrap or exported. For international travel, the Romanized plates replace the prefecture code with a two- or three-letter abbreviation.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Vehicle registration plates of Japan
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/places-vehicle-registration-plates-of-japan.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Asia · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics
