An older enamel “Community Road” sign in Shinjuku, Tokyo, photographed in March 2023. These signs—marked with コミュニティ道路 (“community road”) and a stylized map of the ward—were installed beginning in the late 1970s and 1980s as part of a municipal effort to identify quieter local streets prioritized for pedestrians, schools, and neighborhood traffic rather than through-traffic.
Although many have faded or disappeared as Shinjuku redeveloped, surviving signs like this one remain a small reminder of earlier phases of the ward’s streetscape planning. The hand-drawn lettering, green stripes, and simplified ward outline reflect the graphic design style common in Tokyo’s municipal signage of that era.
An older enamel “Community Road” sign in Shinjuku, Tokyo, photographed in March 2023. These signs—marked with コミュニティ道路 (“community road”) and a stylized map of the ward—were installed beginning in the late 1970s and 1980s as part of a municipal effort to identify quieter local streets prioritized for pedestrians, schools, and neighborhood traffic rather than through-traffic.
Although many have faded or disappeared as Shinjuku redeveloped, surviving signs like this one remain a small reminder of earlier phases of the ward’s streetscape planning. The hand-drawn lettering, green stripes, and simplified ward outline reflect the graphic design style common in Tokyo’s municipal signage of that era.
