The shoshinsha mark (初心者マーク) or Wakaba mark (若葉マーク), officially Beginner Drivers' Sign (初心運転者標識, Shoshin Untensha Hyōshiki), is a green and yellow V-shaped symbol that beginner drivers in Japan must display at the designated places at the front and the rear of their cars for one year after they obtain a standard driver's license. Drivers who consider themselves beginners may continue to display the sign, even after the period of a year. [1] Like the orange and yellow "fukushi mark" or " kōreisha mark" that denotes elderly drivers, the shoshinsha mark is designed to warn other drivers that the marked driver is not very skilled, either due to inexperience or old age. [2]
In Japan the shoshinsha mark is also used beyond the driving context to indicate beginner status. In Tochigi, for example, new mothers are issued a card with the mark on it to indicate their experience level to health and child care support staff. [3] New employees of companies may also have the mark on their name badges until they become more experienced. [4] In video games, it is associated with tutorials and new players. [5] In the anime Sgt. Frog, the character Tamama has a mirrored shoshinsha mark on his hat and stomach. [6]
Georgists have begun using the symbol as an online identifier on Twitter due to its resemblance to a shield. [7]
The mark is represented in Unicode as U+1F530 (🔰), as part of the Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs block.
The shoshinsha mark (初心者マーク) or Wakaba mark (若葉マーク), officially Beginner Drivers' Sign (初心運転者標識, Shoshin Untensha Hyōshiki), is a green and yellow V-shaped symbol that beginner drivers in Japan must display at the designated places at the front and the rear of their cars for one year after they obtain a standard driver's license. Drivers who consider themselves beginners may continue to display the sign, even after the period of a year. [1] Like the orange and yellow "fukushi mark" or " kōreisha mark" that denotes elderly drivers, the shoshinsha mark is designed to warn other drivers that the marked driver is not very skilled, either due to inexperience or old age. [2]
In Japan the shoshinsha mark is also used beyond the driving context to indicate beginner status. In Tochigi, for example, new mothers are issued a card with the mark on it to indicate their experience level to health and child care support staff. [3] New employees of companies may also have the mark on their name badges until they become more experienced. [4] In video games, it is associated with tutorials and new players. [5] In the anime Sgt. Frog, the character Tamama has a mirrored shoshinsha mark on his hat and stomach. [6]
Georgists have begun using the symbol as an online identifier on Twitter due to its resemblance to a shield. [7]
The mark is represented in Unicode as U+1F530 (🔰), as part of the Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs block.