Traffic light red, but green arrows.

14 comments

1. Green light: incoming traffic from the other direction.
   Green arrows going everywhere: the other side has a red light.

2. So that people can turn right and go forwards without needing to stop for traffic coming the other way. If it was just green, then traffic turning right would need to stop and wait for oncoming traffic.

3. I think people misunderstand what my confusion is about. I mean there’s no need for the main signal to be red while the arrows are green as the arrows are all directions you can drive anyway. In that case, just have the green arrows and leave the main signal off.

4. I find it quite logical. “Red for everyone, except for where’s a green arrow”. This resonates well with my way of thinking.

5. I’ve come across a few intersections like that in my town where the light is red but every possible direction you could go has a green arrow. It is very strange.

6. I agree it’s needlessly confusing and would like to add my puzzlement as to why sometimes they do this and then other times there’s no indication that oncoming traffic has a red light at all. There are two intersections on my way to work like this, the only clue on the timing is the pedestrian signal. Why?

7. It’s true that there is no real need for the red light when arrows for all the possible directions are lit but I think it keeps everything consistent across the various combinations of lights and once your are used to it it doesn’t really matter.

8. Took me a few minutes to realize why this was confusing.

   I agree. This has no purpose… Except, the lights do not always change at the same time maybe?

9. Well the signals in this country are too inconvenient and ancient at this point in time. Just borrow/steal copy dutch signals which are practical

10. [This article has good information on that.](https://trafficnews.jp/post/80637/2)

    Folks here are confused probably because such traffic lights are rare outside certain regions. Personally I have never seen one here in Kyushu.

11. Traffic and road signals in Japan are super messed up.

12. It’s almost as retarded as allowing pedestrians and cars to both move at the same time; never understood the logic of this.

13. Under Japanese road law, a green light means that pedestrians can also cross the road. A red light with green arrows does not apply to pedestrians. This is the major difference with a green light.

14. Assuming OP is from North America, I can see why the logic behind it is confusing.

    Traffic lights in Canada/US showing an advanced green use a green turn arrow + a regular green light. The presence of the green -> arrow indicates that oncoming traffic still has a red light.

    To me, that makes more intuitive sense than red light + green straight arrow + green turn arrow