The Shoshinsha mark (初心者マーク?) or Wakaba mark (若葉マーク?), introduced in 1972, is a green and yellow V-shaped symbol that new Japanese drivers must display on their cars for one year. A driver must display this mark on the front and back of the car for one year after they obtain a standard driver's licence. This obligation is only for a standard license, not for motorcycles, large vehicles, special cars and so on. Drivers who consider themselves beginners may continue to display the sign, even after the period of a year.
Its official name is The Beginner Drivers' Sign (初心運転者標識, shoshin untensha hyōshiki?). Conversely, the orange and yellow "Fukushi mark" or "Koreisha mark" denotes elderly drivers. Both marks are designed to warn other drivers that the marked driver is not very skilled, either due to inexperience or old age.
Read more about Shoshinsha Mark: Other Uses, See Also
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