1. Japan Invented Tactile Paving Blocks: The First 230 Blocks at an Okayama Intersection
While walking, you may feel a bumpy texture under your feet. These are yellow tactile paving blocks. They were invented in Japan by Seiichi Miyake in 1965 [1]. The first installation happened on March 18, 1967. A total of 230 blocks were laid around the crosswalks at the Haraojima Intersection in Okayama City, near the Okayama Prefectural School for the Blind. This is considered the world’s first installation of such blocks [1]. Because of this date, March 18 is known as "Tactile Paving Block Day."
Seiichi Miyake was also a hotel owner, not an engineer or teacher. It suggests that tools changing the city can come from anyone, not just experts. These world-first blocks also have a reason for their color. The next section explains why they are yellow.
2. Two Types of Tactile Paving Blocks: Lines Show Direction, Dots Show Stops, and Yellow Helps Low Vision
Tactile paving blocks come in two types: linear and dotted. Linear blocks have raised lines that show the direction of travel by the orientation of the bumps. Dotted blocks indicate dangerous areas or destinations [2]. The color is yellow in principle. This is to create a difference in brightness and luminance compared to the surrounding road or floor, making it easier for people with low vision to see, as explained by Saitama Prefecture materials [2]. It is designed to be found by eyes as well as felt by feet.
The impression that these are only for blind people needs some correction. The design considers both those who check with their feet and those who check with their eyes. Blocks guide movement on the ground. But what helps when crossing roads with cars?
Safety Note: Linear blocks guide movement direction by the orientation of the bumps, while dotted blocks represent dangerous places or destinations [2]. Ground installations teach direction and the location of hazards.
3. How Tactile Paving Blocks Spread from School Requests to Station Platforms and International Standards
Tactile paving blocks started in Okayama and spread to Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture. In 1970, following a petition by teachers and staff at schools for the blind, they were installed on the platform of Abiko Station on the JNR Hanwa Line. This was the first time they were installed at a station [1]. Tokyo also decided to introduce them, and they spread nationwide [1].
Movements to standardize the shape also progressed. In 2001, the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS T 9251) defined the shape and dimensions of the bumps [1]. In 2012, the international standard ISO 23599 was issued for the first time, and it was replaced by a second edition in 2019 [3]. Japan’s JIS is included in its references [3]. Blocks are tools for feet and eyes. So, what about tools for ears?
4. Traffic Sound Signals: Chirps When the Light Turns Green, with Over 20,000 Nationwide
At the side of crosswalks, traffic lights make sounds like "piyo-piyo" (chirp-chirp) or "cuckoo." These sound signals emit noise from both ends of the crosswalk, for example, while the pedestrian signal is green, helping visually impaired people cross [4]. According to National Police Agency data, there were 21,644 units nationwide as of the end of March 2026. Of these, 266 were melody-type and 21,378 were onomatopoeia-type. The onomatopoeia type accounts for about 99% of sound signals (not all traffic lights) [4].
Previously, sounds varied by region. Users requested nationwide unification. In 1975, a committee of experts, organizations for the visually impaired, the National Police Agency, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare considered this and conducted surveys. As a result, two melodies ("Tooryanse" and "Old Folks at Home") and onomatopoeia types ("piyo-piyo" and "cuckoo") were selected [4]. There are also push-button types where the guide sound plays only when the button is pressed [6]. However, just making a sound was not enough. The problem was knowing the direction.
5. Different Sounds on the Near and Far Sides of an Intersection: How Sound Signals Improved
Further improvements were added to sound signals. In October 2003, the National Police Agency issued a notice to promote the "different-sound alternating method." This involves playing different sounds on the near and far sides of an intersection at intervals of about 1.5 seconds, as reported by Norimono News [5]. Combinations include "piyo" and "piyo-piyo," or "cuckoo" and "cuckoo-cuckoo." The reason is that it makes the direction of travel clearer and has higher guidance value [5]. If the same sound played on both sides, it would be confusing which side the sound came from. By alternating different sounds, you can walk toward the "sound from the other side." This is similar to the division of roles between lines and dots on tactile blocks. Feet handle "direction of travel," and ears handle "direction of crossing." Note that explanations of the origin of bird-like sounds vary by source, so we do not state this as fact here.
We have seen systems supporting feet and ears on the ground and at intersections. So, can smartphones in your hand be used without seeing the screen?
6. How Smartphone Screen Readers like VoiceOver Let People Use iPhones by Voice and Gestures
Apple’s VoiceOver screen reader on iPhone describes what is happening on the screen using voice, braille, or both. It can be operated with simple gestures on the touchscreen or a keyboard, and voice types and speeds can be changed to preference [7]. Android has Google’s screen reader "TalkBack" built in, allowing users to operate the device without looking at the screen [8].
VoiceOver was announced for the iPhone 3GS in June 2009. User materials indicate that on touch screens, operations change; for example, icons are opened with a double-tap instead of a single-tap [9]. This material also reports that some people were able to perform initial setup themselves after purchase without buying separate software [9]. Screens can now be read by voice. So, how do you know what is in front of you if voice is not enough?
7. Be My Eyes: How Volunteers and AI Describe Your Surroundings Through a Smartphone
Be My Eyes is an app that started in 2015, involving a Danish craftsman, who also had low vision. Visually impaired people can use video calls on their smartphones to have volunteers describe what is in front of them [10]. Within 24 hours of its release, 10,000 volunteers registered [10]. Later, "Be My AI" was added. This feature uses AI to describe photos taken by the user and allows follow-up questions. People with visual impairments are said to have been involved as testers in its development [11]. Human help and AI descriptions both make the old method of "asking someone who can see" easier to access via smartphone. We have looked at feet, ears, and screens. So, how can you check these things in your city with your own eyes?
8. Try It Yourself: Look for Tactile Blocks and Sound Signals in Your Own City
Walk around your town with an adult and look for yellow blocks. Are they linear or dotted? Are they installed before crosswalks, on station platforms, or elsewhere? Be careful not to place objects on the blocks or stop on them. For sound signals, listen carefully from a spot away from the sidewalk. If you hear two sounds alternating, like "piyo" and "piyo-piyo," it might be the different-sound alternating method. Many signals do not make sound, so you may not find one even if you look. Do not step into the road. To read the original sources, the National Police Agency’s Q&A on sound signals [4] and the Saitama Prefecture page on tactile paving blocks [2] are available in Japanese.