Japanese Push & Pull Signs: Osu, Hiku & Stop (2026)
Short cheat sheet for Japanese door and movement signs — 押 (push), 引 (pull), 止まれ (stop), and 徐行 (slow) — so you stop wrestling shop doors and shared streets.
Japanese push-pull door stickers are tiny and easy to miss until you are halfway through a glass door the wrong way. This short guide covers osu, hiku, tomare, and jokou — the Japanese push pull and stop signs tourists hit daily on shops, stations, and temple-side streets (2026).
押
おす · osu
Push
Shop doors, station doors, office entrances
引
ひく · hiku
Pull
Shop doors, fridge doors, sliding-door reminders
止まれ
とまれ · tomare
Stop
Road markings, parking exits, some pedestrian areas
止
と · tome / to
Stop (abbreviated)
Compact stickers and some traffic signs
徐行
じょこう · jokou
Slow down / proceed slowly
Shared streets near temples, shrines, and schools
When both 押 and 引 appear on the same door, check which side you are on — many entrances push from outside and pull from inside (or the reverse). On shared streets near shrines, treat 徐行 as a real slow-down, not decoration.
FAQ
What does osu mean on a Japanese door?
Push.
What does hiku mean on a Japanese door?
Pull.
What does 止まれ mean?
Stop.
What does 徐行 mean near temples?
Slow down / proceed slowly.
For more guides, see Japanese signs & words for tourists, warning & prohibition signs, and restroom signs.
Tags: japanese signs tokyo travel tips tourist guide japan
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