Technology? Check.
Amazing food? Check.
Incredible style, pop culture, and media? Check.
From futuristic cars and high-speed bullet trains to delicious sushi and popular anime, Japan is a cultural hub and world leader in innovation.
Most of all, Japanese culture is known for respect, courtesy, and punctuality. With a low crime rate and high technological advancement rate, it’s no wonder Japan is creating new inventions and opportunities.
Cars, bicylists, and pedestrians under beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan. Source: Unsplash.
Plate Recognizer Now Supports ALPR for Japan
As you drive through Japan’s winding, narrow roads, you’ll notice a lack of rush and a lot of attention to rules. Japanese road traffic laws are lengthy, helping protect the thousands of pedestrians exploring the streets each day. Take the iconic Shibuya Crossing, for example — nearly 3,000 pedestrians can cross the scramble at once.
With jam-packed traffic, small spaces, and unique parking regulations, local government and law enforcement have the endless task of keeping their community safe.
Which is why we’re proud to announce that Plate Recognizer now supports ALPR for Japan. Developing Japan license plate recognition hasn’t been a simple task, but it’s been 100% worth the challenges. We’re honored to work with a country as dedicated as we are to eliminating crime, driving efficiency, and keeping our roads safe.
What Our ALPR for Japan Does
Japanese culture is built on politeness and respect. For the most part, these values are represented on the road, as well.
Japan has one of the lowest road traffic fatality rates in the world. Yet, it wasn’t always this way. Back in the 70s, things weren’t as warm and cozy as a bowl of mouthwatering ramen. Because of the high number of pedestrians and congested traffic, Japan had an extremely high rate of road fatalities.
Until the country decided to make a change. With the help of impressive strides like their Fundamental Traffic Safety Program, Japan decreased these numbers and saved countless lives.
Cozy night-time photo of a taxi in an alleyway somewhere in Osaka. Source: Unsplash.
Japan is always seeking better, more efficient ways to live and serve. Our ALPR for Japan can help accomplish this by combatting the complex issues of traffic congestion and parking management unique to the area.
Our Japan license plate recognition helps with more than just traffic violations. Automated license plate readers (ALPR) for Japan are customized for the area’s specific challenges, needs, and goals. Using highly intelligent, high-speed software-controlled cameras, our ALPR for Japan can automatically process all license plates in its view. The potential uses are endless, from law enforcement governmental infrastructure support to tools for shops, health centers, and schools.
One of the major implications of our ALPR for Japan is parking management. No matter where you live, parking is a nightmare. Japan’s parking scene is complex. There are set minimums and laws for street, private, and public parking. To fully enforce these rules, police need careful eyes everywhere — that’s where our Japan license plate recognition comes in.
Busy four-way street in Japan. Source: Pexels.
Value of ALPR for Japan
Our ALPR for Japan can help with the following:
● Parking Management
● Comprehensive Search
● Custom Proactive Alerts
● Occupancy and Frequency Reports
● Vehicle CRM
● Vehicle Tags and Metadata
● And more.
Vehicles under a bridge. Source: Pexels.
Why We’re So Proud of Our ALPR for Japan
Plate Recognizer supports over 90 countries across the globe. As innovators in infrastructure, we’re proud to work with a country dedicated to advancing technology, community, and safety.
Of course, it wasn’t easy. It took the courage of a karaoke singer and the skill of a sumo wrestler to take on this challenge. We had the task of teaching our smart software to learn not just one but three new alphabets — hiragana, katakana, and kanji. We also trained our system to explore and get to know the 47 Japanese prefectures and 8 regions to properly navigate the roads and identify traffic accurately.
And we can’t forget — Japan is a leader in automobiles. Some of the world’s favorite car brands originate from Japan. With endless makes, models, and colors, we trained our custom ALPR for Japan to identify vehicles and perform Japan license plate recognition seamlessly.
A taxi at a red light. Source: Unsplash.
Unique Japan License Plate Recognition Challenges
Beyond learning a new language, our system needed to decode Japan’s unique license plate systems. Plates are classified using different plate and character colors based on the car’s type, size, engine, and function. Each plate has a four-digit serial number divided into two groups. The color and variations for these plates can vary for:
Beyond learning a new language, our system needed to decode Japan’s unique license plate systems. Plates are classified using different plate and character colors based on the car’s type, size, engine, and function. Each plate has a four-digit serial number divided into two groups. The color and variations for these plates can vary for:
● Private vehicles
● Commercial vehicles
● Taxis, rental cars, and buses
● Trucks
● Special purpose vehicles
● Two-wheel motor vehicles.
Understanding the different plate variations is essential for our Japan license plate recognition software to get accurate, efficient results.
A van, but not necessarily a minivan. Source: Pexels.
ALPR for Japan: Use Cases
Advanced technology like ALPR drives efficiency. A 2022 survey revealed that over half of Japanese companies are struggling with an employee shortage.
The solution may be to work smarter, not harder. Using smart technology like ALPR for Japan, organizations across several industries can save time and support community well-being.
Here is just a glimpse at some of the opportunities and solutions our Japan license plate recognition software provides:
SUV parked in a modern area of Tokyo. Source: Pexels.
ALPR for Japan Parking Management for Law Enforcement
Japan isn’t afraid to do things differently. Many countries around the world look up to the country’s innovations and progress in infrastructure, including parking management. However, the regulations require high patrol and advanced monitoring.
Finding a parking spot in Japan is no small feat. With parking minimums, community members must be careful where and when they park. Some of these regulations include:
● The proof of parking law requires individuals to register their car and prove they own or lease a parking space nearby.
● Japan’s ‘twin’ policy also requires no overnight on-street parking.
● Many homes do not allow parking on-site.
● However, there are community spaces and coin parking lots. Cars fitting certain minimums can park in coin parking lots or use street parking meters to temporarily rent out the space.
● Cars must also fit certain dimensions to qualify for the spots.
Japanese Licesne Plates. Source: Plate Recognizer.
Because Japan is congested with motor and pedestrian traffic, parking needs to be as efficient as possible. Without these rules, it would be even more difficult for community members to find a space for their cars. With tight spaces, small areas, and strict parking rules, traffic police can transform how they manage parking with our intelligent Japan license plate recognition software.
Law enforcement can quickly access the ALPR’s data to identify the following:
✔ Data for a specific parking lot.
✔ Which vehicles have entered and extended the parking spot.
✔ How long each vehicle stayed.
✔ How many vehicles are in the parking lot.
— All without visiting the parking lot in person.
Tight parking in a specific parking spot. Source: Unsplash.
ALPR for Japan Parking Spot Management for All Industries
With our smart ALPR for Japan, users can make this process even easier using our Parking Spot Management features. You can tag each parking spot in a lot for a specific purpose (1-hour parking, customers only, employees only, etc.). You can easily set up the system to recognize what and when vehicles can be there. Our system will send an alert when the rules are violated.
This feature can be used for law enforcement, property and land owners, business owners, managers, and government workers alike.
Users can also get real data to understand how the parking lot is used and notice any patterns. You can easily get access to reports on the occupancy rates of each parking lot, see your ‘regulars’ to identify what vehicles park most, and even break down the stats by the time of day, parking spot, camera, and vehicle type.
Car driving through some drizzle in Japan. Source: Pexels.
ALPR for Japan Traffic Monitoring for Local Governments
Let’s face it — rush hour traffic is bad. But in a city with a 43% congestion level, it feels like you’re packed together like a futomaki.
2021 traffic reports for Tokyo reveal how much time is truly lost due to road traffic and rush hour. On average, a 30-minute commute during rush hour traffic in Tokyo will take an extra 20 minutes. Even more? The average commuter in Tokyo will lose 148 hours each year due to rush hour traffic — that’s 6 days and 4 hours lost due to road congestion.
Rush hour traffic can be time-wasting and dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike. Local governments and traffic monitors can use our Japan license plate recognition to identify infrastructure needs, plan for high-traffic times and seasons, and create time-saving — and life-saving — solutions.
Other Uses of Japan License Plate Recognition
ALPR for Japan isn’t limited to one or two solutions. It can open up innovative opportunities for various industries and needs, including:
- Monitoring for petty crimes and traffic violations like “conbini warp” (cars cutting through parking lots to avoid slow-downs and traffic).
- Faster and easier curbside pickup for retail and restaurant services.
- Added security for businesses, government buildings, and schools with verified Japan license plate recognition.
Traffic jam in Tokyo. Source: Pexels.
Take ALPR for Japan for a Test Drive
Take our customizable Japan license plate recognition software for a spin. Optimized for the unique Japanese landscape, Plate Recognizer accelerates innovative problem-solving for communities in Tokyo and beyond. Try it out for your organization, free of charge. Discover the opportunities of ALPR for Japan, and reach your goals with speed and accuracy.
Have any questions about ALPR for Japan? We’re ready to answer them.