English guide signs being installed in Niigata City

I read today that Niigata City is installing multilingual guide signs across the city, and as someone who has been living in the prefecture for years now, it feels like a  positive step for foreigners and travelers alike. With a couple of major global events coming up (including a regional conference hosted by Junior Chamber International and  the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands), there's expected to be more than 8,000 international visitors this year from those two things alone.

To help them navigate, English and Japanese signs are going to be installed in 156 locations, particularly around the Bandai and Furumachi districts. The guides will point visitors toward key destinations such as Toki Messe, Niigata Station, and Hakusan Park.

For many foreigners living in Japan, I think that clearer English signage can make everyday travel much less stressful, especially in regional cities. I know working in the travel industry, one thing I hear a lot is that people are afraid to tread off the well-worn path because they're concerned about not being able to communicate. This is one way of alleviating that, so I think there are quite a few positives!