“Hidden Anpanman” Braille Blocks Draw Concern From Museum Visitors

A gimmicky use of Braille blocks at the Anpanman museums has some blind users concerned the facilities are elevating novelty over safety.

By Kay Benton

If you’ve ever walked around a city in Japan, you’ve probably seen rows of raised lines or dots at certain points along the sidewalk, road, or in front of subway lines. Known as “点字ブロック” or “Braille blocks,” these aid visually impaired individuals. They indicate traffic direction and warn of potential hazards.

You can see Braille blocks at crosswalks, the edges of station platforms, and just in front of slopes or staircases. However, recently,some argued that one particular set of Braille blocks looked like a hazard rather than an aid.

The Anpanman Children’s Museum locations in Sendai and Kobe sports Braille blocks in front of doorways, staircases, and other areas of potential concern. However, some of these Braille blocks are not simply the standard raised bumps. Instead, they feature a metal imprint of Anpanman’s cheery, smiling face.

The museum calls these “Hidden Anpanmen” and they’re comparable to the “Hidden Mickeys” scattered throughout Disneyland and Disney World locations.