Giving you a little view of Japan without leaving your home!

Prayer letters, curious subjects, events, people, customs, and more for you to enjoy and learn.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Blue Lights in Japan

BLUE LIGHT PREVENTING SUICIDES

Railway companies in Japan are installing blue lighting, because it is playing a role in preventing suicides and street crimes.

In January, 2008, persons jumped in front of a train from a deserted end of the station platform on two consecutive days.

“We urgently introduced blue lights to deter suicides,” a company employee in charge of train safety operations said. “Since introducing the blue lighting, no one made a suicide attempt at the station.”

Japan Railways also set up blue lights at 38 crossings along lines. Since the installation, no suicide attempts involving cars ramming into trains at crossings have occurred at the blue light sites.

As well as preventing suicides, blue lighting has other purposes, too:

The Nara prefectural police set up blue street lights throughout the prefecture in 2005, and found the number of crimes decreased by about 9 percent in blue-illuminated neighborhoods. Many other areas nationwide have followed suit.

152 blue lights were introduced by an Expressway Co. along a stretch of road, renowned for accidents.

“The illumination was introduced as part of our efforts to encourage people to drive safely by instinctively and emotionally appealing to them to calm down,” said a spokesman for the Expressway Co.

According to an expressway operator, after they installed blue-colored lighting near trash cans, the volume of domestic garbage brought in by visitors decreased by more than 20 percent.

“There are a numerous pieces of data that indicate blue has a calming effect upon people, but it is a little risky to believe that the color of lighting can prevent anything,” Professor Tsuneo Suzuki, of Keio University said. “However, it's an unusual color for lighting, so people may just feel like not committing their crimes under such unusual illumination.”

Source: Yomiuri News, 2008-12-11.

Rather than blue lights, we pray that people would know that true peace and quietness comes though the great Light that the Bible talks about! Christ only can truly keep people from committing sins!

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

(Matthew 4:16).

People need to see the great Light...his name is Jesus!

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(John 8:12).

Does Jesus, the true Light envelop every nook and corner of your life?