KYOTO -- A police station here has begun to offer fortune-telling paper slips that provide lessons on Japan's traffic signs.

The Kyoto Prefectural Police's Nishikyo Police Station in this western Japan city's Nishikyo Ward wants people to learn in a fun way about traffic signs and to promote road safety. The unusual service is also popular with children, and the police station is hoping that people will have fun while they learn.

The project was planned mainly by four officers who work in the traffic department as part of road safety efforts over the New Year period. Yuri Ohashi, the officer who came up with the idea for the "omikuji" fortune-telling slips, said, "Omikuji is a popular tradition around the new year. I thought it would be fun if we offered them at the police station."

The box for fortune slips and ornaments are all handmade. Officers selected 38 signs and each slip explains what they mean along with fortune marks for the year such as, "daikichi (very good)" and "kichi (good)."

The number of traffic accidents in Kyoto Prefecture had been decreasing over recent years but the death toll rose in 2019 for the first time in two years. In particular, the number of cycling fatalities doubled. Shigeru Masuda, the head of the traffic department, commented, "Many of those who pick fortune-telling slips are children, and they often ride bicycles. I hope the event will be a good chance for them to learn about different traffic signs."

There are winning tickets among the slips and the police station will present safety reflectors to the winners. Meanwhile, Koji Mishima, a subsection chief at the department, warned, "Traffic safety is not about luck. Please try to always stay safe."

The fortune-telling slip project runs through Jan. 31.

(Japanese original by Hiroshi Odanaka, Kyoto Bureau)