Japan has cut the speed limit from 60km/h to 30km/h on narrow residential roads without centre lines or posted speed signs, in an effort to cut deaths and injuries among pedestrians, particularly children and older people. The new rule, which took effect on Tuesday, covers roughly 870,000km of streets, some 70% of the country's general road network, and reflects growing concern that safety gains seen on larger roads have not been matched on the tight, unmarked streets common in Japan's crowded cities.

Police data cited by the Mainichi Shimbun show pedestrian mortality is under 1% in collisions at or below 30km/h, but rises to 2.7% at 30-40km/h and 17.4% at 50-60km/h. While Japan's overall road death toll fell to a record low of 2,457 last year, fatalities and serious injuries involving children and the elderly on residential roads have stayed around 300 annually since 2021 and rose in 2025 for the first time in three years. A similar "zone 30" scheme introduced in 2011 on selected residential streets and school routes cut deaths and serious injuries by 30%, and police commissioner general Yoshinobu Kusunoki has urged drivers to take extra care on roads shared with pedestrians and cyclists.