There are many symbols that are unique to Japanese Design, so for my first blog I’ve taken it upon myself to have a look at five of these elements, and provide a bit of user information about them.

1. Freephone numbers in Japan are called Freedial (フリーダイアル) numbers beginning with 0120. These ones are usually advertised with this green symbol. Although there are a few variations, such as the Freecall mark (フリーコール).
[User Info] You can download a vector or bitmap version of the symbol here.

2. The Komejirushi (literally ‘rice symbol’) is used to show the reader that there is supplementary information they need to know. Named after its similarlity to the Kanji character for rice (米) the komejirushi is somewhat similar to the asterisk. But, where the asterisk usually acts to refer to a footnote, komejirushi’s take up a more prominent position in the design providing cautionary or instruction-related info.
[User Info] In Hiragana type ‘kome’ then hit the space bar to get the komejirushi

3. This specific symbol is part of the anti-underage drinking campaign that started here in Japan in 2005. The campaign has been enthusiastically used in convience stores, supermarkets and all-alcohol related advertising, despite Japan having relatively small underage drinking problem. The text on the symbol reads Miseinensha inshu (Minors drinking alcohol).
[User Info] More information can be found here

4. Adding a url to an advertisement is second nature for all Western designers, but the only reliable way to get people in Japan to remember new website addresses is to use the search engine form as a design element. The form (Kensaku mado) has become an industry standard feature of most advertising in Japan, with many different companies producing their own customised version. As it's quite simple to make in any vector or bitmap programme, there are no examples or templates online to download.
[User Info] Kensaku: 検索

5. The green push is fully in swing here, with eco chocolates, eco discounts and many different symbols used to encourage recycling. These signs usually state the material the product is made of for ease of recycling: plastic (プラ) Aluminium (アルミ) steel (スチール) or paper (紙) amongst others. All of these symbols can be easily downloaded and applied to any package design work.
[User Info]Download here.