WAKABA AND KAREHA BADGES - what do these badges stand for anyway?

If we see a full JDM conversion of an EG Civic with those all-around brown glass and that infamous OEM rear trunk, it ain't complete without a Wakaba or a Kareha badge inside. But what does this really mean in the land of the rising sun?

WAKABA BADGE


The Shoshinsha mark (初心者マーク?) or Wakaba mark (若葉マーク?) is a green and yellow V-shaped symbol that new Japanese drivers must display on their cars for one year. A driver must display this mark one in front of the car, and one on back of the car, after they obtain a standard driver's licence, for one year. This obligation is only for a standard license, not for motorcycles, large vehicles, special cars, and so on. Drivers who consider themselves beginners may also continue to display the sign, even if they have passed a year period.

Its official name is The Beginner Drivers' Sign (初心運転者標識, shoshin untensha hyōshiki?).

KAREHA BADGE



The Koreisha mark (高齢者マーク) or commonly known as KAREHA BADGE fpr JDM gurus here in the Philippines is an orange and yellow teardrop-shaped statutory sign that is set up in the Road Traffic Law of Japan to indicate "aged person at the wheel". Its official name is the aged drivers' sign (高齢運転者標識, kōrei untensha hyōshiki). It also called momiji mark (紅葉マーク, autumn leaf mark). Some people call it kareha mark (枯れ葉マーク, dried leaf mark) or Ochiba mark (落葉マーク, fallen leaf mark), but they are not pleasant words.

The law decrees that when a person who is aged 70 and over drives a car and if his/her old age could affect the driving, he/she should endeavor to display this mark on both the front side and the rear side of the car. Drivers aged 75 and over are obliged to display the mark.


TRIVIA
sa mga naglalaro ng previous gran turismos on playstation 1 and 2, look closely sa mga ranking niyo sa license. You'll notice there's a wakaba badge kasunod ng bronze medal count niyo. It means that if you're 0.5 seconds shy off the bronze medal, a wakaba badge is issued and pasado ka na din sa test na yun as a bronze medalist. wala lang napansin ko lang to nung matanda na ako. hahahaha

And also, notice the shapes and color of the two badges above, the Wakaba badge looks like a new leaf from spring, while the Kareha badge looks like an autumn leaf, in which they applied this idea to indicate new and elderly drivers.