Japanese “reserved” button
Japanese “reserved” button, 가리킬 지
This is a common "Reserved" sign in Japan. It's a kanji character used in hotels and restaurants to indicate that a seat or space has been reserved.
This sign is easily noticeable with its black kanji character against a green background. If you see this sign while traveling in Japan, remember it means "reserved."
일본에서 자주 볼 수 있는 '예약' 표시입니다. 호텔이나 식당에서 자리가 예약되었다는 것을 알려주는 한자 기호예요.
이 기호는 녹색 바탕에 검은색 한자로 되어 있어서 눈에 잘 띕니다. 일본 여행을 할 때 이 표시를 보면 '이미 예약된 자리'라는 뜻이라는 것을 기억하면 좋아요.
This kanji character, '指 (ji)', means "to point" and is one of the kanji used for buttons. In modern Japan, it is mainly used as a sign to indicate reservations or designations, and is frequently seen in the service industry.
These ideographic buttons began to be widely used with Japan's urbanization from the 1970s. Recently, they are also frequently used in digital reservation systems, and often displayed alongside the English word "Reserved" for the benefit of non-kanji-using foreigners.