On June 12, 2026, Taiwanese media China Times News Network reported that an expert warned drivers to immediately change their driving route if they see a warning sign with the four kanji characters "離合困難" during a trip to Kyushu, Japan.

The article stated that many Taiwanese people choose self-drive with rental cars when traveling to Japan due to the ease of planning schedules and high degree of freedom, and introduced that Japanese writer Shimosaka Yasuo, residing in Taiwan, issued a warning on his SNS.

According to the article, Mr. Shimosaka pointed out that when driving in Kyushu, it is essential to remember the existence of warning signs that say "離合困難." He explained that "離合" is a dialect unique to the Kyushu region, and unlike the Chinese "離合器" which refers to a clutch, it means "cars passing each other."

He reportedly recommends that if you see this sign, the road ahead becomes so narrow that it is almost impossible for two cars to pass each other, so those who are unsure of their driving skills should detour to another road early.

In response to Mr. Shimosaka's warning, many Taiwanese netizens reacted, with some sharing experiences where they drove in with the misconception that "this road indicates that it's difficult to step on the clutch" or "it's dissing people who are bad at driving manual cars that require clutch operation," and were startled by the narrowness of the road. (Edited and translated by Kawajiri)