You might have walked right over this bumpy Google Doodle today

Directions right under your feet.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A new Google Doodle might cause you to appreciate what's under your feet.

In a neat illustration on Monday, the search giant honoured Japanese inventor Seiichi Miyake, who invented tactile paving, used worldwide to make public space more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.

Miyake's paving was first created in Japan in 1965, and rolled out in 1967 near the Okayama School for the Blind in Okayama City. It was implemented across Japan, in fact, it was made mandatory in the country's railway stations.

Then, it slowly made its way across the globe, built into sidewalks and railway platforms to help people navigate busy urban spaces.

Mashable Image
Pedestrians navigate Japan's Kyoto station, which features the mandatory tenji blocks. Credit: getty IMAGES

The patterned "braille blocks" or Tenji blocks as they're referred to in Japan, consist of two types of raised bumps, which provide different information to pedestrians.

Circles mean an impending hazard, like the end of a sidewalk or railway platform, and can also indicate a landmark like a bus stop. Straight bars work like a compass pointing people in the right direction safely.

You might have walked over them today.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The bumps can be felt through one's shoes or with a white cane, as shown in the Doodle, or identified by trained guide dogs. Google notes these different means of using the tactile paving with other sketches for the Doodle.

The Doodle also displays the paving's signature bright yellow colour, which is the main but not only colour used for the paving.

Expect to see the Miyake Doodle at the head of Google on March 18 in Japan, the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., and a few other countries.

Topics Innovations

A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
This Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station is over 50% off right now
Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station


Get a free $100 gift card when you preorder the new Google Pixel 10a
hands holding up all four colors of the Google Pixel 10a

Google Maps looks different for some users in big change
google maps logo on a phone

Google hit with shocking wrongful death lawsuit over Gemini AI chatbot
Google Gemini logo

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.


You can track Artemis II in real time as Orion flies to the moon
Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman piloting the Orion spacecraft
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!