Do Japanese people use quotation marks for emphasis?


I came across this tweet today:

> Is this the least confidence-inspiring use of inverted commas ever?
>
> ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RURHu.jpg)

The English part of the sign has "Safe" and "Comfortable" in inverted commas,
and the Japanese part likewise has "安心" (relief, peace of mind) and "快適"
(pleasant; agreeable; comfortable) in quotation marks / corner brackets.

I've previously seen people, including native speakers of English, use
quotation marks for emphasis in English, though it's listed as a "Word Crime"
in ["Weird Al" Yankovic's song](http://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc?t=2m34s). Do
people use quotation marks for emphasis in Japanese as well?

(Note for non-native speakers of English: Don't worry about the stuff said in
"Word Crimes" - it's complaining about mistakes made by native speakers, not
those learning it as a second language, and some experts disagree with some of
the rules about English espoused in the song)




Japanese language doesn't have italics or all-uppercase. Emphasis using square
brackets (`「」`) is natural in Japanese, especially when other means of
emphasis (like [傍点](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/15270/5010) or bolder
fonts) is not applicable.

For example, when you have to write in plain-text format, something like this
is totally natural:

> 机の上ではなくて、「下」を探してください。

Such usage of square brackets is also natural in serious novels. (Using
katakana ("シタ") is out of the question, by the way. You can't use asterisks
(`*like this*`), either.)

That said, to my eyes, this JAL sign (or at least the Japanese part of it)
looks poorly-designed, if not instantly laughable.

Well, I think I understand why this English is funny, although I don't know
how many of native English speakers will instantly find this English
laughable.

I think "安全" and "快適" in this Japanese sentence are not something that should
be strongly emphasized, either. A few Japanese people may actually doubt if
the flight is really safe and comfortable.

I believe it's best not to emphasize these words at all, but when I really
felt like highlighting these words a bit, there are better ways than brackets,
like using a different color or font.




Japanese language doesn't have italics or all-uppercase. Emphasis using square
brackets (`「」`) is natural in Japanese, especially when other means of
emphasis (like [傍点](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/15270/5010) or bolder
fonts) is not applicable.

For example, when you have to write in plain-text format, something like this
is totally natural:

> 机の上ではなくて、「下」を探してください。

Such usage of square brackets is also natural in serious novels. (Using
katakana ("シタ") is out of the question, by the way. You can't use asterisks
(`*like this*`), either.)

That said, to my eyes, this JAL sign (or at least the Japanese part of it)
looks poorly-designed, if not instantly laughable.

Well, I think I understand why this English is funny, although I don't know
how many of native English speakers will instantly find this English
laughable.

I think "安全" and "快適" in this Japanese sentence are not something that should
be strongly emphasized, either. A few Japanese people may actually doubt if
the flight is really safe and comfortable.

I believe it's best not to emphasize these words at all, but when I really
felt like highlighting these words a bit, there are better ways than brackets,
like using a different color or font.

