52478
I found a sign on a door that says

> 非常時{ひじょうじ} 以外{いがい} 開放{かいほう} 厳禁{げんきん}

The door leads to the staircase outside of the building.  
Here's what doesn't quite make sense to me: unless the case of emergency, am I
prohibited from:

  1. opening the door (Opening it will get you in trouble) or
  2. leaving the door open? (Going through it is acceptable?)

I'm kind of scared to go through that door, to be honest.
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2017-08-19T02:14:47.123
52474
2017-08-19T14:31:47.523
13662
question
meaning
「開放禁止」 Can I open the door?
EDIT: **I stand corrected.** See other answers for details.

* * *

TL;DR - It means **the latter.** However, it looks like some Japanese confuse
the meaning.

* * *

I personally was confused with this phrase. This is because "開放" was
accompanied with "厳禁" (strictly prohibited.) This raised a feeling that
opening it would get me in trouble.

One of the results in my googling shows me that "開放厳禁" [indeed means
both.](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E9%96%8B%E6%94%BE%E5%8E%B3%E7%A6%81)
However, from the point of the meaning of each word, it _should not_ mean the
former.

I looked for "開放" in dictionaries and found that "開放" means "to **leave**
something open" (It does not mean "to open something." The entry is found in
[デジタル大辞泉](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/36962/meaning/m0u/).) Hence the
meaning is the latter - "Strictly don't leave it open unless in the case of
emergency."

I did a further search on other Q&A sites and found that if the person who put
the sign _really_ didn't want someone to open that door, it should've said
"締切," which means "Keep it (like windows or doors) shut," or "立ち入り禁止."

P.S. I went through the door after that because it didn't have any security
measure (something like in naruto's answer.) I asked this because I saw that
door sometimes used by somebody who doesn't seem to be a worker there.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-19T02:14:47.123
52475
2017-08-19T04:44:16.633
2017-08-19T04:44:16.633
13662
13662
52474
answer
It's a set phrase, meaning: EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY.

"Do not open (this door) except in emergencies."

In my opinion, there is no doubt about the meaning among the native Japanese
people because it's a set phrase of "signs." You can think of the
interpretation of the Japanese phrase linguistically, but it's non sense in
practical life in Japan. You should learn the meaning of traffic signs and
this kind of signs just mechanically.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jupSL.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jupSL.jpg)

It is another thing that Japanese people obey/follow these signs. For example:

> 非常時以外駐車厳禁

You may see there are cars parking in the area, although it is not in an
emergency.

> Only for the handicapped

You may see non handicapped people may park in the place with the sign.

> 駐停車禁止

You may see cars stopping and parking in that area.

It's more like common courtesy and common sense to follow signs, in my humble
opinion.
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2017-08-19T02:47:31.533
52476
2017-08-19T03:18:28.530
2017-08-19T03:18:28.530
52474
answer
This is technically ambiguous because 開放 means both 開け放つ and 開けっ放しにする, but I
personally feel this 開放 just means "to open" rather than "to leave open." Thus
the sign should mean "emergency exit only."

  * [ドア開放事故](https://www.itarda.or.jp/itardainfomation/info114.pdf) or ドア開き事故 is a term that refers to an accident caused by _sudden_ opening of a door of a car.
  * This [ドア開放マニュアル](http://www.tokyo-horei.co.jp/shop/goods/index.php?12766) describes how to forcibly break locked doors in an emergency.
  * Some examples on BCCWJ clearly shows this verb can mean just "to open." 

>     * コンダクターがキャビンの扉を開放した。
>     * 操縦区画につづく水密扉が開放されて、淡い光が射しこんできた。
>     * ときにはその扉は開放されたままで看守係は場内と仮眠室を行き来するのに関心を持った。

But the biggest reason is, "非常時以外はすぐドアを閉めろ" makes very little sense as a sign,
from the security standpoint. I have seen many doors in Japan that are
normally locked but can be manually unlocked in case of emergency. The sign OP
saw is technically ambiguous, but I assume it refers to the same thing as
this.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4E48z.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4E48z.png)

Note that 開放 usually means liberation or opening to public (garden, etc.)
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2017-08-19T04:01:51.863
52478
2017-08-19T14:31:47.523
2017-08-19T14:31:47.523
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