冷房故障中

During the Summer heat, THIS is NOT a sign you want to see.

冷房 (れいぼう) - Air Conditioning 

故障中 (こしょうちゅう) - Out of Order

Translation: Air Con* is out of order.

*In Japan, Air Con is short for Air Conditioning written in Katakana as エアコン.

冷 (れい) is written different in the sign than how it would be in a traditional or printed reading. It is a quick hand written version of the Kanji that makes some simple shortcuts. Instead of using the cap /_\ it uses more of an up arrow /|\, and instead of a squared p under it, it uses the Katakanji マ which is used in many Kanji.

So when I looked up 冷 in my Kanji dictionary, I drew it like what we see in the picture. It didn't fool the dictionary and it knew right away what I was looking for.

Quick shortcut written Kanji is everywhere, so you have to be flexible when reading it. Context matters a lot in Japanese; seeing this sign and feeling the heat would both make you understand what it meant before even having to read it. 故障中 should be a sight reading flashcard because you see it a lot and need to know what it means. You don't want to see 故障中 on a bathroom door and walk right past it. Disaster could strike because it probably means the TOILET WON'T FLUSH!!! 

And you don't want to be in that situation. Trust me.

以上です。またね！

ジョシュア。