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July 01, 2007

English Signs in Japan: You May Catch the Interesting Experiment

English in Japan may be imperfect at times, but it's a lot better than my gaijin (foreigner) Japanese!

Signintro
Sign-spotting is easy in the ultra-pricey Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo...

Signgoo
where skyscrapers have names that really stick.


Japansmostwanted
Japan's most wanted English major is still at large...

Japanesegangs
and ever-wary with language - one mistaken letter can mean a world of difference. In Japanese, yakuza means gangster while yakuba means town hall (not to mention the Latin meaning of yakuba, a type of African fruit fly).


Signsvivacocktailsfun
Viva Fun, Cocktails & Tacos -- I couldn't agree more, and

Signhatdrop
I love precise graphics that make words superfluous.


Signsesperance
My new aunt's wash tub brought me to my senses every morning...

Signamericanmuga
making it difficult to select the right mug...

Gerbteasign_2
for morning tea.


Come_on_baby
I woke up singing every day, Come on baby...

Meettheheart
and set out to meet the heart,

Signartofhot_2  
and learn more about The Art of Hot.


Signho
I know that money can't buy love.

Intllicky
so it was difficult to pass by this 59-year old bรดite. but

Mensguts
I'd heard good things about a tough-guy club in Imabari...

Offshoes
only to be put off by their customers' unusual footwear.


Signburnsout10thanniversary
Touring can leave you feeling fried,

Signsrefreshfruit
so I frequently sought out heartwarming refreshments,

Signscountryofthefruit
in "the country of the fruit," where...

Signsrefreshcoon
I was happy to learn that 'coon is a homonym for kun (a Japanese suffix added to boys' names to indicate familiarity),

Signsracist
but saddened to realize that signs of racism persist -- Eddie Murphy appears in less-than-subtle Japanese ads for black coffee, and this hand-painted window still beckons in seedy Asakusa, the oldest part of Tokyo.


Loveandjunkie
I avoided the addictive fast food,

Signcabbageandcondom
and restaurants that did little to whet the appetite,

Pornograffitequation
and settled for a perplexing formula of sweat x porno graffiti, which, to everyone's surprise

Img_2732
paired wonderfully with alluring chocolate treats, and

Signsgettincrunkychingy
candy bars that would fly off the shelves in rap-loving Memphis.


Screwtradinga
I too have no love lost for indiscriminate bartering,

Recycleblandshop
so I went shopping for used clothes, but that proved a tad dull.


Signtrylet
At wit's end, I sought out the o-benjo (bathroom), only to encounter this seemingly indecipherable sign.  After careful consideration however, I realized "Trylet" is a perfectly-suitable pun for the showroom restrooms at Toto, Japan's friskiest toilet manufacturer. How could anyone resist trying out digital commodes that automatically open and shut the lid; control seat temperature; wash and dry without Charmin; and imitate flushing noises to mask embarrassing sounds?

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Comments

This is the most specula stuff you've posted to date. Me and my colored greens are going down to Jamiaica this week to visit family and trylet the local crunky!

you should check out www.engrish.com if you haven't already

I've been enjoying Crunky Bars for a few years. There's an Asian supermarket about 10 minutes from home and, from what I can see, they're one of the most popular items in there.

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