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!

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

where skyscrapers have names that really stick.

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

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).

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

I love precise graphics that make words superfluous.

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

making it difficult to select the right mug...

for morning tea.

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

and set out to meet the heart,

 
and learn more about The Art of Hot.

I know that money can't buy love.

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

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

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

Touring can leave you feeling fried,

so I frequently sought out heartwarming refreshments,

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

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

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.

I avoided the addictive fast food,

and restaurants that did little to whet the appetite,

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

paired wonderfully with alluring chocolate treats, and

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

I too have no love lost for indiscriminate bartering,

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

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?

Comments

[Jeremy]

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!

[smartastic]

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

[The Lord of Eltingville]

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.