Engrish

I've been waiting to have enough juice to post on this topic, but it appears there is a never-ending litany of material. So suffice it to say that I'm sure this is the first post of many on this topic, that being the English language, and its (mis)use in Japan.

Now, I want to preface this all by saying that my Japanese is awful, and I am not standing on a soapbox and saying that everyone here must speak perfect English. Definitely not. But I feel it's worth sharing some of the more amusing oddities of the English language which I have encountered.

There's the strangely worded things, like a restaurant advertising itself as a "a place for happy and healthy sushi." What, exactly, is happy sushi?


There's the English with strong sexual connotations (anyone who kept up with the Prague Blog know of the "When I'm bored, I like to play with myself" story).


What I'm finding most peculiar is when, where, and why some places use English instead of Japanese. I have seen menus with the English word MENU written on top, and then the rest in Japanese (no English subtitles, or any other form translation available). Stores will advertise in English, and have no one who can follow up said advertisement.
For example, this store not only has no English books, but also no one inside who speaks or understands English either.


Also, there are many globally-known Japanese companies. Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Toyota, Sony, to name a few. What I find interesting is that more often than not, I see those companies' logos accompanied by their name in English, not Japanese. Sometimes I see Mitsubishi in Japanese, but that's usually as a subtitle to the English. (smaller font, lower standing on the page or advertisement).


When asking some Japanese coworkers as to why, the most common response has been "Japanese people have this fascination with English." Maybe that explains the "We Are Gaijin" tee-shirt I saw on a Japanese woman last week.... and then again, maybe not.

So when I got a letter from my mom yesterday morning, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the "DO NOT BEND" written on the envelope. I mean, of course, the mailman does not understand English, but then again, how did the letter arrive at my door if the address is written in English?


For lots more amusement, check out Engrish.com.