What do you think about the way English is used in the branding and marketing of products in Japan?

Tuesday 08th September, 05:13 AM JST

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 71 Total Comments Show All

Jizzeez at 03:47 PM JST - 9th September

This could run and run. Us natives never get tired of this one. It's not so different from tattoo parlor kanji though, it it? There must be a few extra strokes floating around the arms and backs of westerners worldwide. Just a couple more faves: Coffee and Launch 1000 yen! with rocket ship illustration. In Vancouver: Boxnig Day Sale! / Holyday Special...
GAYMAN at 04:28 PM JST - 9th September

it says a lot about a culture when they are too lazy to learn a language properly and too shy to to try and use it in front of their peers but then it can be used so pervasively and to such poor and meaningless effect throughout their daily lives. the japanese are good at taking things from other cultures and warping them to suit their own tastes and the english language is just one more bastardized example of this.
Wakarimasen at 04:43 PM JST - 9th September

I rove it - happiness is my gift.
isthistheend at 08:56 PM JST - 9th September

My suggestions for new tee-shirts What comes around goes around; including the flu. Wear your flu mask, it makes it look like your intellegent.

Unemployed? No way, look at my mask, I'm a medical assistant!

She U later. After my Pocari Sweat.
neverknow2 at 09:20 PM JST - 9th September

What do you think about the way English is used in the branding and marketing of products in Japan?

Happy fun time! Try some, making you better feeling!

I speak English, therefore I am automatically cool!
Ah_so at 10:44 PM JST - 9th September

Back in the late 90's I remember a song called "Body Feels EXIT".

Odd, but the the next line is "Body feels EXCITE", which more or less makes sense.

Actually, don't a lot of English song lyrics read like Engrish? "Rythm is a dancer" - I mean, what on earth does that mean?
yabits at 11:27 PM JST - 9th September

A lot of you are under the misapprehension that the Engrish is supposed to make sense to English speakers or be grammatically correct - ain't and ain't.

That may be true for a lot of the stuff plastered on products, but what about items like the instructions in case of fire for those who stay in hotels? I've seen some really eye-raising stuff that is intended for those who speak English.

It is kind of amazing in a country where people appear to care a great deal about getting the details right that this should exist. And I wonder if this is kind of a backlash or release against that stress over details, or whether on some level it represents a lack of respect towards language that is foreign in general.

That is not to say that there isn't some very clever and witty stuff that Japanese have used to brand products.

I'm not sure if this would be a good example coming from the other side, but I do recall the logo for Frank Zappa's label, Barking Pumpkin Records, having a Halloween motif with a black cat screaming out the following: 聖糞!! (Which can be translated literally to "Holy S***!!)
sf2k at 02:17 AM JST - 10th September

What do you think about the way English is used in the branding and marketing of products in Japan?

overtly hilarious for the child native speaker, rather sad if pondered from the point that this is replacing the Japanese language. Other countries have mixed language usage, but no more so than in Japan. As well, people in another country are mindful to not replace their native language with English. But not Japan.

If Japanese don't want to keep their language, who else will do that for them? English is the new kanji.

I once had a conversation regarding TPO, which means time place and opportunity. I tried (in vain) to explain that this means you're going to jail by a jury and has zero romantic quality. Also TP on it's own is short for toilet paper etc.

It's not that Japanese screw up English, but they insist that they are allowed to provide new meanings to words. How is anyone supposed to understand?

But I realized later that a country where it is taboo to know your own history is also not going to know anyone else's. Hence why language as history is wholly unknown in Japan, along with word meanings

Language is about communication. Making up words may be fine for 5 year old children, but not for adults and certainly not at the expense of your own cultural heritage. New words are made all the time, but they add to language and do not subtract. Japanese by throwing away their own native words that describe things perfectly well are throwing away their history too.

Ironic because for such a xenophobic country to use so many English words would imply that it's open.

Weirdness.
XXXXX at 03:01 AM JST - 10th September

I was trying to collect the funny phrases that are printed on notebooks, letterpapers, etc, but it just got too weird to keep track.
XXXXX at 03:03 AM JST - 10th September

I mean, who writes such nonsense
isthistheend at 08:51 PM JST - 10th September

yabits and sf2k make very profound points that I totally agree with. "I wonder if this is kind of a backlash or release against that stress over details, or whether on some level it represents a lack of respect towards language that is foreign in general." Yes yes and yes. I think it all stems from the neglect to come clean about the meaning of "total surrender" in WWII. It means "we admit we are defeated". But nowadays, everytime I go out drinking with people from Drs., lawyers, to business men, and students, they to a man (women don't weigh in on the subject) say "Japan and Thailand are two of the only countries on earth that have never been conquered." Hello?

It's not that Japanese screw up English, but they insist that they are allowed to provide new meanings to words. How is anyone supposed to understand? And they work it another way too. Often times I've had conversations in Japanese, and inevitably, the person I'm talking with (with mind you not at), says "how would you say that in English?" Then I give my best rendition having studied both languages for decades, and more often than you imagine they will doubt what you just said is correct. "No, the Japanese has a slightly different nuance than what you just said." I'll admit SOMeTIMES that might be true, but not always. Finally, they will talk in Japanese to their peers, saying things like "Kare wa kuki yomenai" (he can't understand what's happening here unless we spell it out to him; i.e. he lacks sophistication), but its often not the case. I understand how to read the air, but I choose NOT to follow carte blank ON PURPOSE to demonstrate AT TIMES (not always mind you) that I have a will of my own, understanding that it might cause waves. So language is a very, very, deep and cultural relationship as sf2k points out. Thank you.
DeepAir65 at 07:03 AM JST - 11th September

come on - it brightens up our day to read the rubbish on the adverts and t-shirts as we attempt to work out what the heck they me.

Top awards go to the large breasted women I have seen wearing T-shorts with slogans across the chest such as: Lunch Made You Stare Milk

The most bizarre one was a business woman I once saw wearing a sequin covered T-Shirt and vaguely camouflaged in sequins across her back was "f***er" - what the heck was that about?

But I also like the reverse stories about Japanese tattoo artists abroad not exactly giving the client what they want but telling them they have what they wanted!!!!

Works bot ways
jinjapan at 10:01 AM JST - 11th September

as it is aimed at the japanese themselves & not the foreigners, they should use the language as they please. a majority of them have no clue what the sayings mean anyway. to them it just looks cool. same in english speaking countries. they use kanji on shirts & things, but have no idea what the character actually means. or, they could be doing it just to piss off the foreigners here :-)
amerijap at 10:09 AM JST - 11th September

It depends. Most products distributed from international market usually have the English names that have a clear/conceptual message to attract the consumers. As for Japanese-made products, most of them have 1)a message that doesn't make any sense at all or 2)a message that make sense in English but could be misleading or confusing.
kirakira25 at 12:31 PM JST - 11th September

I enjoy the bad English, it gives me a good laugh on the street.

I saw a Japanese girl on a plane once with a fab t-shirt in hot pink with letters written across the chest "I see you`ve already met the twins"! Grammatically nothing wrong, but SO wanted to ask her where she got it, and if she knew what it actually meant!