Engrish...or was it English?? (Japan)

Member Name: daniel_san

Product:	Japan
Date:	29/07/02 (169 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perhaps a reflection of a society wanting to be seen as more Westernised- although at a superficial level, Engrish does create some unintentional hilarities

Disadvantages: The Engrish used is sometimes quite shocking and rather sick

"For rest rooms, go back toward your behind"
(Sign at a Japanese train station)

Welcome to the world of 'Engrish', a Japanese phenomenon that has probably caught the eye of many who have visited this far-eastern nation. But what is 'Engrish'? It is the term employed to describe the wholly inaccurate use of English by the Japanese. 'Engrish' is ubiquitous in Japan- whether it be on stationery, drinks, cars or underwear. It seems that Japanese slogans and advertising choose English words according to its visual and aural appeal to the Japanese layman - regardless of what those words might mean. Somewhat like our French, your everyday Japanese person's grasp of the English language is rather poor and so correspondingly, Japanese slogans can produce some unintentional hilarities. Here are just a couple:

On a Levi's advertisement in Toyko:

"Jeans life is her life. Whenever she puts on her blue jeans. She feels freedom. Jeans life makes his life.
Whenever he wears his jeans jacket on he feels pioneer spirit. Jeans life that is your life. Try jeans on.
You feel "LOVE"

On the instructions manual to a camera:

"Care must be exorcised when handring Opiticar System as it is apts to be sticked by dusts and hand-fat."
(English translation being “Keep your hands off the lense”??)

Seen in the outskirts of Tokyo:

"Snobs Beauty Salon Since 1996."

On a poster of an American model:

"***THE GRAPEVINE***
america’s most gramarous sexist female super star
The Grapevine- only the parfect."

These are only the tip of the iceberg. A very moderate tip at that, in comparison to the vulgar 'Engrish' employed in some T-Shirts and posters I have seen. Okay, fair enough, it may be amusing to see a middle-age Japanese woman walk down the street with "I like to meet s
trange people from north places", but it is hard to comprehend what mysterious qualities these ‘Engrish’ phrases have which appeals to the Japanese mindset. The following ‘Engrish’ was emblazoned on the front of a schedule book, with a cartoon of a panda above,

“Have a smell of panda droppings. This one is very fragrant.”

I find this mindboggling. I mean, wouldn’t you be curious as to what is written on your T-shirt, or your schedule book before you spent your hard-earned cash on it? Maybe not. Or maybe the appeal of English is just too much and overrides any logical curiousity.

Either way, ‘Engrish’ is clearly successful in selling products because it is found everywhere. I think it is a little worrying that Japanese school children learn English as part of compulsory education for over five years, so theoretically, they should vaguely grasp the meaning of the printed English. It is even more disturbing when you see a giggling teenage girl wearing a T-shirt reading “I hate myself and I want to die” decorated by accompanying hearts and a rainbow.

I think that the popularity of ‘Engrish’ in Japan is a reflection of a society increasingly obsessed with appearing more Westernised, albeit on a superficial level. This is seen in Japanese relationships with foreigners, or ‘gaijin’. Having a ‘gaijin’ boyfriend/girlfriend is seen as a status-symbol by some Japanese, but when the relationship becomes more serious, attitudes change dramatically towards the Japanese person involved in the relationship. This is because Japanese society is centred on being part of a group; initially, your ‘gaijin’ boyfriend/girlfriend might elevate your position within your group, but once your relationship moves beyond that superficial level, you are open to strong disapproval because your ‘gaijin’ relationship has now shifted
you OUT of the group, and not to its peak. If you ever wondered why most Japanese women are carrying a Louis Vitton bag, or why Japanese tourists buy Harrods bags by the dozen, it is probably because of this desire to look ‘international’ and Westernised. Similar to the pervasive presence of peroxided hair amongst Japanese youth (did you see many players in the Japanese football team with black hair?), ‘Engrish’ is ubiquitous in Japan, and effective as an advertising weapon, because of this Japanese obsession with appearing Western- but only at a skin-deep, cosmetic level.

I find Japanese society and its mentality very difficult to understand- but incredibly interesting and intriguing, partly because it is so different to that of England’s and partly because I am fully Japanese myself (but I have lived in England since I was three.) What are your views towards Japan? Please send me any opinions!

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