Japan is buzzing right now due to the impending G7 Summit, which the country is hosting next week. Soon, the leaders of the free world will gather in Ise Shima, a beautiful peninsula located between Nagoya and Osaka and discuss subjects like global trade, healthcare, sustainable development and so on. The area is home to Ise (ee-say) Grand Shrine, the figurative center of Japan’s ancient Shinto religion, and there are many beautiful islands in the area which are considered sacred natural places. As always happens when a big international event approaches, the trashcans in Japan’s subway and train stations have been either removed or sealed so they can’t be used, to avoid the possibility of terrorist attacks like the sarin nerve gas attacks 21 years ago by the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
Everyone knows that words in one language can sometimes have embarrassing meanings in other languages, which are called sordophones, a recently coined word that roughly means “naughty homophones.” There are lots of examples, like the company that made bite-sized quiche then advertised them as “petite bites,” not knowing that this means “small dicks” in French, or fun Swedish words like “slutstation” (the last stop on a train line), or the mild confusion American anime fans undergo as they figure out that the Japanese word pantsu follows the British meaning of underwear rather than trousers. There seem to be a lot of Japanese cars with names with embarrassing meanings, including the Mazda Laputa, Mitsubishi Pajero and Honda Fit, which translate to “whore” and “wanker” in Spanish, and female private parts in Sweden and Norway, respectively. In Italy, France and Spain (and probably other some other countries), the way to say “cheers!” while drinking with friends is chin chin! (pronounced with a long vowel, like “cheen cheen”). This is terribly amusing to the Japanese, as it’s a cute-sounding word for “penis” to them, and as a result, quite a few Japanese say chin chin! too, to appear chic and European. As a father to bilingual children, this word made the “not by the hair of my chinny chin-chin” line from the Three Little Pigs a bit awkward…
In addition to our pre-inventory “flash sale” on bento and kitchen products, which ends Thursday, J-List is having a great general sale on all “ecchi” toys, from “dolphin polishers” to guys to awesome massagers for girls and guys to Japanese personal lotion. Get your order in now!
