Eyes of Hiro: Engrish in Japan

Hiroki is too young to appreciate these pictures on this post, but I hope someday he will laugh at them like I do. On this trip to Japan, I have tried to take on the perspective of "seeing everything again for the first time." My siblings and I, like countless other foreigners who have been to Asia, are amused and fascinated with the use of English in every day Asian life, whether on clothes, billboards, restaurant signs, or anywhere else. For better or for worse, this phenomenon is called Engrish. After living in Japan for a long amount of time, you lose a little bit of the outsider's view. You never stop appreciating hilarity; you just take it for granted. The other day, I did something I should have done a long time ago--walked the downtown arcade with a camera in hand. This post is part one, only about half of the stuff I captured. I will post more (and the best ones) tomorrow.

JobNAP--book of job listings. Appropriate, considering most people would prefer a nap to going to work.

Jim Land--office supply store. I wish this name was more random; it would make for better ponderings, i.e., why not "Juliet Land," "Jack Land," or "Otis Land?" Unfortunately, there is a reason. "Jim," according to Michiyo, is short for the Japanese word used for the office, or work environment. So there is some logic here.

Lady Face--I want to say this is for a snack bar, i.e., a bar salarymen usually go to late at night to pay obscene amounts of money for drinks and conversations with the waitresses.