Engrish of the Restroom
I almost hate to do Engrish posts because, 1) they’re too easy, and 2) English written on signs and posters in Japan is often for the benefit of foreigners, which is pretty damned nice, all things considered.
Yes, Japanese businesses are well known for their hospitality, and as a foreign visitor to Japan, one is often surprised by the availability of an English menu at a mom-and-pop restaurant or the admirable effort of a Japanese store clerk who tries his heart out to communicate in English even though it’s clear he’s quite uncomfortable with it and lacks confidence when speaking.
So, taking a poke at Engrish almost seems shameful.
Ok, I did say almost.
Anyway, here are a couple of recent discoveries:
If I had known that sanity could be purchased in bottles here in the land of the rising sun, I’d have moved to Tokyo 10 years ago.
Who knows? Since it’s a bathroom air freshener, maybe it really does provide a measure of sanity to those who suddenly face the horror of walking into a restroom used only moments before by a co-worker who had yakiniku for dinner last night, and ramen with a side of gyoza for today’s lunch.
I call the next one the 66.6% poster because 2/3 of the translations are perfect.
食良品 = food: check!,
お酒 = liquor: check!,
トイレ用品 = washing thing: WTF?!!!
You were on a perfect run, Mr. Don Quixote directory poster translator… What the hell happened on the last one?
FYI: トイレ = bathroom/restroom, 用品 = supplies
An American living in Tokyo. Can be seen bounding through Shinjuku Station most mornings, teeth gnashing, eyes bulging, a cup of cheap coffee clenched in one fist and a satchel in the other. God help those who don't see him coming.
February 11th, 2010 at 2:34 am
I wonder if you can buy Sanity from the Washing thing department at Don Quijote. :P We have a Donki here… maybe I should check!
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February 11th, 2010 at 2:43 am
It’s really nice to see someone say something besides, “LULZ, LOOKIT THIS WACKY ENGRISH!” Not only are those sorts of posts tired, having been around forever, but even those that understand the nature of the beast (i.e. - those that have resided in Japan for 15-20 years) sometimes take for granted those extra efforts. I mean, they are amusing to read (otherwise I wouldn’t have clicked this link) but some people make it into a derisive exercise everytime they find something the slightest bit incorrect.
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February 11th, 2010 at 3:23 am
@Jill:
Let me know the result.
@Karasu:
Thanks. That’s why I rarely do Engrish posts; I don’t want anyone seeing them as designed to put others down for a laugh, just as mistakes that are quite amusing. We all make ‘em.
We should all laugh at ourselves as often as possible.
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February 11th, 2010 at 8:17 am
“Stop The Insanity! With Sanity, in a can”
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February 11th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
I did the sanity one already ;). Oddly enough I pass the HQ of the company that makes it on the way to the station some days.
Personally, it never ceases to amaze me, in a country apparently obsessed with both perfection and English, how much money is paid to have incorrect English placed on store signs, official notices, corporate branding etc.. I reserve the right to document this mercilessly, especially when you have to ask yourself how the hell the person making the (de)sign has evidently never heard of a modern invention called a dictionary?
There’s also pure Engrish of the “Mr. Cat! He is a happy. Let’s! Enjoy Bounteous Beauty and Healthy” variety, which is an artform unto itself and should be shared with the world.
Simple mistakes, e.g. where a non-native speaker has made a genuine effort to provide English information without having access to professional translation/proofreading resources.? Sh*t happens, for me that’s not Engrish (and it’s not like my Japanese is any less free of howlers).
Also, I do like to try and redress the balance, though with less success, and of course Hanzi Smatter is an excellent source for the reverse perspective.
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February 11th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
@reesan:
Why stop the insanity? I’ve grown to like it
@Mr. Penguin:
I see you’ve also found the nirvana in a bottle that is called “Sanity.” Well before I did, it seems.
And, I think your treatment of Engrish is always well done, Sir.
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February 12th, 2010 at 2:19 am
Sanity in a can sounds like a good buy to me.
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February 12th, 2010 at 4:49 am
I don’t know. Washing thing seems to work just perfect. What more could you ask for.
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March 4th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Hello!
We at http://www.macmillandictionary.com are celebrating 2010 as a year of English as a language without borders. We are interested in how English is used and adapted in different countries all around the world; how different languages and cultures uniquely influence English so that it no longer belongs to ‘native English language speakers’ but to the world as a lingua franca.
We are aware that March is a month for festivities in Japan because of the Vernal Equinox, and we thought that this would be a great time to focus exclusively on Japan and English as it is spoken in Japan.
In March we want to add words to our Open Dictionary that have come to English from Japan, or English words that you have invented in Japan or use in Japan and are not used anywhere else.
We would be delighted if you could contribute to our blog with your ideas, thoughts, and comments of the way English is spoken in Japan with us. I’m sure you have a funny story to tell connected to the English you heard being used by the Japanese!
We would really appreciate if you could send us a post to publish or comment on the ones that will appear in March at http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com where we will have Japanese guest bloggers posting throughout the month.
We look forward to hearing from you!
—–
Barbara Kulaga
International Marketing
Macmillan Education
Between Towns Road
Oxford
OX4 3PP
Tel: 0044 1865 405 847
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March 9th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Honestly, I can forgive a lot of the Engrish out there, and I do appreciate the effort but am not convinced that all of it is for non-Japanese. Some mistakes are just about not using a spellchecker or a dictionary. One that always catches my attention is the chronic mispelling of the word “perm” on hair salon signs. Some of these signs look like they cost a lot of money. How much does a 5-foot tall, custom-shaped, machine-stenciled, brushed-steel sign cost these days? I don’t know but I guess the spell check is extra. As a result, a lot of people in Japan are paying outrageous prices for “parms”.
Another one that irked me was during the 2010 Winter Olympics, when Nelly Furtado and Brian Adams lip synched the song ”Bung the Drum”. Well, at least that’s what the NHK screen caption said. Swing and a miss.
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Billy W Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 12:05 am
True.
In lots of cases, the laziness is just obvious. But, I often get, “Well, it’s not for the sake of foreigners, anyway. Just there to add some foreign coolness to the sign.”
To that, I say, Thanks for the abundant mistakes! That means there’ll always be a demand for English teachers here and if I have to, I’ll go back to working in an Eikaiwa school if things go that far downhill for me.
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