
According to his shirt, this guy isn’t just “huge in Japan”, he’s huge somewhere else too.
While the English language consists of 26 characters, the Japanese language contains thousands of characters, ranging from a simple stroke to represent the number one, all the way through to 84 strokes, for complicated surnames.
These strokes make even common words look beautiful — so beautiful, in fact, that some people want to wear them as a style statement, despite not being able to read what they say. That’s given us reason to laugh before, like when Lily-Rose Depp wore a shirt with kanji that read “arguments welcome”, and now it’s making us laugh again, thanks to a scene from U.S. TV show Chuck that resurfaced recently.
Chuck ran from 2007-2012, but is still available to watch on streaming platforms, where new generations of audiences can experience the show for the first time. And if you’re a first-time viewer who can read Japanese, you might want to keep an eye out for episode two of season two (“Chuck Versus the Seduction”), where the character of Morgan, played by Joshua Gomez, wears this T-shirt below.
海外ドラマって突然の謎な日本文化とか出てきたりするけど、二度見した。
— 吉田 瑳矩果 SakuraYoshida (@SAKURA__harp) November 21, 2020
ハープ奏者がこんなツイートしていいのかわからないけど、とにかく二度見した。字幕も意味深に見えてくる。 pic.twitter.com/ft8z1OylQb
As you can see, the shirt has “I’m huge in Japan” written on it in English. Below it are two kanji characters, which people might assume is the Japanese translation, but…it isn’t exactly.
The first character “巨” does mean “huge” in Japanese, but when combined with the kanji “根” (“root“) after it, it becomes “kyokon“, which means…well, “huge penis”.
Needless to say, online commenters had a good chuckle over the shirt, especially given that it was broadcast to audiences across America without any problems when it first aired over a decade ago.
“Hahahaha ‘huge in Japan’ has a double meaning!”
“This made me laugh out loud when I saw it!”
“Well, okay, Mr Big Penis!”
“I bet they did this on purpose because it matches the character!”
“I envy his self-confidence!”
“I guess we can’t talk – shirts with English written on them in Japan are just as crazy!“
“At least he didn’t get this inked on him forever as a tattoo!”
It’s true that things could’ve been worse if this was a permanent tattoo. Just ask Ariana Grande, who got “7 Rings” tattooed onto her palm, only to realise later that the characters for “7” and “Rings” become “Japanese barbecue grill” when read together.
Source: Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

“Do honky” command Japanese TV show’s T-shirts
Hey, “cool guy!” Here’s why you should double-check the meaning of your Japanese kanji T-shirt
New Studio Ghibli Uniqlo T-shirt line coming to the U.S., Japan left out once again【Photos】
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan
Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates
Japan’s Mocchurin donuts declared too popular to exist by creator Mister Donut, will disappear soon
Japan’s new pettably fuzzy cat-shaped earbud chargers meow to let you know their status[Video]
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about using manga for studying and the top series for learning
Studio Ghibli mini towels add anime flair to a Japanese cultural tradition
Studio Ghibli combines anime and craftsmanship in new Totoro and Jiji Gobelin tapestry bags
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Japanese man’s gross conveyor belt sushi social media prank video gets him a 500,000-yen fine
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]