Engrish

Engrish sign at the Tokyo Olympics turns out to be hilariously accurate

One of those times when an English mistake ends up expressing everyone’s true feelings.

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This isn’t the type of self-service they were meaning.

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Japanese department store officially apologizes for English poster calling Kyoto the world’s enemy

Takashimaya still seems a little fuzzy on correct English, though.

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Kanji T-shirt seen on U.S. TV show makes Japanese viewers giggle

According to his shirt, this guy isn’t just “huge in Japan”, he’s huge somewhere else too. 

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English ad in Japan has some seeing a command to stay infected with coronavirus this Christmas

Department store chain wants to show concern for shoppers’ mental wellbeing, but some see a message of doom for their physical health.

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English mistake makes Kyoto the enemy of the world

Look out — Japan’s old capital appears to be rising again, with an army of koi fish behind it.

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Japanese PM’s “low-level English” tweet to Donald Trump reportedly slammed by his own party

A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says they’ll be stepping in to help PM Suga in future.

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Japanese Twitter users make Osaka Metro’s English translation mistakes into running joke, memes

This is why you should never use automated translation software in a professional setting.

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Japanese mom finds kid’s cute rice bowl contains tale of dinosaur infidelity, illegitimate child

Eat up, kids! Also, be aware that sometimes mommies and daddies sleep around.

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Why Does Engrish Happen in Japan? Moon ultra parking edition

Why Does Engrish Happen? is back with a look at what seems to be where Sailor Moon would park her car.

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Piko Taro stops by Sesame Street to help Elmo and Cookie Monster with their version of PPAP【Vid】

The popular characters from the iconic TV series dress up in leopard print and sing in Engrish for Japan’s younger generation.

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Foreigner accused of shoplifting tea in Japan, label to blame 【Why Does Engrish Happen in Japan?】

It’s often said that freedom isn’t free. In Japan, Free Tea isn’t either.

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Why Does Engrish Happen in Japan? – Breakfast buffet edition

Is there a better way to start your day than with a nice plate of Italian wind saladt and “near the broil with salt?”

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Pizza Hut Japan asks customers “Don’t you hungry?” 【Why does Engrish happen in Japan?】

Sure, Pizza Hut, but do you English?

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Five awkward moments that prove you’ve finally nailed that whole “living in Japan” thing

Here are five awkward, bittersweet moments that’ll make you realise you’ve finally become a seasoned expat…

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Did Starbucks Japan forget to translate this important food allergen warning?

Nationwide, Japan Starbucks locations appear to be telling foreign customers to learn Japanese or risk anaphylactic shock.

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If you live in Asia, you’re probably used to seeing Engrish phrases everywhere. When you’ve grown up reading and writing in kanji, hiragana, etc., the “foreign-ness” of English writing and phrases adds an air of mystery and style. But it’s exactly the same in the west too—people will buy all kinds of products with kanji characters written on them whether or not they know what they mean.

Here are some examples of decked-out cars with random, nonsensical Japanese phrases on them that have Japanese netizens laughing their socks off over.

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Japanese tourist center asks small-penised travelers to not make a mess in the bathroom

While Japan’s highest mountain itself is the primary attraction, it’s not the only thing to see in the Mt. Fuji area. There’s also the Fuji Five Lakes, which would be beautiful enough to warrant a visit even if they didn’t have the famed peak serving as a dramatic backdrop.

But while travelers are happy to see the mountain and lakes alike, one thing none of them look forward to is a puddle of piss on the men’s room floor of a local visitor’s center. That’s why one facility has signs asking visitors to mind their aim when using the urinals, but while the Japanese text is a politely worded reminder, the English version seems to be implying that the reader’s penis really isn’t so impressive.

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Mermaids and Fried Wikipedia: the art of translating menu items into English

Traveling in a country where you aren’t super confident with the lingo can be extremely daunting, and simple acts like ordering food become a bit of a nightmare. If you don’t speak the language, you won’t know what foods are on the menu or how they are prepared. Dictionaries, both paper and electronic, are definitely helpful tools when deciphering a menu and many restaurants also try to provide at least some English—one of the most used languages in the world—on their menus.

But sometimes, for all their good intentions, restaurants fail. While this may make ordering lunch a little bit trickier, it is at times like these that we are blessed with some wonderfully bad translated food names.

Today’s special dishes come compliments of restaurants in Taiwan and China that just couldn’t quite find the right words to describe their respective delicacies. Look forward to dishes including mermaids, fried Wikipedia and confused pizzas after the jump.

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