It’s overcompensation. They spend so much time trying not so say “getto” for get etc. that trying to drop the final o becomes automatic. It happens with lots of other words in English that do have a final “o” sound, for example “estafad” seen on the menu of a pub just yesterday.
Why do some Japanese pronounce the Canadian city “Toront”?
April 30, 2008 at 10:11 pm (Japanese English, Japanese language)
Why is Isuzu spelt いすゞ and not いすず?
April 29, 2008 at 11:34 pm (Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese business and economics, Japanese company names, Japanese language, Japanese trucks, Kanji (Chinese symbols))
That last little sqiggle in the name is not normal hiragana, unlike the rest of the name. And it’s not just the truck company either, dentists and suchlike with the same (family) name always have the same last syllable. Could it be a kanji??? Totally stumped on this one, so any help gratefully received.
“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down”
April 29, 2008 at 4:32 am (Japanese children, Japanese conformism, Japanese education, Japanese families, Japanese language, Japanese myths/ misconceptions about Japan)
This overwhelming favourite Japanese proverb amongst Japan watchers is a MYTH. If you have ever seen a Japanese school teacher or mother at work you can instantly see that there is no hammering going on. The nail that sticks out is indulged until it decides it would rather not stick out after all in case that indulgence disappears.
See the Japanese Myths section for more Nippon stereotype busting.
Why is the Japanese abbreviation of Los Angeles “Los” (ロス-rosu) not LA?
April 27, 2008 at 3:44 am (Japan and the USA, Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese English, Japanese language)
As Japanese kana is based on mora (like syllables) rather than single sounds, most abbreviations are like this, e.g. pasokon (パソコン from PERSOnal COMputer) rather than PC
Why do some Japanese guys spit in the urinal?
April 24, 2008 at 12:36 pm (Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese health, Japanese men, Japanese toilets and toilet habits)
Prostate trouble and problems getting started?? High stress levels means they can’t get comfortable in public?? Got too used to pissing sitting down on the orders of their wives??
What Japanese food really means
April 23, 2008 at 11:56 am (Japan FAQs and SAQs, Japanese food and drink, Japanese language, What the Japanese really mean)
Japanese- Oya-ko don (親子丼)
Literal translation- Parent and child on rice
Meaning-
Guess the scary Japanese stat
April 20, 2008 at 1:47 pm (Japan by numbers, Japanese mobile phones, Japanese statistics, Japanese technology, Japanese telecommunications industry)
The number of junk mails sent to mobile phones in Japan every day: Read the rest of this entry »
Guide to shops, cafes and restaurants in Omori, Oota-ku, Tokyo
April 18, 2008 at 7:06 am (Japanese cafes/ coffee shops, Japanese family restaurants, Japanese food and drink, Omori, Oota-ku, Sushi and sashimi, Tokyo)
Jonathans (sign in English, 2nd floor above an estate agent)
A chain “family restaurant” that has a mix of Japanese and Western food, and a menu with English and photos. If you are a non-smoker and they try to put you too close to the smoking section, point to another seat you would prefer. It’s a bit expensive, but you can stay there as long as you can stand the artificial light. Good value recommended choices include the set breakfast (until 10ish), set lunch (11 to 2ish), spicy rice and Mexican chicken hotplate, drink as much as you like as long as you like drink bar, and tofu hamburger set menu.
Sushi Ondo
100 yen a plate (plus tax) for everything from eel sushi to hamburger sushi. As well as helping yourself to the plates as they go round the conveyor belt you can order from the photos on the touch screen (you need to press two different button marked 注文 in order to do so) or from the waiters. The cheap draught beer is actually happoushu, which can leave a rather unpleasant aftertaste, and the bottled beer is rather small and expensive, so best to stick to the free green tea or sake (for a cheap one like this usually best hot- “atsukan”). Ask for your bill at your seat by calling someone over or pressing the seperate button, then take the bill up to the till next to the exit on your way out.
Cafe Leggero (in the lobby of the Tokyu Hotel)
A very nice cup of tea and some tasty and reasonably priced food for a snack or light lunch in a comfortable cafe with the added bonus of interesting people coming in and out of the hotel.
What to do in Cafe Leggero Read the rest of this entry »
