Neat Stuff From Japan

Neat Stuff From Japan
Japan shopping on eBay...


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Accidental Poetry

Anyone who spends more than a little time in Japan will quickly discover that the Japanese enjoy studying and practicing English. Stand before a confusing train schedule at a busy station for more than a few minutes and you will likely soon be approached by a friendly Japanese offering their assistance in carefully practiced English. Ever since the mid-19th century, when Japan emerged from nearly 300 years of self-imposed isolation, the Japanese have eagerly sought to participate in the international community. Early on, English was latched onto as the language by which economic and social expansion may best be facilitated, and ever since the Japanese have rigorously instructed their youth in English and demanded functional competency from their legions of international businessmen. To this end, all Japanese are required to attend at least six years of formal English instruction during their school years. Businessmen (called "salarymen") frequently attend company-sponsored English classes while their stay-at-home wives may take classes during the week at private English language schools. Even the oldsters get into the mix with English clubs and classes of their own, often aimed at preparing them for that once-in-a-lifetime overseas adventure! All-in-all everyone in Japan has some familiarity with English and many enjoy using it at every opportunity.

An interesting by-product of the Japanese fascination with English is the very common use of this language on store signs, product packaging and with advertising. The idea behind this use is that English writing seems to make a product or store look modern and fashionable. An interesting fact is that few Japanese ever actually read the writing as they just like to see the language on the things they use. Another interesting fact is that Japanese advertisers know this and therefore rarely worry about accurate or even clear English composition. This general indifference can result in some wonderfully interesting phrases, slogans and company names. Over the years I've come to refer to these delightful compositions as "Accidental Poetry" as the words and phrases created, though sometimes strange and funny, are equally often beautiful and sometimes even quite profound. The following images highlight some of my favorite sightings of Accidental Poetry in and around the Shizuoka area. My family and I are always on the prowl looking for new and interesting additions, so be sure to check back from time-to-time to see what's new.

Note: Some of the photos do not enlarge very well as they were taken with the low quality camera on my mobile phone. I'm sorry if these are a bit fuzzy.

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Send mail to ebay@surugatrade.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2005 Suruga Trading Services Last modified: 03/17/07

Send mail to ebay@surugatrade.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2005 Suruga Trading Services
Last modified: 03/17/07