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

Oona McGee
Aug 4, 2021
Tweet

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

Japan
(2020 Tokyo Olympics • 2021 Tokyo Olympics • coffee • cute • English • English fail • english language • Engrish • funny • Japanese English • journalists • language • mass media • media • press • Tokyo Olympics • twitter)

Engrish mistake turns innocent sign into X-rated notice at Japanese store

SoraNews24
Jul 3, 2021

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

Japan
(advertising • customer service • English • English fail • english language • Engrish • funny • Japanese language • Katakana • marketing • panel • shopping • weird • wtf)

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

Casey Baseel
Dec 18, 2020

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

Japan
(Engrish • funny • Kyoto • language • linguistics • Takashimaya)

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

Oona McGee
Nov 27, 2020

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

Japan, USA
(Chuck • Engrish • fashion • Japanese language • kanji • LOL • lost in translation • t-shirts • translation • translation mistakes • TV • TV shows)

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

Casey Baseel
Nov 13, 2020

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

Japan
(ads • coronavirus • department stores • english language • Engrish • funny • seibu • Sogo)

English mistake makes Kyoto the enemy of the world

SoraNews24
Nov 11, 2020

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

Japan
(advertising • Construction • customer service • English fail • Engrish • Kyoto • marketing • panel • Takashimaya • tourism • tourist sites • travel)

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

SoraNews24
Oct 8, 2020

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

Japan
(Donald Trump • Engrish • government • Japanese politics • Japanese Prime Minister • learning English • politicians • politics • Prime Minister Suga • Suga • Trump • twitter • Yoshihide Suga)

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

Dale Roll
Mar 21, 2019

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

Japan
(English fail • Engrish • funny • Google Translate • Japanese Twitter • Osaka Metro • translation mistakes)

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

Casey Baseel
Feb 2, 2019

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

Japan
(crazy • cute • Engrish • funny • kids • linguistics • weird)

Why Does Engrish Happen in Japan? Moon ultra parking edition

Casey Baseel
Jun 6, 2018

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

Japan
(Engrish • funny • Japanese language • learning japanese • linguistics • Why Does Engrish Happen?)

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

Oona McGee
Nov 20, 2016

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

Japan
(Engrish • funny • pen pineapple apple pen • piko taro • ppap • Sesame Street • video)

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

Casey Baseel
Nov 1, 2016

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

Japan
(convenience stores • drinks • Engrish • funny • Japanese language • linguistics • tea • Why Does Engrish Happen?)

Why Does Engrish Happen in Japan? – Breakfast buffet edition

Casey Baseel
May 28, 2016

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

Japan
(Engrish • funny • hotels • Japanese language • linguistics • Why Does Engrish Happen?)

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

Casey Baseel
May 7, 2016

Sure, Pizza Hut, but do you English?

Food & Drink, Japan
(Engrish • funny • Japanese language • linguistics • Pizza Hut • Why Does Engrish Happen?)

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

Evie Nyan
Mar 22, 2016

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

Japan
(culture • culture shock • Engrish • expat • foreigner • gaijin)

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

Mike
Mar 17, 2016

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

Food & Drink, Japan
(allegies • coffee • Engrish • food and drink • language • Starbucks)

Ham sandwich! Japanese netizens are loling at these nonsense car decals

Meg Murphy
Nov 19, 2015

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.

Japan
(cars • Engrish • funny Japanese • Japanglish)

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

Casey Baseel
Nov 3, 2015

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.

Japan
(Engrish • funny • Mt. Fuji • sign • travel • weird • Why Does Engrish Happen?)

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

KK Miller
Oct 2, 2015

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.