JimmySeal wrote:

I just see it as a distasteful weeabooism, like saying "keitai" instead of "cell phone" when one's speaking English (I know a lot of people who do this too).

Is this really a weeabooism for people living in Japan?  People using Japanese words in foreign countries--especially ちゃん or かわいい--definitely stinks of weeaboo, but in Japan I know plenty of people who slip in Japanese words that I wouldn't describe as weeaboos.

I think it`s just a slight conditioning of living here. I answer my phone むしむし even when it`s English speaking friends. I seriously doubt anyone thinks about it. It just happens.

Like the way no one says "Can I have your business card?" They`ll say "Can I have you meishi?"

I think it`s a case of these are some of the first Japanese words that people tend to learn, so they stick even when speaking your native language.

Found this topic interesting, so I thought I'd add something (first ever post on this forum ^^)

I'm currently living in Japan. Spent 3 months living and working in Okinawa, and am now in Hokkaido on a horse farm in いなか.
I personally don't see any problems with interchanging between the two languages as I speak, and I don't understand why some people do. (I usually just pick whichever language allows me to say what I want in the least amount of words )

Going back to people not adding a suffix to your name, I also find it a bit annoying. I would prefer people add さん to my name when they first meet me. However when I was working in Okinawa some of my co-workers simply called me by my first name without adding さん right from the beginning (I don't mind so much being addressed by my first name as most Japanese people struggle with my last name even when seeing it written in katakana). The co-workers that did originally use the suffix or called me by half of my last name + suffix quickly switched to just my first name after hearing the others While I didn't like it, not much I could do about it with my Japanese being so limited and not wanting to get on the wrong side of my bosses. On the other hand though, many of my co-workers used each others last name's but didn't add a suffix either.

Also, @callmedodge, I hope むしむし was just a typo, because otherwise you've been telling everyone it's humid rather then saying hello (もしもし)

Oh? I thought it was also an interjection you can use to get someone's attention (in a store for example) rather then just on the telephone?
Also, even if it is "just made up nonsense" surely it's widespread use has made it an actual word? Isn't that how many new words become words?

It comes from 申し申し, so it's not entirely nonsense in origin.  I think it's a word, and yes, you can also use it to get someone's attention but not "in a store".  It's not a polite "Excuse me", it means more like "Hey, you're spacing out!" or "Are you paying attention to me!?"  It would sound very strange to say it to a random person.

Tzadeck wrote:

JimmySeal wrote:

I just see it as a distasteful weeabooism, like saying "keitai" instead of "cell phone" when one's speaking English (I know a lot of people who do this too).

Is this really a weeabooism for people living in Japan?  People using Japanese words in foreign countries--especially ちゃん or かわいい--definitely stinks of weeaboo, but in Japan I know plenty of people who slip in Japanese words that I wouldn't describe as weeaboos.

I wasn't suggesting that weeaboos are the only people who do this, simply that it's a prominent feature of weeaboo behavior and that's one of the things that makes it so obnoxious when anyone does it.

In fact, most of the people I see referring to cell phones as "keitais" are people who only know about 30 Japanese words, so it smacks of "Aren't I so clever?  I can mix Japanese language conventions into my speech!"  What's the point?

Last edited by JimmySeal (2012 May 24, 4:53 am)

When you live in a country that you didn't grew up in and the language you speak on daily basis is not your native one, you naturally tend to insert into conversations in your native language (which obviously are less frequent than what you hear and speak everyday) those most common foreign words. This happens to all immigrants/expats regardless of country of origin and destination, it seems. And it is a matter of will and persistence to resist those easy choices, and use your native language in it's pure form. Maybe it's a skill, who knows.

Regardless, it always makes a bad impression on me when my Polish friends choose to use English words when talking to me. In a way I think that they are just being lazy and because of that they quickly lose a bit of respect that I might have for them.

I haven't been in Japan as long as the author, and I'm also in Tokyo where foreigners are common, but I don't feel at all like the author is describing.  The micro-aggressions are nothing more than just generalizations.  It's rare for a Japanese person to meet a white person who has lived in Japan for a long time.  They end up making generalizations based on this fact.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the way it is.  Once more white people start living in Japan, Japanese people will probably stop making these generalizations.

I haven't really noticed much racism in any form, but then again I live in Tokyo.  One thing that's gotten on my nerves recently is talking to cashiers/waiters when I'm with an Asian friend.

I'll go to buy something and my Asian friend will come up to the register next to me.  When I ask the cashier a question, the cashier will turn to my friend and answer the question.  I'll then follow up with another question and the cashier will turn to my friend and answer.  They won't look at me when they are answering my question. 

This really annoyed me for a while, but I got a pretty good explanation from another Japanese person.  The reason they don't look at me when they are answering me is not out of any malice, but purely out of embarrassment.  A surprising large number of Japanese people have NEVER talked to a white person.  When talking to a white person, they are actually just really embarrassed. 

I'd still like them to talk to me, but I feel okay with this explanation.  I'd probably do the same thing if I was in their shoes.

Last edited by partner55083777 (2012 May 24, 6:13 am)

yudantaiteki wrote:

I hate the term and concept of "weeaboo" in general -- I can't stand the dick-size-comparing that some foreigners in Japan do trying to show how they're more deserving of being in Japan or studying Japanese for a "real" reason, or whatever.

well, weeaboo has nothing to do with studying japanese, it's more used for the anime/manga crowd and people who are pro-japan in everything they do with their knowledge base coming strictly from those media.

it's actually arguable that not knowing japanese makes them more of a weeaboo.



speaking of konbini/keitai etc...
i used to play a lot of street fighter, tournaments and stuff. and it's funny, when i'd talk to other players about it, i'd have to switch to american pronunciation of names so they understand who i'm talking about. kazuya becomes ka-ZOO-ya, sakura becomes sah-KOO-ra, ibuki becomes ii-BOO-ki. if i said their names properly people would get confused. "who?"

it was all good though, 'cause in the end i just wanted to talk about street fighter.

nadiatims wrote:

Should someone really have to translate everything back into english just because they are talking to an english speaker?

They wouldn't be translating.  They'd just be speaking English.

Seriously who says "I'm going to the convenience store to get a riceball"? It's unnatural.

I do. Maybe saying "riceball" is a bit of a contrivance, but there's nothing unnatural about "convenience store."

Shakunatz wrote:

My wife said "it would sound unnatural using -san/-kun after your not Japanese name"

If you bought that line and were able to write it off as a linguistic rather than cultural issue, then I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

JimmySeal wrote:

I do. Maybe saying "riceball" is a bit of a contrivance, but there's nothing unnatural about "convenience store."

I can't say I use the word convenience store in English.. I usually say the name of the one I'm going to.  Maybe it's more an English thing than American.  So saying convenience store for me would be as weird as saying konbini.   Even then I'd usually just say Lawson or whatever the closest store was.

I think Keitei is used to distinguish Japanese phones from other phones foreigners may have.  I think that was quite common as an exchange student.

The 日本語上手！ got tiring at first, but then I didn't even notice it.  Kind of like being stared it, it is what it is, I'm wasn't about to let it worry me.  I mean I heard a Japanese friend say it to a Chinese friend, who was clearly fluent and was doing her full degree at my exchange Uni, so it's not like she sucked or anything.  It's just a set complement / thing that they say.  Just say thank you, or not yet i still suck, and the conversation changes without even another mention.

Last edited by Gingerninja (2012 May 24, 12:41 pm)

JimmySeal wrote:

nadiatims wrote:

Should someone really have to translate everything back into english just because they are talking to an english speaker?

They wouldn't be translating.  They'd just be speaking English.

In a sense yes, but in the case of Japanese words which have made it into the English language, that's also speaking English, and further translation is a waste of time any way you slice it... I'm just clarifying; there aren't many cases of this anyway.