English has established itself as the dominant force in the global communication sphere, and as a result you can find it on everything from subway signs to strip club advertisements across the world.
In some countries, consumers see English is seen as cool or exotic, and advertisers have taken notice of this trend amongst their customers (similar to the American obsession with tattooing themselves with kanji or the Brazilian obsession with tribal tattoos).
For some reason, I expected the English in Japan to be flawless in its execution, but I could not have been more misguided (it was entertaining to say the least). The following is a showcase of products that at one point someone decided would be enhanced with English words. Are these words meaningful in their arrangement? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Are they incredibly entertaining to come across in the wild? Yes they are.
Redemption!
As entertaining as it is when translation goes awry, by the same token, some translations prove superior to a native speaker's take on things.
The following products found on Japanese shelves do a fantastic job incorporating the English language, and as a result they won my favor, and my business.
I did 2 navy Tours in Japan and this brought back some great memories. I wish I had the forethought to document all the ones I came across. I will be going back in the not so distan future. great Blog
Have spent a lot more time in Japan since writing this. Thinking about doing another one of these soon.
Please do.