SOCIETY
“The Meal-Skipping Crowd”: Cute Japanese Gen Z Slang, or a Sign of Japan’s Poverty?
Are young people skipping meals because they don't want to eat? Or are they just too broke? The data paints a complex…
slang
SOCIETY
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Ikezu-Ishi: Are Kyoto’s “Rude Rocks” an Insult, or a Kindness?
Some domestic tourists point to one local custom, the "rude rock," as proof of Kyoto spite. But it isn't even specific to…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
The “Dead” Slang Words a Japanese Dictionary Officially Killed
In English, words are rarely deleted from dictionaries. So why in 2021 did a Japanese dictionary publisher give 1,100 words the boot?
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Giccho?! Here Are Some Dead Japanese Words That Only Old Folks Use
You may still hear these words or see them in print - but you won't hear them come from the mouth of…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Kaiwai: What this Japanese Word Means – and Why it’s Trending
Trying to keep up with your Japanese slang? Then you'd better learn "kaiwai" - one of the year's most-trending terms.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Pien Meaning: The Crying Emoji Japan Made Its Own
Learn how "pien" became the in-fashion word of 2020 - and how its use spread through popular media and Kabukicho street culture.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
In Gen Z Japan’s Hot New Slang, Princes Become Frogs
When does a prince become a frog? For Gen Zers in Japan, it can happen over something as small as a declined…
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Egui: One Japanese Word’s Journey from “Awful” to “Awesome!”
"Egui" in Japanese used to have a thoroughly negative meaning. Not anymore. Here's when - and why - that changed.