CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Konichiwa! Discover Ten English Words With Surprising Japanese Origins!
Published on July 14, 2024
Credit: David Edelstein
Japan, the "Land of the Rising Sun", is definitively a faraway land. While the past few decades have seen a surge in the integration between our two cultures, few languages seem to be as distant and at odds with English as Japanese is: After all, they have completely different writing systems, pronunciations, and sentence structures.
And yet, you might be surprised to learn how many words we use daily, come directly from the Japanese language. We have compiled ten of our favorite words ranging from logical loan words to surprising ones. Enjoy!
Tycoon
Credit: Hunters Race
We’ll start with one of the most surprising entries on this list. What image comes to mind when you hear the word "tycoon"? Perhaps a 20th-century top-hat-wearing business magnate like Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, or even the Monopoly Guy (whose name is "Rich Uncle Pennybags", by the way). However, if the Japanese roots of tycoon are to be believed, this word refers to a different kind of leader.
In the 19th century, the Japanese shogun, the country’s leader at the time, opened business relations with the West. During his first government meeting, the American consul to Japan, mistakenly addressed the shogun by the title of taikun, a disused term that loosely translates to "great prince." In time, the word morphed into the "tycoon" spelling we now use, and by the 1920s it was commonly used to describe someone with great wealth and power.
Futon
Credit: Clay Banks
The preferred resting place for every college student, futons are a comfortable and simple piece of furniture beloved by millions of Americans. Most futons are filled with cotton and are either used as a mattress directly on the floor or framed and used as a sofa or bed. While they might seem like an inexpensive way to decorate an apartment, in Japan futons are a centuries-old tradition that is still maintained by millions of Japanese households.
A traditional Japanese futon consists of a foldable mattress and a duvet, which are both flexible enough to be able to be stored away in a closet during the day. In the 80s, American futons started becoming increasingly popular, although they presented a key difference: most presented a wooden frame, that allowed the mattress to also be folded into a sofa.
Rickshaw
Credit: rishi
If you ever visited New York City, you have probably seen more than a few rickshaws (or as they are known in America, pedicabs) swiftly dodging traffic and diligently carrying tourists throughout the many streets of the Big Apple. And while most U.S. states have at least one city in which pedicabs are prominent, this environmentally conscious mode of transportation first gained traction in New York City during the '60s.
Interestingly, the word "rickshaw" comes from the Japanese word jinrikisha, which literally translates to "human-powered vehicle". The origins of the rickshaw are still debated, but most sources indicate that it was invented in Japan during the 19th century.
Hunky-dory
Credit: Pablo Zuchero
This one is slightly controversial since the origins of this popular expression are still unknown. However, one of the most accepted theories indicates that at least half of this expression comes from Japan, or at least from American sailors trying to communicate in Japanese.
The "hunky" part of this expression comes from the Dutch word hunk, which means "home". By the 19th century, the adjective hunky had migrated into English, meaning "all right" or "safe". While the reason why this word was partnered with "dory" to form this expression remains a mystery, some believe that it comes from the Japanese word dori, which translates to road. This theory states that American sailors looking for places on which to have a drink combined hunky (which could also be interpreted as "satisfactory") and dori.
Emoji
Credit: Markus Winkler
The universal language of the internet, emojis have been extremely popular since the emergence of the online era. These symbols, first known as "emoticons" in the 80s, were comprised of cleverly placed keyboard characters. By the 1990s and early 2000s, the first specially crafted images for online messengers and cellphones were introduced, and their name quickly morphed into the now ubiquitous "emoji".
What’s surprising is how such a silly-sounding word as "emoji" can so perfectly describe what these little smiling pictures mean. It comes from the amalgamation of the Japanese word moji, meaning "letter" or "character", and the prefix e, which means "drawing" or "picture". Therefore, an emoji would literally mean a letter formed by a drawing, which perfectly encapsulates what an emoji actually is.
Honcho
Credit: Brooke Lark
Just like with "tycoon", the word "honcho" is sometimes used to describe a prominent boss or leader. While it might have fallen into disuse now, this word was insanely popular in the United States for a while. You might be surprised to know that this word not only comes from Japanese but that it is rather a fully-formed word that found its way from Japan into the American vocabulary.
By the time World War II was coming to an end, American war prisoners came back home after being held captive by the Japanese forces. They brought back the word honcho with them since it is commonly used in the military to refer to squad leaders. The 1950s are probably the time period in which the words "honcho" and "head honcho" were most popular. Famously, General Eisenhower was called the "chief honcho" by a prominent newspaper in 1952.
Skosh
Credit: Caroline Attwood
In American English, "Skosh" is a funny-sounding word used to describe a tiny amount. You can add a skosh more of salt to your food, you might feel a skosh tired after a long walk and you might ask someone to move a skosh to give you some more space on the couch. This word is sometimes spelled "skoosh", although this is far more popular in the United Kingdom.
Just like with "hunky-dory", skosh was brought back to the States by American soldiers after WWII. It comes from the Japanese word sukoshi, which translates to "a tiny or small amount". The earliest account of this word being used in English comes from 1952.
Karaoke
Credit: Nikola Đuza
Karaoke might be one of Japan’s most iconic contributions to the world. Something is fascinating about how this form of entertainment combines the perfect dose of fun and personal embarrassment. It gives us both a safe space to make fun of ourselves, and a wonderful stage on which to perform our favorite songs.
While karaoke is definitively a loan word, it has found its way into every single English dictionary. It is definitively untranslatable: Karaoke is derived from the Japanese words kara (empty) and ōkesutora (orchestra). Curiously, this Japanese staple is so beloved by American culture that the United States holds the world record for the most people singing karaoke when over 160,000 people sang Garth Brooks’ "Friends in Low Places" in 2009.
Tsunami
Credit: Sailko
Just like with karaoke, tsunami is a Japanese word that can’t really be translated. Well, it technically can be translated to "harbor wave" but let’s be honest: Tsunami has a way better ring to it. In English, this word is mostly used in a metaphorical sense, usually to describe a big and sudden influx. For instance, a restaurant could experience a tsunami of bad reviews, or someone facing a big decision could be met with a tsunami of advice.
While tsunamis are definitively a disheartening natural disaster, they have been featured in many pieces of Japanese art. Most famously, 19th-century Japanese artist Hokusai created an iconic woodprint called "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" depicting a tsunami, which is now synonymous with traditional Japanese culture.
Sushi
Credit: Vinicius Benedit
We’ll end this article with what’s probably the most beloved Japanese icon in modern times. Sushi has become an absolute staple in world cuisine, up to the point that you would have an insanely hard time finding a major city anywhere that doesn’t have at least a few sushi restaurants. The United States quickly embraced sushi since its rise in popularity in the 1960s, and it even introduced its own signature pieces like the California or Philadelphia rolls.
For such a simple word, sushi has a rather interesting etymology. It is mostly derived from the Japanese word su, which means vinegar. The meaning of the suffix shi is debated since no one really knows how it got attached to su to form the word sushi. However, some believe that shi might mean "to fix" or "to control", which makes sense considering how every sushi piece is meticulously crafted and arranged.