The XQ Sumimasen Podcast

Borrowed English words are everywhere in Japan, but many of them don't mean exactly what native English speakers expect. Some have been shortened, others have developed completely new meanings, and a few can lead to some genuinely confusing conversations. In this episode, guest co-host Scoey and I continued our discussion about Japanese-English vocabulary by looking at more examples of words that surprised us after moving to Japan and the stories behind how they came to be used. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Familiar Words With Unexpected Meanings One of the first words we discussed was Hotchkiss , the Japanese word for a stapler. To someone hearing it for the first time, it sounds completely unrelated to office supplies. Like many borrowed words in Japanese, however, it...

Some of the biggest surprises about living in Japan aren't the famous landmarks or traditions that everyone talks about. They're the small, everyday experiences that slowly teach you how life here works. In this episode, guest co-host Keito and I shared some of the lesser-known things we've encountered while living in Japan, from everyday etiquette and regional differences to small cultural habits that often surprise newcomers. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Everyday Rules You Don't Expect Many of Japan's unwritten rules aren't difficult to follow once you know they exist—but discovering them usually happens through trial and error. We talked about everything from garbage disposal and noise etiquette to small language misunderstandings that can completely ...