11 December, 2010

Confusing labels in Japan

A couple of weeks ago we went to one of our favourite parks and I saw this sign. Because my Japanese reading is not quite what it should be, I naturally read the English first then the Japanese. In this case, I might have even "read" the picture then the English then the Japanese. That was a thoroughly confusing order in which to read the sign.

The English and the Japanese say the same, but the picture says something different. It took some pondering. The sign was on a bike track and I think it means "Run slowly because there are bikes here."


I've also found some strange English food labels recently at our 100 yen grocery store (about AU$1.20) where everything is 100 yen (well, actually 104 yen with sales tax added). We buy our milk and tins of fruit and beans from there as well as some frozen vegetables and occasionally other things. 

But I'm not sure whether I should try some of these biscuit products:


Square sand


Cricket?
Sometimes we wish that Japan would become an English speaking country, but I think they might mangle the language and confuse us even more.

 
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3 comments:

  1. Karen12 December, 2010 07:06

    Are the crickets sweet or savoury?? From the outside of the bag they look like sweet ones.
    I think you should try them all and then give us a taste test review.

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  2. Ken Rolph12 December, 2010 10:36

    Surely that first sign means "exercise slowly otherwise you will perspire and leave a vapour trail behind you!"

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  3. Wendy12 December, 2010 11:22

    Karen, I just might do that. The biscuits are not expensive.

    Ken - you might be tempted to think that. Except that the majority of Japanese are very pedestrian in their bike riding habits, they ride slowly.

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