JapanUp! magazine

The Sea of Suits If you stand at a major Tokyo train station at 8:00 AM, you will witness a breathtaking sight: thousands of people wearing identical dark suits, carrying briefcases, and marching silently toward their offices. In Japan, these corporate warriors have a very specific name. The “Wasei Eigo” Creation They are called “Salarymen.” To an English speaker, this sounds like a comic book superhero whose superpower is earning a paycheck. But it is actually a classic example of “Wasei Eigo” (Japanese-made English)—words that sound English but were entirely invented in Japan. It simply means an office worker or…

The Beverly Hills Expectation If you make a new Japanese friend in Los Angeles and they casually tell you, “I live in a Mansion back in Tokyo,” your jaw might drop. You will immediately imagine them living like a Hollywood celebrity in Beverly Hills, with a sprawling estate, ten bedrooms, and a massive swimming pool. The Concrete Reality But in Japan, the word “Mansion” (マンション) is another tricky piece of “Wasei Eigo” (Japanese-made English). It has absolutely nothing to do with a luxury estate. In Japanese, a “Mansion” simply means a multi-story, concrete condominium or apartment building. Apartment vs. Mansion…

The Independent Commute If you have ever seen the hit Japanese TV show “Old Enough!”, you know that Japanese children are incredibly independent. Even six-year-old elementary school kids walk through busy city streets to get to school completely by themselves, without their parents holding their hands. The Yellow Flag Protectors But they are not entirely unprotected. During the morning rush hour, you will see adults wearing bright vests, standing at crosswalks holding bright yellow flags. They physically block traffic to allow large groups of little kids wearing yellow hats to cross the street safely. The Community Watch This system is…

The Bottled Water Habit In many parts of the US, or when traveling internationally, people rely strictly on bottled water or heavy-duty home filters to stay hydrated. Drinking straight from a public bathroom sink is usually out of the question. The Tap Water Shock In Japan, you can turn on almost any cold water faucet—in a hotel room, a train station, or a local park—and drink the water directly. It is 100% safe, clean, and perfectly normal for locals to gulp it down. The Strict Standards How is this possible? Japan has some of the strictest water purification laws and…