The word “emoji” comes from the Japanese ?(?) “picture” and ??(??) (”character” or “letter”)
6. Sudoku
Most of us remember being encouraged to play sudoku by our teachers and parents as a kid whether we wanted to or not. Although number puzzles like sudoku don’t originate in Japan, the name of this particular number puzzle game comes from the Japanese kanji for ?(??) “number” and ?(??) “solitary. This is actually an abbreviation of a much longer title – the stimulating puzzle game first appeared in Japanese papers under the title ??(???)???(????)??(??)? (“The Digits Must Be Single”) in 1984. Japanese language learners might notice the elongated vowel in ?? and realize that the Western pronunciation of sudoku is nothing like the original Japanese. Some people will say “soo-DOO-ko” or “soo-DOH-koo” in English, but it is really much more like “SOO-doh-ku” with the emphasis on the first syllable.
7. Emoji
That’s right! Emojis originate from Japan, too! Interface designer Shigetaka Kurita popularized the emoji by designing a set of 176 colorful emojis in 1999 for use on DoCoMo’s i-mode, a mobile internet platform. They have since become extremely popular and occasionally controversial due to the usage and connotations of certain emojis like the infamous ??. There is actually a non-profit organization known as the Unicode Consortium that manages emojis and introduces new additions each year.
8. Ninja
Ninja, or shinobi (?(??)?), were stealthy agents active during feudal Japan, particularly in the Sengoku Period. In this era of samurai and shoguns, ninja would be hired for covert operations such as espionage, sneak attacks, and even terrorism. The word ??(????) is comprised of the characters ? (“endure” or “conceal”) and ? (“person”). While modern pop culture has promoted these unscrupulous tricksters to the position of honorable warriors with supernatural powers, this was certainly not their image during the feudal period.
9. Dojo
What ties the words ???(?????) aikido, ??(?????) judo, and ??(????) kendo together? You guessed it – that second character ?(??), meaning “way” or “pursuit.” Similarly, a dojo (literally ?(??) “pursuit” and ?(???) “place”) is the place where you might practice one of these lofty physical pursuits. The term dojo was incorporated into the English language to refer to a facility where you would work on karate or other kinds of martial arts, but these days it has expanded into other fields. You can even find coding or hacking dojos where passionate programmers can get together and hone their skills.
10. Rickshaw
Have you ever seen someone pulling a passenger in a small cart, almost like a human-powered taxi? That’s a rickshaw. Derived from the Japanese word ???(??????) “jinrikisha” – ? (man) + ? (power) + ? (vehicle) – rickshaws are still used today, although it is much more common to see motorized rickshaws than hand-pulled ones. Still, if you’re keen on pretending that you’re a moneyed aristocrat from the 1800s, you’re welcome to seek out a private traditional rickshaw tour in cities like Kyoto.
11. Zen
Hopefully, if you find yourself saying things like “I’m in my zen today” or “That’s so zen,” you at least have an idea of where the word originates from! Zen comes from ?(??) (the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese pronunciation of the Sanskrit dhyana, meaning “deep meditation”) and is a sect of Mahayana Buddhism. Zen teachings emphasize the denial of the ego, relinquishing attachment to emotions, and the importance of meditation.
12. Honcho
Although “honcho” sounds like it could originate from Spanish, it actually comes from ??(?????), meaning squad or group leader. This may have entered the English language after WWII when American soldiers heard troops refer to squad leaders as “honcho.” In English, we tend to use the expression “head honcho” to refer to the highest-ranking person in a company or organization, but there are a vast array of role titles in Japanese companies, and “honcho” does not rise nearly as high up in the ranks as ??(?????) (company president) or even ??(????) (department head).
