Things you can’t say on Japanese television

Note: This post contains many rude words!

Aka アカ, “Red”. Meaning a leftist. Because this does not refer to a stated political leaning but is rather a generalization, it is insufficiently accurate for Japanese news reports. This term can only be used when it is necessary to provide historical accuracy, to report the views of non-communists of the past. As such, it is marked on lists of banned phrases along with other politically insensitive terms.

Chosen 朝鮮 The name for Korea when it was ruled by Japan, the current name of the Korean peninsula, and the current name of the imaginary single Korean republic according to North Korea. However, South Korea refers to Korea as Kankoku 韓国. If you use Chosen, you offend South Koreans; if you use Kankoku, you offend North Koreans (and Japan has many). I recommend people use the word Chosen at all times, because North Koreans are scarier when offended, but people appearing on television must read 2 pages about the appropriate situations when each of the two words may be used. The name of the single Korean language used in both North and South Korea is especially delicate. On the NHK the Korean language is referred to as “that language” or “the language written in Hangul”.

Inchiki, Detarame, Usotsuki インチキ・デタラメ・うそつき: “Bogus, Irresponsible, Liars”. News commentators are prohibited from saying these libelous words when referring to organizations.

Stewardess, Indian, Gypsy, Eskimo, Dutchman, etc. The Japanese news stations keep up to date with the latest developments in people being offended overseas, and advise their commentators on prohibited foreign words as they come to notice.

Gaijin 外人 Became offensive in the 1990s thanks to the exhausting efforts of Arudou Debito. “Gaikokujin” is now used in the media. However, the word gaijin is not censored when gaijin themselves say it.

Kuronobou 黒ん坊 “Blackie” Formerly used to refer to people with a nice tan; some beaches even had blackie competitions. But its misuse by some people to refer to black-skinned folks has led to its being weeded out.

Taiwan seifu 台湾政府 “Taiwanese government” This expression was explicitly banned in 1972 when Japan recognized Red China. People who appear on TV must use the designated alternate phrase 台湾当局, “Taiwanese authorities”.

Uranihon 裏日本 “Back of Japan”; South Pacific Mandate Kindai terms for the Japan Sea coastline and Micronesia, respectively. Both sound a little off to the modern ear.

日本のチベット “Tibet of Japan” An off-the-cuff term used sometimes for sparsely inhabited parts of the countryside. Inappropriate for use by politicians and news commentators.

Onanie, chinko, manko オナニー, ちんこ, まんこ Rude words for sexual acts and body parts. One of Japan’s baseball imports was named Frank Mankovitch, but his official name as reported by the team and the government was “Frank Manny”. The port (kou) of the Okinawan village Itoman 糸満 is only ever called Itomangyokou.

Ai no ko あいのこ, “child of miscegenation”. Refers to the product of a mixed marriage between a pure Japanese and another race, but became offensive many decades ago. Up until the 1970s, the replacement word was konketsu 混血, “mixed blood”. This is also now offensive. In the 1970s this was replaced with the word “half” ハーフ, meaning half-Japanese. Recently the term “half” is also being found offensive by someone somewhere, on grounds I do not understand; probably just the euphemism treadmill at work. It is being replaced with three English words I find more offensive: “colored”, “mixed”, and “double”. The first two are mistaken borrowings, using old and slightly rude-sounding English words for what we would now call multiracial, and therefore improving nothing. But “double” is extremely annoying to me. A person cannot have double the heritage of another person. This is condescending to the family, and I would prefer people use “half”.

Honya 本屋, “the bookseller” Since the 1960s it has become inadvisable to use this without -san, i.e. 本屋さん “Mr. Bookseller”.

Kichigai, 気違い “crazy” One of the most offensive words in Japan, despite its ubiquitous use in American English. Other words like “schizophrenic” are also banned.

知恵遅れ retarded, 白痴 idiot Not for use on television except when you are talking about a Dostoevsky novel.

“Fools don’t catch colds”, “Illness starts with the mind” These incredibly common Japanese phrases are banned from Japanese television because they go against scientific medicine. The word “cold” is itself sometimes referred to as “the so-called cold” 「いわゆる風邪」 on television.

将棋倒し “Falling like chess pieces” After the 2001 Akashi pedestrian bridge accident when it was repeatedly used to refer to people crushed in a stampede, the Japan Chess Federation requested that people stop using this phrase, and it was dutifully added to the list of banned phrases.

Turkish bath In 1984, Turkish seismologist Nusret Sancakli led a campaign in Japan to ban this phrase and replace it with “soapland”. It is now considered offensive.

Motel Japanese news announcers cannot say the word “motel” because of the implications of being a hotel for lovers.

Slave, slavery It’s rude to former slaves, duh.

Description of the synthesis of illegal drugs

Blaming someone for declining marriage and birth rates

Posted: April 25th, 2012 | Japan 6 Comments »

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