Japanese English: Language and Culture Contact

8. Is it naisu rice or good gohan?; In Japan, it's not what you eat, but how you say it

Is it nais u rice or good gohan?; In Japan, it's not what you eat, but how you say it Introduction It was strange t o see, but ther e i t was, clearly outline d i n re d o n th e plasti c dish o n m y friend's breakfas t table. 1 In th e letters of the katakana syllabary — the writin g syste m tha t th e Japanese us e t o write foreig n word s — was th e appetizing nam e Fatto Supureddo, 'Fa t Spread'. 2 Thi s butte r substitut e wa s ironically named, as it was actually a very healthy, low calorie, margarine mad e only of th e very best 'vegetabl e oil ' (shokubutsu yushi) wit h almos t n o sal t o r other debilitating substances. It was a special brand distributed by a nationwide housewives co-o p (Tsukishima Shokuhin Koogyoo, Tokyo) , s o th e qualit y wa s supposed t o b e outstanding . Yet , I someho w coul d no t ge t th e imag e o f spreading white condensed lar d o n m y toast out of my mind. Most people are aware that many new foods have been brought into Japan. For example , Makudonarudo hamburger s ar e everywhere , eve n i n outlyin g areas. There ar e als o numerous American food s lik e Tekusasu Suteeki ('Texas Steaks'), Aisu ('ice-cream'), and FuraidoPoteto (Trench fries'); even Sunoo Booru ('snow cones' ) hav e come t o Japan. However , in thi s chapter I am no t goin g to loo k a t thes e obviousl y importe d foods , bu t instea d I will focus o n som e local kinds. These home-grow n varieties that I want to look at have borrowe d English names , although mos t often no t an American taste . To man y Westerners , Japanese foo d i s stereotypically associate d wit h curious ingredients , strange preparation s (o r even lack thereof), an d arcan e culinary rituals . I believe, however , tha t on e o f th e mos t exoti c aspect s o f Japanese cuisin e ma y be th e myria d Englis h loanword s use d i n mos t o f th e packaged foods , snacks , an d prepare d far e foun d i n th e typica l Japanese grocery store . In thi s chapte r I will examine , semioticall y an d sociolinguistically , th e packaging o f ove r on e hundre d o f thes e Japanese prepare d foods . I will examine fou r way s English loanword s ar e use d i n thes e Japanese processe d foods, an d the n loo k at half a dozen o r so communicative strategie s tha t ar e 8฀ 190 Japanese English: Language and culture contact used i n Japanese foo d packaging , includin g some of the elements o f graphi c design. I will then discus s ho w these loanword s hav e actually contribute d t o the creatio n o f new foods i n Japan. English product names, phonetically nativized and written in the Japanese katakana syllabary, provide interesting visual aromas for fare that is often rathe r mundane. English Catch Phrases in roman letters (a s in Look Strawberry Chocolate) describing the enclosed foods ca n add an intriguing visual spice. Western-style foods, naturally , are often pron e t o be associated wit h loanwords (a s in Hello Panda [cream-fille d biscuits] , China Marble [jaw-breakers], o r Kiss Mint For Etiquette [chewing gum t o eliminate ba d breath]) . These foods are most often designe d in Japan, for Japanese tastes . Candies with Air In Chocolate, o r ho t horseradish-spice d pea s tha t ar e a Happy Present From The Earth are not poor attempt s to mimic English brand names . Instead , I argue tha t what is occurring i s a synaesthesia o f eye and ear , and sigh t an d taste. This makes th e nativ e food mor e intriguing , th e borrowe d labe l mor e domestic, and th e consume r mor e sated . Western word s an d Easter n food s As I have pointe d ou t i n previou...