This is How Language Shapes the Japanese Culture
By: Ariel Kern
Tags: Travel, Life, Culture, Japan, Language

“Yes she’s interesting, but how can I say she’s charismatic, or intriguing?” I ask my Japanese teacher, trying to be more specific.

“There’s just one word,” my teacher answers, “Omoushiroi means all those adjectives.”

I couldn’t fathom how one word in Japanese could mean interesting and a hundred other generally related adjectives — until I started living in Tokyo a few months later and discovered:

There is magic in Japanese words.

We can be ridiculously precise in English. So it’s annoying when someone describes a movie as “interesting” or a restaurant as “good.” How useless, what the heck does that mean?

But you must realize that in Japanese, that one word — which has a bazillion English translations — has a deep, robust meaning that while vague, also fills you with an expansive definition that can’t be put into words.

Not only do these 7 words have robust meanings with many translation options, but they’re also so core to the way Japanese people speak that hopefully, they give a glimpse into how people think in this magical place of Japan.

#1. Shouganai (しょうがない): Accepting your fate

“My manager made me plan our team outing,” my coworker sighs, “ I’m really busy with work, but, Shouganai.”

That’s all my coworker had to say to explain it’s out of her control. Since her manager requested her to make the plans, she’s going to just do it. No point in complaining.

Instead of stressing about something that is out of your control, it’s better to accept it and move on. I used to spend a lot more time complaining about the things happening to me.

I’m freezing in Detroit while people get to relax outside in Los Angeles.

Why must that motorcycle be so loud outside my window?

Aw man, this traffic is gonna make me late!

All those occurrences are completely out of my control, so why did I spend so much energy complaining? Because that was my culture. We Americans are good at voicing our opinions, letting people know when we are not satisfied, and never letting others forget that we inconvenienced ourselves.

But in Japan, a country full of natural disasters from earthquakes to typhoons and tsunamis (the latter two being Japanese words, that’s how many happen here,) this concept of Shouganai helps Japanese people deal with so many natural disasters without complaining. It’s even how they recovered so quickly from WWII; instead of focusing on their destroyed towns, they accepted what happened and got busy rebuilding.

Shouganai does allow people to ignore some massive issues, like global climate change which seems too extreme for one person to do anything about it. But, honestly, that mentality is probably better than stressing all the time.

#2. Genki (元気): Feeling your life force

Anytime you greet someone in Japan, you ask if they are Genki, and they’ll respond with how they’re feeling — which is usually confirming yes, they are Genki.

But this word is much more than “How are you doing?” It encompasses health, enthusiasm, and energy all in the same concept.

When a dog is super excited and jumping around — Genki.

When a speaker at a conference is giving off a ton of energy — Genki.

When your friend is happy and dancing around at the bar — Genki.

The kanji (the two characters of 元気) mean ‘origin’ and ‘spirit, and represent your “spirit force.” Compared to Americans, who believe that being healthy will give us energy, in Chinese and Japanese belief, your energy is what makes you healthy.

Your spirit force is much deeper than just the energy to get out of bed, it’s your lifeforce. When this energy is disrupted, that’s when you get illnesses. Having a positive outlook on life and keeping your energy high means you will stay healthy and live longer.

#3. Mottainai (勿体無い): Regretting your wastefulness

In casual conversation, you can say Mottainai when:

you just weren’t hungry and couldn’t finish your food.

you spent way too much money on some new shoes.

talking about single-use plastic straws.

you waste three hours of your day commuting without getting anything done.

Meaning “what a waste” or “what a shame”, it’s the philosophy that wasting anything is bad. And is full of regret.

As an island, Japan has historically had to be careful not to waste their resources. So people don’t buy a bunch of stuff they don’t need, and they take care of what they have.

Bowls repaired in the art of Kintsugi: using gold to fix the break, creating a new beautiful item instead of throwing away broken pieces (photo by author)

People don’t waste food, and most food is served on small plates and usually shared across the table. My TaiChi school has branches in London and Sydney and we have annual trainings together in Tokyo. Last year, after a dinner where we ordered more than we could chew, my Tokyo teacher stayed back to apologize to the restaurant staff, feeling very embarrassed.

Modern Japan has changed a bit as people value convenience and food comes wrapped in a ton of plastic. Cheaper products sell in stores, and old food is thrown out very quickly to maintain a high-quality of freshness.

But Mottainai has become a rallying cry and a powerful tool to encourage environmentally sustainable behavior in Japan. Last year, the government had all stores start charging for plastic bags to encourage people to bring back used ones. In a complete 180, I now see the majority of people bringing their own bags, putting items into their backpacks, and feeling a bit ashamed when they have to ask for a bag.

#4. Ganbatte (頑張って): Doing your best

When friends tell me they’re off to calligraphy class, or to practice guitar, or play a soccer game, I’m excited for them and want to yell “Have fun!” But when I say that in Japanese, I get laughed at. Every time.

Similar to if you were going to do a fun hobby and I responded “Do your best.” It sounds kind of weird right? That’s what cultural norms are all about. And Japanese people find it very normal to expect themselves and everyone around them to always be doing their best.

Playing tennis with some friends? Ganbatte.

On your way to a client meeting? Ganbatte.

Going to study Japanese tonight? Ganbatte.

Cheering on your favorite baseball player? Yell Ganbatte.

No “have fun,” “good luck,” or “you’re gonna be amazing” words of encouragement. No, only do your best, don’t give up. If you’re going to do something, you should give it your all. Otherwise, why are you doing it?

Doing your best is respectable, and not giving your all is disgraceful. It’s why Japanese people work so hard to exhaustion, why everyone is very polite, why food is always beautiful and customer service expectations are extremely high.

Even leisure is driven by Ganbatte. Traditional festivals in Japan often involve carrying extremely heavy shrines on wooden logs weighing thousands of kilograms, or other crazy feats of strength and endurance. Japanese people love a challenge.

Dozens of people carrying a heavy shrine at a traditional festival in Tokyo. (photo by author)

At a festival in Kyoto, participants compete to carry a heavy block of rice patties to earn good future health. (photo by author)

#5. Yoroshiku (よろしく): Humbly requesting others to be kind

I struggled to understand the depth of this word because it has a million meanings in English. In Japanese, all these examples would be Yoroshiku:

During an introduction, we’d say “nice to meet you” in English.

Meeting a new client and saying “looking forward to working with you”

Signing an email saying “best regards”

Asking someone to do a task and saying “thanks in advance” or “please take care of this”

Buried in the meaning of Yoroshiku is the strong request of “please be kind to me.”

In January, after saying the Japanese equivalent of Happy New Year! people use Yoroshiku to ask others to continue treating you kindly in the new year. You say this to every single person you know. Talk about New Year’s Resolutions.

Asking everyone you meet, your coworkers, and new clients to be kind to you immediately brings a sense of humility. That other person has a lot of control over your well-being, you acknowledge the fact and in a way ask for their mercy. Yoroshiku is at the heart of humility and respect in Japan.

#6. Otsukare (お疲れ): Thanking others for their hard work

Walking down the hallway at my new office in Tokyo, everyone kept saying Otsukare to me. A coworker explained it’s something people say to each other at work. But why?

The root word tsukare means “fatigue.” People are walking around literally telling people “You look tired!” Don’t take it as an insult that your face looks rough; instead, it’s the greatest compliment in Japan. You worked yourself to complete fatigue and exhaustion? Respect.

An easier way to understand is saying “Thank you for your hard work.” Before an activity, we all say Ganbatte to encourage hard work, after we’re done (working, rehearsing, hiking, etc) we say Otsukare. Going out with my coworkers, we say this as we clink our glasses together, implying everyone worked hard and deserves a drink.

Otsukare is the official sign-off after every activity in Japan. Reminding us daily that we should have given our activity everything we’ve got, and feel tired and depleted afterward.

#7. Itadakimasu (いただきます): Humbly accepting your food

Whether you’re at a nice restaurant about to dig into some fresh sushi, or at McDonald’s ready to dip your fries in ketchup, before people eat in Japan they always say Itadakimasu.

Coming from the verb “to receive,” people are saying “I humbly receive” the food in front of me.

Japan is a Buddhist culture and this word is rooted in the tradition of respecting all living things.

Every time people eat, they say Itadakimasu to thank all the work that went into bringing this food to their table, from the farmers who grew it and the chefs who cooked it, to the plants and animals who gave their lives.

Like a kid yelling “Grace” because his parents told him to, Itadakimasu is not religious for most people. But repeating this word everything time you eat does something to your subconscious, humbling you at a deep level at how many people and things helped you eat today.

Of course, after saying Itadakimasu and starting to eat, you better not leave any food, since something gave up its life for you to eat, wasting would be Mottainai. So Ganbatte and try to finish everything in front of you. Unless the food makes you feel not Genki and sick, then Shouganai you can’t help if the food is bad. But when the chef comes to your table with a look of disappointment, you better ask them to be kind, starting with Yoroshiku and praise their hard work with Otsukare.

Language shapes our culture. Imagine how your brain would be different if these kinds of words were part of English and your regular vocabulary.

Which word do you wish was a part of English culture?