Shorter, Cuter?
Japanese Catch Phrases

Reference Pages Index -- Oniko Goes To Japan Main Page

There seems to be an obsession in Japan to reduce long words and phrases down to simplier four character words; I don't know if there is a particular term for this practice, but it's common enough for me to be intrigued by it. Both foreign and Japanese words and phrases are simplified in this way... below is a list of the terms I've encountered so far.

Short Phrase ... What the heck it means!

AMeYoKo = "Ame-Yoko" ... shortened name for "Ameya-yokochou" -- "Candy-shop Alley" -- a well-known shopping district near Ueno Park in Tokyo.

CoMiKeTo = "Comi-Ket" ... nickname for the popular "Comic Market" comic book convention in Tokyo.

PoKeMoN = "Pocke-Mon" ... short for "Pocket Monsters", the actual name of the Pokemon cartoon from Japan; but American producers didn't think the original English name would be popular with parents, eh?

PuReSuTe = "Play-Stay" … short for "Playstation", an extremely well-known home video game system.

PuRoReSu = "Pro-Wres" ... short for both "Professional Wrestling" and a "Professional Wrestler". In case you didn't know it, japan has it's own wrestling leagues, and they tend to be more brutal than the stuff shown on TV in the States.


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