As a blogger, one of the most fascinating aspects of the whole process is how people find this blog. As many of you already know, when I want to, I can check to see how people have found GBUJ. What I have learned is that most people finding this are looking for Japanese language lessons. (The JET Program is a very close #2!) Now, while I was happy to teach people some useful expressions, in this post I thought I would focus on what can’t be said in Japanese. In some cases this is a good thing and in other cases this is not. As I explain, you will see why.
For example, there is no Japanese word for “privacy.” Simply put, there is very little of it in Japan and therefore the lack of a term. Now some of you may argue that there is “privacy” in katakana, but as I have explained before, I don’t think katakana helps. Not at all! In short, there is little privacy in Japan. One result, of course, being that the little privacy that people do have becomes really really important! Oddly enough, a “privacy” law was enacted a few years ago and for the most part it is useless (and even dangerous) as people in Japan don’t really know what is private and personal and what isn’t.
Two other loan words that are widely misunderstood in Japan are “humanism” and “globalism.” Currently, in my line of work, the former is a catchphrase that is espoused at any given opportunity. The problem, it is also in katakana, and I can’t believe that any two people in Japan have the same definition of the word – or even care for that matter. Of course, as many longterm residents will attest to, “humanism” is only applicable to people of Japanese nationality. Other nationalities aren’t human! 
Globalism in Japan means what is best for “Japan” more or less.
Another omission from the Japanese lexicon is “business.” I think this also applies to capitalism and democracy. While business is always in katakana, the other two do have Japanese translations, i.e. they can be written in kanji. My issue with all three words is that since business, capitalism, and democracy aren’t actually practiced in Japan, how can they really be defined and used as they are outside Japan? Now in some ways this is a good thing and not just a complaint. (Actually I have never written a complaint about Japan, just made observations!) But reading the news on a daily basis has taught me time and time again that there are few people in Japan who know what democracy means and how it should be practiced. Having said this though, the Japanese forms of “business,” “capitalism,” and “democracy,” have helped insulate it from a lot of the abuses that occur in countries like the USA. The subprime loan mess is a perfect example! It wouldn’t happen in Japan as the bottom line in Japan isn’t only about money. It is more about who you know and who “you” are! (See my post from a few moths ago.)
Anyway, I thought I would teach you a little about Japanese that really doesn’t exist IMHO. While some readers may think that I am making this up or being overly pessimistic about life in Japan. Actually, I am just telling it like I see it! And in my defense, I would use the word “baseball” as an example. There is no “baseball” in Japan. It is called “yakkyu” and as many have seen for themselves, yakkyu and baseball are not always the same! And I am not saying one is better than the other, but at least people in Japan went to the trouble of making a word for it in Japanese and not using katakana to make yet another regularly misunderstood loan word.
Thanks for reading,
GBUJ
