Takashi's Japanese Dictionary

A blog for learning Japanese that introduces Japanese slang words and Idioms!

Zagin De Shīsū: Japanese “Back Slang” From 1980s Explained

In the late 1980s, it became a trend among people in the TV industry to read words in (partially) reverse order and use them as jargon. Such words include "ザギン", meaning "銀座 (Ginza)" and シースー, meaning "寿司 (sushi)", and people used to say the phrase "ザギンでシースー", meaning "(eating) sushi at Ginza", to make a suggestion for lunch or dinner. Eventually, these TV industry jargons spread to ordinary people since some celebrities, especially the comedy duoとんねるず started to use them on TV. Although most of the words now sound quite old-fashioned, some people still use them as a joke or humorous expression. This article explains famous reverse words that you may use to make your Japanese friends laugh and surprised!Read More

12 Japanese Idioms and Metaphors about Baseball (Yakyū)

As you may know, in (American) English there are many metaphors about baseball, including "hit a home run" and "touch base". This is also the case in Japanese, the language of the country where baseball is one of the most popular sports. This article introduces unique Japanese baseball metaphors that you can pitch in a casual conversation! (However, don’t go overboard, as you may sound like a middle-aged baseball fanatic.)Read More