Japanese wordplay
Japanese wordplay relies on the nuances of the Japanese language and Japanese script for humorous effect, functioning somewhat like a cross between a pun and a spoonerism. Double entendres have a rich history in Japanese entertainment due to the language's large number of homographs and homophones.
Kakekotoba
Kakekotoba or "pivot words" are an early form of Japanese wordplay used in waka poetry, wherein some words represent two homonyms. The presence of multiple meanings within these words allowed poets to impart more meaning into fewer words.Goroawase
Goroawase is an especially common form of Japanese wordplay, wherein homophonous words are associated with a given series of letters, numbers or symbols, in order to associate a new meaning with that series. The new words can be used to express a superstition about certain letters or numbers. More commonly, however, goroawase is used as a mnemonic technique, especially in the memorization of numbers such as dates in history, scientific constants and phone numbers.Numeric substitution
Examples
- 11 can be read as "wan-wan", which is commonly used in Japan as an onomatopoeia for a dog barking.
- 16 can be read as "hi-ro", Hiro being a common Japanese given name, as well as sounding like the English word "hero".
- 26 can be read as "fu-ro", meaning "bath". Public baths in Japan have reduced entry fees on the 26th day of every month.
- 29 can be read as "ni-ku", meaning "meat". Restaurants and grocery stores have special offers on the 29th day of every month.
- 39 can be read as "san-kyū", referring to "thank you" in English.
- 44 can be read as "yo-yo" and is thus a common slang term in the international competitive yo-yo community, which has a strong Japanese presence.
- 56, read as "ko-ro", is used in, an alternate spelling of the verb "korosu" used on the internet to avoid wordfilters.
- 89 can be read as "ha-gu", which refers to "hug" in English. August 9th is National Hug Day in Japan.
- 109 can be read as "tō-kyū". The 109 department store in Shibuya, Tokyo is often read as "ichi-maru-kyū", but the number 109 was selected as the alternative reading "tō-kyū" is a reference to Tokyu Corporation, the group that owns the building.
- 230 can be read as "fu-mi-o", the given name of former Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. He uses this number in his Twitter handle "kishida230".
- 428 can be read as "shi-bu-ya", referring to the Shibuya area of Tokyo, and "yo-tsu-ba" meaning four-leaf clover.
- 526 can be read as "ko-ji-ro" in reference to Sasaki Kojiro, a samurai from the Edo period.
- 634 can be read as "mu-sa-shi". The Tokyo Skytree's height was intentionally set at 634 meters so it would sound like Musashi Province, an old name for the area in which the building stands.
- 801 can be read as "ya-o-i" or yaoi, a genre of homoerotic manga typically aimed at women.
- 893 can be read as "ya-ku-za" or "yakuza". It is traditionally a bad omen for a student to receive this candidate number for an exam.
- 1492, the year of Columbus' first voyage to America, can be read as "i-yo-ku-ni" and appended with "ga mieta" to form the phrase "Alright! I can see land!". Additionally, "i-yo-ku-ni" itself could simply be interpreted as "It's a good country". The alternative reading "i-shi-ku-ni" is also used to memorize the year, though it is not typically associated with a particular meaning.
- 4649 can be read as "yo-ro-shi-ku", meaning "best regards".
- 18782 + 18782 = 37564 can be read as "i-ya-na-ya-tsu + i-ya-na-ya-tsu = mi-na-go-ro-shi" 2=嫌な奴＋嫌な奴＝皆殺し.
- 3.14159265, the first nine digits of pi, can be read as "san-i-shi-i-ko-ku-ni-mu-kō", meaning "an obstetrician faces towards a foreign country".
Dajare
Example one:
- アルミ缶の上にある蜜柑
Ginatayomi
Some dajare rely on ginatayomi for effect, similar to garden-path sentences in English. Many are commonly told by children.Example one:
Example two: