軟派 (nanpa)

 

 Nanpa means player, a seducer, or someone that pick ups on women (oftenly) in the streets

 by Clém

いざかや (izakaya)

 

Izakayas are informal Japanese bars that serve alcoholic drinks and snacks. It's a casual place for after-work drinking and it seems very appreciated of Japanese. According to me it is very different from European bars but the atmosphere is similar as it's a place to relax and have fun !

by Clém

ごちそうさまでした: gouchisousamadeshita

 

ごちそうさまでした: Gouchisousamadeshita (formal) or only gouchisousama (informal) is the japanese phrase for thanking for the food once someone finishes eating. 

猫舌（ねこじた）: nekojita

 猫舌（ねこじた）: nekojita. Japanese word that relates to people who are sensitive to hot food and/or drinks. It comes from the junction of the words "neko" (cat) and "jita" (tongue).

Kogal/kogyaru

I recently learned about a fashion subculture which arose in the 1990s amongst Japanese schoolgirls, called kogyaru.

This was a trend which saw Japanese high school girls alter their school uniforms, such as wearing loose socks (which I have seen depicted in Japanese animation), as well as wearing checked scarfs, having a fake suntan, died hair and cute accessories. However this was more than just a fashion trend, but translated into their language, the way they conducted themselves, and for some even represented a form of rebellion, as these girls aimed to be scandalous, outrageous and go against traditional expectations of teenage girls. 

Here are some links about this subculture movement if you are interested:

https://blogs.uoregon.edu/postbubbleculture/2010/03/30/japanese-subculture-kogals-and-lolitas-rebellion-or-fashion/

https://the-comm.online/blog/the-history-of-gyaru/

https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/gyaru/

Shotengai (商店街): Shopping street

Shotengai (商店街) means 'shopping street' in Japanese and is typically used to refer to a traditional covered street lined with local shops. It is closed to traffic, and perhaps comparable to a shopping arcade. They can often stretch for miles!

Osaka's Tenjinbashi-suji  is Japan's longest shotengai, and is approximately 2.6km long!

生きがい（いきがい）: ikigai

 

生きがい（いきがい）: ikigai. This is a japanese word with no english translation that relates to "reason for living". "Iki" comes from life, and "gai" from value.

One's ikigai is what brings someone joy and makes you want to live every day.