Japanese wordplay

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Japanese wordplay relies on the nuances of the Japanese language and Japanese script for humorous effect.

Japanese double entendres have a rich history in Japanese entertainment, because of the way that Japanese words can be read to have several different meanings and pronunciations (homographs). Also, several different spellings for any pronunciation and wildly differing meanings (homophones). Often replacing one spelling with another (homonyms) can give a new meaning to phrases.

Goroawase[]

Goroawase (語呂合わせ) is an especially common form of Japanese wordplay whereby 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.^[1]

Numeric substitution[]

Every digit has a set of possible phonetic values, due to the variety of valid Japanese kanji readings (kun'yomi and on'yomi) and English-origin pronunciations for numbers in Japanese. Often readings are created by taking the standard reading and retaining only the first syllable (for example roku becomes ro). Goroawase substitutions are well known as mnemonics, notably in the selection of memorable telephone numbers for commercial services and in the memorization of numbers such as years in the study of history.

Mnemonics are formed by selecting a suitable reading for a given number; the tables below list the most common readings, though other readings are also possible. Variants of readings may be produced through consonant voicing or gemination, vowel lengthening and the insertion of the nasal mora n (ん).

Examples[]

As mnemonics[]

1492, the year of discovery of America, can be read as "i-yo-ku-ni" and appended with "ga mieta" to form the mnemonic "Wow! I can see land!" (いいよ！国が見えた！). Additionally, "i-yo-ku-ni" itself could simply be interpreted as "it's good country" (いいよ、国). Alternatively, 1492 could be read as "i-shi-ku-ni", which is not typically associated with a particular meaning but is used to memorize the year.

23564, the length of a sidereal day (23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds), can be read as "ni-san-go-ro-shi", which sounds very similar to "nii-san koroshi" (兄さん殺し) or in English, "killing one's older brother".

3.14159265, the first nine digits of pi, can be read as "san-i-shi-i-ko-ku-ni-mu-kou" (産医師異国に向こう), meaning "an obstetrician faces towards a foreign country."

42.19, the length of a marathon course in kilometres, can be read as "shi-ni-i-ku" (死に行く), meaning "to go to die."

Other examples[]

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.4 can be read as "ten-shi" (天使), meaning "angel".

.59 can be read as "ten-go-ku" (天国), meaning "heaven".

093 can be read as "o-ku-san" (奥さん), meaning "wife". It is used occasionally in phone numbers for women or other items used by ladies.

13 can be read as "i-mi", meaning "meaning" (as in "imi wa wakaranai" meaning "I don't know what you mean"). It can also be read as Hitomi, a common Japanese name.

135 can be read as "hi-mi-tsu" (秘密), meaning "secret".

14 can be read as "i-shi", meaning "stone". It can also mean "iyo", one of which is used as a nickname for I-14 in Kantai Collection.

15 can be read as "ichi-go" and is commonly used to refer to strawberries (ichigo). It can also mean "Strawberry Face Conversion", a term used on building a Nissan Silvia S15 front on other compatible cars.

16 can be read as "hi-ro" and is both a standard Japanese name and 16 is the typical age of anime and manga heroes.

18782 can be read as "i-ya-na-ya-tsu" (いやなやつ), meaning unpleasant guy.

23 can be read as "ni-san", motor manufacturer Nissan frequently enters cars numbered 23 into motorsport events.

2424 can be read as Puyo Puyo. This numerical correspondence has been used and referenced ever since the series' debut, and has also been used in various teasers for some of the games. The series celebrated its 24th anniversary in 2015.

25 can be read as "ni-co" (ニコ), is a Japanese name and typical of manga and anime. In Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Nico Saiba transforms into Ride-Player in episode 25.

2525 can be read as "ni-ko-ni-ko" (ニコニコ) and refers to Niconico, a Japanese video-sharing service on the web. This platform had "mylists", which function similarly to a list of bookmarks. Users could have up to 25 mylist folders, but the number of videos per folder depends on the user's membership status.

25252 can be read as "ni-ko-ni-ko-ni", which resembles the catchphrase ("nico nico nii") of Nico Yazawa from Love Live!.

26 can be read as "fu-ro" (風呂), meaning "bath". Public baths in Japan have reduced entry fees on the 26th day of every month.^[4] It can also mean "Nimu", the nickname of IJN I-26 in Kantai Collection.

283 can be read as "tsu-ba-sa", meaning "wing". This is used as the name of "283 Production" in THE iDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors.

29 can be read as "ni-ku" (肉), meaning "meat". Restaurants and groceries have special offers on the 29th day of every month.

315 can be read as "sa-i-kō" (最高), meaning highest, supreme or ultimate.^[5][6] This is used as the name for 315 Productions in The Idolmaster SideM, where the idols under the label use the "saikō" pun as a rallying chant. In Kamen Rider Psyga, the number 315 is used as a henshin code because the alternative reading "sa-i-go" is similar to the pronunciation of "psyga".

32 can be read as "mi-tsu" or "mi-zu", meaning "water".

34 is a frequent target of wordplay in the mystery franchise When They Cry and is often the name of the culprit or an accomplice, such Miyo (三四) in Higurashi When They Cry, Sayo (紗代) in Umineko When They Cry, and Mitsuyo (Kanji not available yet) in Ciconia When They Cry.

346 can be read as "mi-shi-ro", meaning "beautiful castle". This is used as the name of "346 Production" in THE iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls.

37564 can be read as "mi-na-go-ro-shi" (みなごろし), meaning massacre, or kill them all. This is referenced in Initial D where Rin Hojo's car has this number plate, befitting his nickname of "Shinigami", in English, The Grim Reaper (of Kanagawa).

382 can be read as "mi-ya-bi" (みやび), used by Miyavi.

39 can be read as "san-kyū" ("thank you") or as "mi-ku", usually in reference to the virtual singing software character Hatsune Miku or "za-ku," referring to the Zaku mecha from the Gundam franchise.^[7]

3923 can be read as "san-kyu-ni-san" which can either mean "thank you Nissan!" or "thank you, elder brother."

40 can be read as "yon-ju" or "yon-rei". But it can also be rendered as "four zero", with the first two syllables used to create the title Kamen Rider Fourze, the series aired in the 40th anniversary of the franchise.

420 can be read as "shi-tsu-rei", which means "Excuse me."

4242564 can be read as "shi-ni-shi-ni-go-ro-shi", meaning "in death, in death, killing." This number is used as a code in the Soul Eater manga series to call Shinigami, head of the DWMA.

428 can be read as "shi-bu-ya", which can be used to refer to Shibuya. It can also be read as "yo-tsu-ba", which is refers to the name of Yotsuba Nakano in The Quintessential Quintuplets, who wore t-shirts representing that number.

4510471 can be read as "shi-go-to'o-shi-na-i" (仕事をしない), meaning "I don't work" and is found in form of the password of the character Shintaro Kisaragi from the Kagerou Project franchise.

46 can be read as "shi-ro", meaning white.

4649 can be read as "yo-ro-shi-ku" (よろしく), which is a word used as a greeting similar to "nice to meet you." The term is also used to make a request and also to thank the person, either before or after they do it for you.

4869 can be read as "shi-ya-ro-ku" (しやろく); when "ya" is written small, this number can be read as "sharoku" (しゃろく), which resembles "Sherlock" (シャーロック, Shārokku), relating to Sherlock Holmes. This number is Conan Edogawa's phone PIN and named for APTX 4869 in Case Closed.

51 can be read as "go-ichi". These two numbers are the latter part of CEO nickname "Suda51", referring to the name of Goichi Suda.

563 can be read as "ko-ro-san" (ころさん), which is why 563 yen are commonly donated to the V-Tuber Inugami Korone from Hololive Production. "Koro" in this case being an abbreviation of her name, and "san" being an honorific suffix.

573 can be read as "ko-na-mi" and is often referred to by Konami; for example, it is used in Konami telephone numbers and as a high score in Konami games, as well as in promotional materials and sometimes as a character name.

58 can be read as "go-ya", meaning "bitter melon". This is also the nickname for IJN submarine I-58 in Kantai Collection.

59 can be read as "go-ku" and is sometimes used in reference to Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise.

5963 can be read as "go-ku-ro-san", meaning "thanks (due to you)".

610 can be read as "ro-ten" or "rotten", often used on merchandise of the rockband ROTTENGRAFFTY.

616 can be read as "ro-i-ro" or "lowiro", the name of a video game company which produced the rhythm game Arcaea. The two main partners in the game, Hikari and Tairitsu, can be added as friends through the account system. They have no song records and a potential value of 6.16. Ayu, a limited-availability partner, can also give the user 616 fragments with her ability that gives a random number of fragments after a play.

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 province in which the building stands.^[8]

712 can be read as "na-i-fu" or knife and is used in the Shonen Knife album 712.

723 can be read as "na-tsu-mi" or Natsumi and is commonly used in Sgt. Frog to symbolically refer to the character Natsumi Hinata. It is also used as the date 7/23, or July 23rd, in Date A Live as the birthday for the character Natsumi Kyouno.

75 can be read as "na-ko" and is used by Nako Yabuki in her Instagram and Twitter handles.

765 can be read as "na-mu-ko" or Namco. Derivatives of this number can be found in dozens of Namco produced video games. It is also the central studio of The Idolmaster and its sequels. When Namco merged with Bandai, the goroawase number became 876 (ba-na-mu), which is also featured in the Namco Bandai Games' Japanese Twitter account.

801 can be read as "ya-o-i" or yaoi, a genre of homosexual-themed manga typically aimed at women.

819 can be read as "ha-i-kyū" (排球), meaning volleyball. The community around the series Haikyu!!, an anime television series produced by Production I.G, considers August 19 (8/19) to be "Haikyu!! Day".

831 can be read as "ya-sa-i", meaning "vegetable". This was used in Pokémon Sword and Shield games as the jersey number for Milo, a Gym Leader who uses Grass-type Pokémon.

8349 can be read as "ya-sa-shi-ku", meaning "gently".

86239 can be read as "hachi-roku-ni-san-kyū", and was used in Initial D as the license number for a mysterious Toyota 86. When translated, it means "thank you, eight-six."

893 can be read as "ya-ku-za" (やくざ) or Yakuza. It is traditionally a bad omen for a student to receive this candidate number for an examination.

90 can be read as "ku-ma" meaning bear.

913 can be read as "ka-i-sa", as in Kamen Rider Kaixa, hence the code to activate the henshin. An anagram of this is 193. it was intended to be read as "ichi kyu san", but can also be read as "I-Ku-Sa" as in Kamen Rider IXA or Iku-san. In the former's case, this is the code to activate Rising Mode. In the latter's case, it also means Iku Nagae or IJN submarine I-19 in Kantai Collection.

96 can be read as "ku-ro" meaning "black", as in 96猫 meaning "black cat". 96猫 is a popular Japanese singer who covers songs on the Japanese video sharing site, Niconico.

See also[]

• Japanese rebus monogram
• Rebus#Japan
• Tetraphobia
• Wordplay

References[]