Are you a Japanese student of English who worried about having to learn thousands of words to be able to speak this language fluently?! 

Well although it is true - you will have to learn many new words, did you know that we also use many Japanese words in British and western culture?

1. Tsunami - The only difference is that in English we do not pronounce the 'T' as the start of the word.

2. Futon - Whilst we do use the word 'futon' in the west, it is most commonly used to describe a sofa ('couch' in American English) which can unfold and become a bed, as seen in the image above.

3. Karaoke - This word has been used for a long time in the west, although in the UK in particular, our style of karaoke involves singing in front of a large group of people (mostly strangers who you do not know!) in a pub or bar. Asian style karaoke is growing in popularity in British though, and just before I left to come to Japan I had heard from friends that there are now a few of these establishments near where I used to live in London.

I hope you have enjoyed this column everyone!

There are many more Japanese words which we use in the West, and whilst this may not mean you can stop learning English anytime soon - it may make you feel a little bit more relaxed about just how much vocabulary you will need to learn! :-) 

Have a lovely day everyone.

David

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I am a highly experienced professional English teacher, Yoga Instructor, Nutrition Consultant and Personal Trainer from London, UK. I recently left London to work and travel around Japan on a Working Holiday Visa with my girlfriend Ashley (who is also a teacher on Cafetalk). We love sharing adventures travelling, teaching, exploring and understanding new cultures. We hope to speak with you soon!

Please check out my lessons if you are interested in learning real, authentic British English, or have an interest in Yoga, healthy eating or general health and fitness.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a lesson at a time in which my schedule is not open. I will always do my best to accomodate every student.