We’ve all snickered at Our Lady of Rude Kustoms and other hilarious English on t-shirts and signs, but when I stopped to snap photos of these, I did a doubletake! They’re not accidental Engrish, they’re sly plays on international brands, and definitely aimed at a Japanese audience
This subtle redesign of the famous American outdoor brand logo labels the wearer as a big daddy gorilla (pronounced “gorira” in Japanese)…
while this one substitutes an alphabetical version of the Japanese phrase “aji desu” for Adidas, meaning “I’m a fish” (aji being that delicious variety usually topped with a little grated ginger and green onions at the sushi bar).
This one changes one character in the logo of a popular home goods emporium from “Nitori”…
to “hitori,” meaning “alone” or “I’m single.”
And finally—my favorite!—this redesign of the Nissan car logo to “ossan,” a word which is synonymous with “unapologetically crusty old uncle.”
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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