A Mandarin on an Aluminum Can
Wordplay is not always welcomed openly in Japan. Make a weak, but harmless pun―observing that there is “no ginger” (shōga nai) at the sushi restaurant and saying “it cannot be helped” (shō ga nai), for example―and listeners will greet it with shivers, as if a chill wind has just passed through. The standard retort to a “dad joke” or another attempt at humor that fa…
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