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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 495.67
EAN num: 9780452275065
ISBN number: 0452275067
Label: Plume
Manufacturer: Plume
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 128
Printing Date: November 01, 1995
Publishing house: Plume
Sale Popularity Level: 1216650
Studio: Plume
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The Japanese are known for their polite discourse and deferential demeanor, but there's another side to the language of the land of the rising sun--and every one of its biting curses, scathing slanders, and frustration-venting expressions is captured here in this priceless repertoire of 'colorful' Japanese expressions. 16 line drawings.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I don't own this book so I can't really comment on it but I'd like to comment on one of the reviews below. "Zakennayo" is very much a real phrase known to anyone who has studied basic Japanese. It's a contraction of the phrase "Fuzakeru na yo" which means something along the lines of "Don't mess with me". If you are Japanese you most certainly have heard it by the age of 5.
Rated by buyers 
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It is a funny collection of stories about some foreigners in Japan, Kenny is an American English Teacher, Nigel is a British news writer, and Sharon is an Australian hostess. In Japan, they are simply gaijin. Taro is a Japanese-American who is gaijin as well, but he doesn't look like the others, so he is never called gaijin. I have lived in Japan for about 3 years, and I can say that there are many similar stories that happen in Japan every day. I have read this book twice, and these stories made me laugh too much.
However, many of the terms used in this book are outdated and the dialect used is "adequate" only in Tokyo, and truly obscene.
A Japanese friend who is from Hokkaido and lives in Nagoya doesn't understand some of the words used in this book.
As I have said, this book actually doesn't improve your vocabulary, unless you want to be a Yakuza in Tokyo, but as other reviewer said maybe it encourage yourself to learn more Japanese because it presents many truly stories that happen even today.
They are 12 stories:
-Alien Invaders.
-The ABC's of Japanese.
-Street Jive.
-Waiting at Hachiko.
-Talking about people.
-The gay life.
-Hookers and Gangsters.
-Disco City.
-Foreign Drinking Holes.
-After Hours.
-Romance and Low life.
-Talking about Sex.
The dialogues are presented very first in Romaji, followed by their English translations, and there is a vocabulary list at the end of each story. I gave it 4 stars because I consider it much better than "Japanese Street Slang", both are outdated, but "Zakennayo" is much more humorous and easier to read.
Rated by buyers 
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I read this after my very first year of Japanese study. I would not recommend using any of the terms or phrases discussed in this book without very first bouncing them off a few native Japanese speakers. I suggest this because you run the risk of sounding like a total fool if you try some of these phrases out on strangers. Problems: First, the author does not point out that many of the phrases used in the book would only be used by women or school girls (if you want to appear effeminate, use these terms recklessly). In addition to this, many of the expressions discussed are terribly outdated. Finally, several of my Japanese friends told me that they had never heard the word "Zakennayo" before. To be fair they did tell me that the term might be from a dialect they were unfamiliar with. However, I think they were just being polite. Anyway, please don't take my opinions and experiences with this book as gospel. I'm in my third year of Japanese study, so I'm no way near fluent. Rather, go to any well known internet search engine any type "Zakennayo" in. Be sure to take note of the number of hits you obtain. Now type in an equivalent term in English, German, French, Spanish, or any other European language you may be familiar with. Compare the number of hits. Well, this was fun, Thanks for listening.
Rated by buyers 
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I found this book pretty useful- but would have liked it more if it had some way to easily find a word you're looking for, or an index in back so you can look up what page a word is on.
Rated by buyers 
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This book is for English speakers struggling with learning Japanese and want a comic book to stimulate some interest in continued learning. The slang is out dated and mostly likely used a few decades ago. The converse would be a Japanese coming to the USA speaking like Austin Powers, "Groovy Baby!" Naturally proper etiquette requires you would not speak such words in civilized company. As in the USA using out of date slang is most likely going to result in you getting laughed at, beat up or a combination of both. I say buy the book for a few good laughs and encourage yourself to learn more Japanese. I recommend Barrons CD set although it too is a little dated and when the Japanese women narrators speak they are almost inaudible.
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