Updated: Apr 10, 2024
This is a serious story, not a joke. There is a God of toilets in Japan.
One missionary came to Japan from the Philippines, and I met him. He sometimes asks me if the Japanese don’t have God. However I can’t answer his question well. Because I can say both that we don’t have a God and we have a God.
In Japan, since a long time ago, we have thought that there is a God everywhere, that God lives in everything. We call it “Yaoyorozu-no-Kami”. This way of thinking means that nature itself is God. God of forest, God of fire, God of ocean and…
The song called “God of toilets” is very popular in Japan. This song was sung by a female folk singer. And the lyrics of this song is this way;
In the toilet
That means there is a beautiful God.
So if you clean it every day,
you can be beautiful like a goddess
I’m not sure if he can understand what these lyrics mean or not. But, I can say, in my case I can understand these lyrics very well. Yes, actually I was thinking there was a God in the toilet when I was little.
In your country, what kind of God do you have?
When you visit Osaka in Japan, you will definitely hear of this word in the town, here and there. So, you need to learn this word. Absolutely.
Osaka1 : I finally decided to marry her, who has been my girlfriend for a long time. So I'm very happy.
Osaka2 : Honma?
Osaka3 : Oh my God, I failed to get a new job, I don’t know the reason though. Unfortunately.
Osaka4 : Honma?
Merchant1 : Buy, buy. This is a very good product, so you should definitely buy this one! How about?
Consumer1 : Honma?
Maybe, “Honma” has the same meaning as “Really” in English. And you can use this word, when you are surprised, or you doubt something, or you want to sympathize with someone. It's very useful.
However, “Honma” is a dialect from Osaka in the Kansai region. So, only the Kansai people are using this word. If you use it in Japan, your Japanese friends will be surprised.
In standard Japanese, we use “Honto ほんと”, not “Honma”, when you want to express the same feelings. Remember this expression. You would be able to use it in the same kind of scene.
If you find a person whom you love, how should you propose? This is a big issue perhaps for you. Because, if you say something in your homeland’s way, he or she may definitely answer you “No”. Japanese are ethnic, who prefer to read between the lines. “Between the lines”. So, you have better to say this way,
Tsukiatte kudasai
つきあって ください
This sentence means “please associate with me”. You should not say “I love you”. For Japanese, this confession is too direct. If he or she is Japanese-like, they definitely don’t want to hear “I love you”. That's because they are embarrassed to be told that way. They want to read between the lines.
“please associate with me” “Tsukiatte kudasai”. This sentence has a meaning in the bottom that he or she wants to go along with you forever, until the day of their death.