when you visit japan meme

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

Learn Japanese 21st Century Style: 4 Viral Japanese Memes That’ll Boost Your Fluency

The internet: It has the power to make silly videos go viral, to spread celebrity gossip within a matter of minutes and lets us chat with people on the other side of the world.

Whether you’ve realized it or not, the internet today plays a major role in the development of languages.

No language is safe from the world of social media .

So if you’re learning Japanese, why not sprinkle some memes into your study time?

If you want to understand the Japan of today and tomorrow, it’s in your best interest to absorb some internet juices. The good juices. And there are plenty of places to find them.

Maybe you want to learn Japanese just to make friends.

…Or live a life you enjoy raising cows in Hokkaido.

…Or learn enough to enjoy your favorite anime at home.

Either way, you’ll need to understand up-to-date, modern Japanese.

Memes no longer stay on forums. They leak out into real life.

And when they do, you’ll be ready. Because you read this blog post!

Someone dropped a recent celebrity happening in the middle of the conversation? You’ll be ready to respond.

Conversation cool over and an awkward silence slide in? You’ll be ready to warm it right back up.

Keep reading to discover the world of Japanese memes and how they can assist you on your journey to fluency!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Why Losing Yourself in Japanese Memes Can Help You Get Fluent

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely familiar with what a meme is.

If not, here’s a quick breakdown.

On its surface, a meme is basically an image or short video with some text. Underneath the surface, a meme is a cultural idea that spans time like the human gene.

Memes supercharged by social media can travel the world in minutes.

So for language learning purposes, this is great news.

By learning these viral phrases and words, you can enter a national conversation .

Once you’ve gained entry into the conversation, you can start to absorb context and nuance not available online. Especially when speaking to young people.

For example, what do you think happened when the Prime Minister offered a maximum of two face masks for households during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020?

Edited photos of well-known anime characters and the prime minister himself with two masks appeared online immediately.

Many spoke against the low quantity, considering many families had children. Others complained about the size and design of the masks. Some said they arrived moldy or dysfunctional.

By turning their pain into comedy, everyday internet users brought international attention to this issue.

Considering that shame is a strong motivator in Japanese society, this impact was strong. By being aware of this pain, you have another conversation topic to not only tighten your language skills, but deepen your social bonds.

Letting your friend air their frustration can build trust, a larger barrier to your fluency than any kanji list.

Where to Find Japanese Memes (and Learn From Them!)

You probably visit Reddit, Instagram or Twitter for your daily dose of memes. But where’s the best place to find  Japanese memes?

Many Japanese people visit Bokete .

There, you can find recent trends attached to images.

You have the opportunity to fill in a sentence with your own sense of humor. The highest upvoted image is then blasted to the top for everyone that visits the site to see. Just like Reddit and other social media sites, this dopamine blast keeps people coming back for more.

Japanese Quora

Next, visit Japanese Quora to understand the cultural principals behind the memes. Dopamine hits feel good, but it’s best to dive deeper to find the underlying forces that move these ideas into people’s heads and out their mouths.

Quora is a Q&A site produced by ex-Facebook members. People leave questions and qualified people answer.

There, you can find in-depth information regarding current and past events. Wondering why a certain meme is funny? Check out the history behind it.

This takes some initial understanding of Japanese to navigate well, but even if you’re just scrolling, it’s a good place to scoop up some knowledge. And maybe find a cool native Japanese pen pal to connect with!

Use Dictionaries and Website Tools

Use the dictionary and tools on these websites to dissect the words and phrases you don’t know. Since you’ll be navigating Japanese spaces meant for Japanese people, you’ll surely run into some vocabulary you’ve never seen before.

Instead of letting it impede your understanding, pop it into an electronic dictionary, record the definition in a note app and jump right back into scanning and scrolling.

Browse Japanese YouTube Channels

Even better, utilize the thousands of Japanese videos made for Japanese people on YouTube.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

I find myself entering conversations with Japanese people smoothly and without any friction.

Now that you know where you can continue your journey of learning Japanese through memes (and other fun internet content), let’s dive into four viral Japanese memes that reigned over the internet!

日本よ、これが映画だ (にほんよ 、これがえいがだ) — Hey Japan, This Is a Real Movie

During the promotion of the “Avengers” movie in Japan, one poster showed all the heroes and a bold statement, “ 日本よ、これは映画だ ” (にほん 、これが えいが だ) which roughly translates to “Hey Japan, this is a real movie.”

Within days, people were throwing up their own versions.

Restaurants used the model to write ads to promote new dishes.

Photoshop wizards poked fun at Japanese politicians by plastering their faces on the superheroes’ bodies.

The meme sparked a steady flow of creativity from people of all ages and social standings. And you can ride this creativity on your own language learning journey!

壁ドン (かべどん) — Wall Slam

Follow the internet rabbit hole far down enough, and soon you’ll hit a wall.

Or should I say “slam?”

A “ 壁ドン ” (かべ どん) or “wall slam,” of course!

If you’ve watched any anime with high school characters or a Japanese TV drama , you’ve most likely come across “the wall slam.”

This romantic technique originated from the LDK movie released in 2014 . Men slam their hand against the wall behind a woman standing in front of them. This is supposed to excite the woman.

It’s mocked because in reality, people living in rented spaces hit the wall when someone is loud.

I know I’ve heard it before. But I didn’t know what it was until I started researching this blog post! And that’s when it hit me—I need to be more careful in my apartment (and look up more memes!).

オワコン (おわこん) — Finished Content

But like everything, memes fade out.

And when someone tries to make a joke with a fading meme in public, you might hear “ オワコン ” (おわこん) or “ finished content .”

This word originated on the popular online forum 2chan, which inspired the launch of another popular forum, 4chan. It’s essentially used when something is about to burn out or become unpopular.

チャリで来た (ちゃりできた) — We Came by Bicycle

Speaking of unpopular, let’s talk about law-breaking.

Like riding your bicycles side-by-side.

Or speaking and laughing loudly in public.

Or not wearing your school uniform properly at school.

Sounds dangerous right? These are tell-tale signs of “Yankee” or young people who resist the law and status quo. Or aim to.

The meme “ チャリで来た ” (ちゃり で きた) or “We came by bicycle” shows a bunch of young people too cool for the world.

People had fun with this one, pasting their image against snowy backgrounds with skis in hand and many other variations.

All of them showed the enormous gap that existed between the exterior coolness and reality.

In other words, what these youngsters saw as lawlessness was actually just typical teenage rebellion.

Wow, who knew Japanese memes could be such quality learning material?

You’re now fully equipped with the tools you need to dive deep into the Japanese internet. And, you’re also prepared for when native speakers drop a reference to a popular meme in natural conversations.

So now it’s your turn—get out there and start using Japanese memes in your daily life, whether it be by making some smooth references yourself or using them as learning material!

And One More Thing...

If you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you more about FluentU .

FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:

FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.

All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.

The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

Funny Japanese Memes

to upload to Tenor

Upload your own GIFs

The Top Three Japanese Memes of 2013 Because we know you want them, you horrible internet scum

November 26, 2013 • words written by Rebecca • Art by Aya Francisco

It's safe to say that Japan's Makankosappo /Hadoukening/Kamehameha photo meme made quite a mark on the English speaking regions of the internets in 2013. With images of people using invisible energy attacks to blast others into the air going viral in March, Makanokosappo was dubbed by many sites to be "the planking of 2013."

Aside from the advantage of being visually rather than textually based, the popularity of Dragonball and Street Fighter outside of Japan made it easy for Makanokosappo to cross cultural and linguistic boundaries and catch on with internet nerds around the globe. Now, Japanese humor is often painted as being all-but impenetrable by those without a high level of proficiency in the language, and the idea of not being able to be at least moderately funny in Japanese is quite a discouraging prospect for learners in the early stages of their studies.

But never fear! Just because you aren't JLPT N1 yet doesn't mean you are doomed to bore the pants of others when communicating in Japanese. As this article in The Japan Times points out, there is lots of Japanese humor that only requires a basic command of the language to be understood, enjoyed, and used to send your Japanese friends flying into the air from the sheer force of your wit! Three contenders for this year's Japanese Buzzword of the Year Award have been taken up on the internet in a big way and become memes, and they are perfect examples of how Japanese humor is quite similar to the kinds of things that make us English speakers giggle. So, without further ado, let's us proceed to teh lolz!

Meme #1: Itsu Yaru Ka? Ima Desho!

Osamu Hayashi's now-famous catchphrase "Itsu yaru ka?…… Ima deshou!" (When are you actually going to do it? NOW!) made its first appearance in 2012 as part of a T.V. commercial for Toshin High School. A nationwide chain of cram-schools focused on preparing students for the infamously grueling university entrance exams, Toshin tries to lure in customers by showing clips of their best teachers motivating students through their "unique characters" and "inspirational words." While making the mother of all doya-gao (a Japanese phrase describing look of smugness or self-satisfaction), Osamu faces his students and asks "Itsu yaru ka?" (When are you actually going to do it?), leaves the smallest of pauses, and then answers the question himself "ima desho!" (it's now or never, right!). The word "ima" simply translates as [now/the present], while "desho" is a grammatical term that, in this particular case, implies that the speaker is very confident that their opinion is correct.

The video gained some attention, but it wasn't until Toyota hired Osamu to do a parody commercial in 2013 that the videos went viral and Osama's catchphrase rapidly became one of the most popular memes of the year. Toyota's commercial mimics the original video, but the "yaru" in "istu yaru ka" is replaced with "kau" (buy), turning the phrase into "When are you actually going to buy it? NOW!"

Usage and Examples

Within a matter of weeks of the commercial being aired, Twitter, Facebook, Mixi, and other such sites were flooded with remix videos, gifs, and image macros.

Another popular way to procrastinate online is to change "itsu yaru ka?" to another question, or alter the response by replacing "ima" with another word or phrase. In the picture below, yaru やる （ ） has been replaced with 殺る, which is also pronounced "yaru" but means "to kill" or "to knock off!"

As Japanese has quite a limited number of sounds, the majority of words have at least one homonym, aka a word that is pronounced the same but written differently and has a different meaning. In the original Toshin commercial, the "ima" meaning "now/the present" is written 今, but there is another "ima" which is written as 居間 and means "living room."

So when're you going to start using this meme? Err… sometime soon?

Meme #2: Je! (Je!) (Je!)

In standard Japanese, surprise or shock are usually expressed with the word "eh?", meaning something like "huh?" in English , or "bikkuri", which translates roughly as "what a shock!" However, in the dialect spoken in Kosode, Iwate prefecture in North-East Japan, surprise is given voice to with the expression "je!". The greater the surprise, the more times you repeat the sound, three repetitions usually being the maximum.

One Japanese website gives the following guidance for usage:

Level 1 'Je!'

• Udon yori soba no hou ga karori ga takai da te
• You know, soba noodles are apparently higher in calories than udon noodles

Level 2 'Je! Je!'

• THE BOOM ni wa okinawa no hito wa hitori mo i inai rashiiii yo
• It seems that not one of the members of The Boom, who play Okinawan-style music, are actually from Okinawa!

Level 3 'Je! Je! Je'

• Ano hito, ojisan ni mieru kedo, jitsu ha obasan nan da yo ne
• That person over there – they might look like an old man, but it's actually an old woman.

So, perhaps you are wondering how and why "je!" became so popular? Well, it's all thanks to a T.V. drama called 'Ama Chan' that was aired on NHK from March to December this year. The story revolves around a girl named Aki Amano who visits her mother's hometown of Kosode when her grandmother is taken ill. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I will say that the story involves Aki struggling to qualify as a sea urchin diver and aiming to become a famous idol at the same time. The majority of the main characters in the series speak in the Kosode dialect, and thanks to both the popularity of the show the once little-known expression "Je" has taken off in a big way.

As with "Ima Desho!", YouTube videos featuring the expression have been a big hit. An ambitious user created his own song inspired by the show, with a "Je"-filled chorus.

• Sukoshi odoroku je！
• When it's a little surprise 'Je!'
• Futsuu ni odoroku je！
• When it's an every-day surprise 'Je! Je!'
• Sungoku odoroku je! je! je! je! je!
• When it's a big surprise 'Je! Je! Je! Je!'
• Nipponcyuu je! je! je！
• All through Japan 'Je! Je! Je!'

Ever since the first episode, when Aki's mother receives a message on her phone where "je!" is written using the emoji ('j'), usage has been a huge hit on social sites such as Twitter.

'Je!' = （'j'）／ 'Je! Je!' = （'jj'）／ 'Je! Je! Je!' = （'jjj'）／

• Okaasan taoreta! (‘j’)/
• Mum feinted! :O

Or you could just make a macro by slapping the phrase on a picture of a surprised looking cat because, let's face it, cute animals are what the internet's really about.

• Je je je je je!!!!!! Nanda are?
• Ahhhhhhhhhhh! What is THAT?

Meme #3: Bai Gaeshi

Our third meme also comes from a 2013 T.V. drama. "Hanzawa Naoki" centers around an incredibly bad-ass banker called (shockingly) Hanzawa Naoki (!), who works for the largest financial institution in Japan, Tokyo Chuo Bank. The series tracks the challenges and scandals he encounters as he climbs his way up the administrative ranks. His catch-phrase "yararetara yarikaesu, baigaeshi da!" means "If your enemies hurt you, take double the payback!", and as the series progresses and his opposition get more dastardly it becomes "jyuubai gaeshi da!" (10 times the payback), and eventually "hyaku bai gaeshi da!" (take 100 times the payback!).

Just like "ima desho!" and "je! (je!) (je!)" , this one-liner was a huge hit with internet users, and popped up all over the place as the show gained popularity.

And of course there are remixes:

The interesting thing about the phrase "bai gaeshi da" is that without a specific context it can have a lot of meanings. It can be translated as "double the payback" or "give back twice as good as you get", depending on how it is used. As a result, there have been numerous discussions about what else should be given or taken back in double.

Humor really is one of the most awesome forms of communication out there; sharing a joke and laughing with someone allows you to break down barriers, establish common ground, and I know I would be more likely to want to spend time talking with someone who can make me laugh. Moreover, language learning is more efficient, beneficial and, well, fun (!) when you are enjoying yourself as you study, so exposing yourself to Japanese humor seems like a pretty good idea overall. One of the great things about these memes is that they're not exclusively used online – they have been appearing on T.V. and in real-life conversations throughout the year, so you can work them into both your written and spoken Japanese!

Oh and while you're here. They give out awards for these things. Enjoy~

when-you-visit-when-it-visits-you-meme-japan

Share this:.

• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Easter Memes March 30, 2024 Along with all our other holiday memes, we have a collection of Easter memes as well. To start, nothing… Read more : Easter Memes
• Popular Memes By Year March 29, 2024 This page contains the most popular memes of each year of internet meme history. Also significant events such as… Read more : Popular Memes By Year
• Squid Game Memes March 29, 2024
• Ali C. Lopez AKA Gorlock The Destroyer Meme March 25, 2024 Gorlock The Destroyer is a meme joke name given to internet celebrity and influencer Ali C. Lopez. According to… Read more : Ali C. Lopez AKA Gorlock The Destroyer Meme
• Quiet On Set Memes March 25, 2024 Quiet On Set is a new docuseries on Max going behind the scenes of Nickelodeon and its kids shows… Read more : Quiet On Set Memes

Travel | Wish You Were Here: Japanese adventures in…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Today's e-Edition

Things To Do

• Food & Drink
• Celebrities
• Pets & Animals
• Event Calendar

Travel | Wish You Were Here: Japanese adventures in Kyoto, Tokyo

Our adventurous readers have circled the globe over the last year, frolicked in Austria’s capital , hiked glaciers in Alaska  and explored Old Montreal . And they’ve shared their adventures and travel tips along the way.

The latest “Wish You Were Here” installment comes from a Union City couple just back from Japan. Find even more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/ .

Wish You Were Here

JAPAN: Union city residents Pat and Ralph Gonzales’ recent trip to Japan came 54 years after Ralph’s first glimpse of the country, when he landed in Japan on his way to Vietnam — and saw caskets of U.S. soldiers being loaded on the tarmac. This trip — his first time back — was a “WOW!” he says. “We spent 11 days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. In Tokyo, we visited the famous Shibuya crossing” — the downtown “scramble” where 1,000 to 2,500 people cross from every direction every two minutes — “teamLab and Tokyo Disney. Almost every day, we ate at 7/11 stores — very different from here. They make fresh food daily. Tokyo’s Nishiki Market is half a mile of street food and souvenirs. I tried sea urchin and stingray for the first time — and last time.

TRAVEL TIPS: “Bring extra portable phone chargers, credit cards and exchange $500 or more for Japanese currency.” The Gonzalezes got around by train — including a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto — as well as Uber, taxis and “good old fashioned walking.”

Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to [email protected]. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.

• Report an error
• Policies and Standards

More in Travel

Travel | 9 reasons you won’t recognize Las Vegas on your next trip

Crime and Public Safety | Disneyland fight involving stroller-pushing mom leads to ejection

Business | Good news: The worst could be over for gas prices this spring

Travel | Guatemala becoming tourism hot spot for young travelers

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

This ‘supereasy ramen’ recipe shows how easy it is to make the Japanese noodle dish at home

This photo shows the ingredients to cook ramen easily in Tokyo, on April 22, 2024. Ramen noodles are so popular they have become one reason to visit Japan. But ramen can easily be cooked at home too, especially if you can find the ingredients at your neighborhood Asian grocery store. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama)

A ramen noodled is added to the soup being cooked in Tokyo, on April 22, 2024. Ramen noodles are so popular they have become one reason to visit Japan. But ramen can easily be cooked at home too, especially if you can find the ingredients at your neighborhood Asian grocery store. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama)

This photo shows a bowl of ramen noodle cooked easily in Tokyo, on April 22, 2024. Ramen noodles are so popular they have become one reason to visit Japan. But ramen can easily be cooked at home too, especially if you can find the ingredients at your neighborhood Asian grocery store. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama)

• Copy Link copied

TOKYO (AP) — Ramen noodles are so popular they have become one reason to visit Japan. But ramen can easily be cooked at home too, especially if you can find the ingredients at your neighborhood Asian grocery store.

A Japanese cookbook author who goes by one name, Rii, believes food should be more than delicious — it must be easy to make.

Her book, “Lunches Children Love,” is about making cute bento lunches filled with laughing faces and animals made out of food. And she shares recipes for adults on her Instagram account (only in Japanese), including healthy vegetarian rice gruel and curry.

Rii shared this ramen recipe with The Associated Press. It uses packaged noodles, since making ramen noodles from scratch is a long and complicated process.

SUPEREASY RAMEN, By RII

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 5

INGREDIENTS:

Five packages ramen noodles (120 grams or about 4 ounces each)

7.5 cups water

Half a cup soy sauce

5 tablespoons Japanese mentsuyu soup base sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons chicken soup stock

3 tablespoons chicken oil

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

Some grated garlic and grated sesame seeds

Boil the water in a large pot. Add the sauces and other ingredients to the boiling water. Then add the noodles and cook until tender. Add your favorite toppings, such as chopped green onions, canned or packaged “menma” bamboo shoots and a sliced boiled egg. Serve in a bowl.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Pop Culture Happy Hour

• Performing Arts

Pop Culture

You know it when you see it: here are some movies that got sex scenes right.

Linda Holmes

It is a happy coincidence that our "What makes a good sex scene?" episode came out in the same week as Challengers, a film about a romance triangle in the tennis world starring Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and (not pictured) Mike Faist. Niko Tavernise/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures hide caption

It is a happy coincidence that our "What makes a good sex scene?" episode came out in the same week as Challengers, a film about a romance triangle in the tennis world starring Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and (not pictured) Mike Faist.

What makes a good sex scene? It can be easier spot bad sex, but Aisha Harris, Christina Tucker, Ronald Young, Jr. and I tried to focus on the good this week on Pop Culture Happy Hour. You can listen to our full conversation here. (We didn't originally plan for this episode to run the same week as our episode about Challengers , which is out in theaters now, but it's a happy coincidence, since that film has gotten a lot of attention — probably too much, relative to its other merits — for the sex scenes involving its three leads. It's really very good .)

Movie Reviews

Watch a tense romantic triangle play out on the tennis court in 'challengers'.

It's often very obvious when a sex scene is bad, just like when a sex scene in a book is bad. It can get so uncomfortable to watch that you have to leave the room (and not in a way that feels true to the story). One of my personal tells for a bad sex scene is when all I can think about is how hard the actors are trying to persuade me that the characters are having a good time. For example, there has been much good discussion in recent years about Showgirls being a more interesting and competent project than it originally got credit for, but in that one pool scene (if you know it, you know it), all I can see is the effort.

Lauren Bacall And The 'Sex? What Sex?' Kind Of Movie Sex

It's not always as clear which scenes are good . That's partly because they serve so many different functions, all of which look different, and all of which can be effective. Furthermore, you don't want to confuse whether a sex scene is used well in a film with whether it's hot to you personally, despite the fact that there is overlap between those considerations.

In the 'Last Dance,' Magic Mike leaves his thong-and-dance routine behind

Here's what I mean: When Aisha talks about the sequence near the beginning of Magic Mike's Last Dance , it's not irrelevant that the scene is, to her (and to me), hot. But it also makes sense in the context of the film and the franchise, partly because of the way it sets up the power dynamic between Mike (Channing Tatum) and Max (Salma Hayek Pinault). Mike is older now, he knows more, and the way he approaches a lap dance is actually different than in earlier movies.

And not all good sex scenes are hot in the same ways. The one I mentioned in the episode, from the romantic drama Love & Basketball , is sexy, yes. But it's also a scene between young adults (the talented basketball players Monica and Quincy, played by Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps), and as such, it incorporates a tentativeness that's not present in Magic Mike's Last Dance , to say the least. As Ronald pointed out during our discussion, that sex scene is quite different from one that takes place later in Monica and Quincy's relationship, when they're older and know each other better. That certainly feels true to real life, but it's not always reflected in Hollywood films, where I would tentatively estimate that 90% of on-screen sex is more idealized and thus less intimate than real-life sex, in part because it isn't allowed to change over the course of a relationship.

Movie Interviews

'like it or not, we live in oppenheimer's world,' says director christopher nolan.

Even further from the hotness of the lap dance scene is Ronald's pick: the imagination of Kitty Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt) running wild in Oppenheimer. While her husband (Cillian Murphy) is being interrogated, she pictures him having sex with his mistress, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). It goes by quickly enough that it might seem like a Christopher Nolan flourish for flourish's sake, but it serves the purpose of letting you feel her pain over her husband's affair. Her relationship with Robert doesn't look especially romantic in the film, let alone sexually charged; she finds herself consumed by the idea that he was having hot sex with this other woman, and she locks eyes with her vision of a naked Tatlock and finds herself tormented. It's not really the intent of the scene to titillate the audience, just to give specificity to the shape of Kitty's preoccupation with the affair.

What makes a good sex scene?

Christina raised another really important point, which is that sex scenes also collide with viewers at very specific moments. Her example from Bound , and the scenes between Violet (Jennifer Tilly) and Corky (Gina Gershon), touches on (among other things) her own history. It's an underappreciated aspect of the sex-in-movies discourse: representation matters in these scenes as much as anywhere else. I always wish I saw more sex scenes in movies that featured a broader variety of body types; it's still really rare to see ones that feature anybody who is even average sized. This is one of the reasons I'm curious about the upcoming season of Bridgerton , which places its focus on the gorgeous and curvaceous Penelope (Nicola Coughlan).

Looking for 'nomance': Study finds teens want less sex in their TV and movies

Good sex scenes are like any other kind of good filmmaking, honestly: it comes down to execution with purpose and care, done relative to whatever the function of the scene might be.

Whether that's spiciness or conflict or relationship growth or (as in the case of Bound ) setting up a steamy neo-noir story that wouldn't be the same if it weren't hot as heck, form follows function, ideally.

This piece also appeared in NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what's making us happy.

Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

Japanese Emperor Naruhito to pay state visit to UK, Buckingham Palace says

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Michael Holden Editing by Gareth Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Retired diplomat Maris Sangiampongsa has been endorsed as the country's new foreign minister by Thailand's king, the official Royal Gazette said on Wednesday.

South Korea's exports rose for a seventh straight month in April, trade data showed on Wednesday, as strong demand for chips continued to lead growth while automobile sales and U.S. shipments climbed to record highs.

World Chevron

China on Wednesday launched sea trials for the Fujian, its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, state media reported.

• Meetings & Events
• Newsletter Sign-up
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory Information
• Select Language 简体中文 繁體中文（香港） 繁體中文（臺灣） India (English) Bahasa Indonesia 한국어 ภาษาไทย Tiếng Việt Singapore (English) Philippines (English) Malaysia (English) Australia/New Zealand (English) Français Deutsch Italiano Español United Kingdom (English) Nordic countries（English） Canada (English) Canada (Français) United States (English) Mexico (español) Português العربية Japan(日本語) Global (English)
• India (English)
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Singapore (English)
• Philippines (English)
• Malaysia (English)
• Australia/New Zealand (English)
• United Kingdom (English)
• Nordic countries（English）
• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States (English)
• Mexico (español)
• Global (English)
• Fujiyoshida
• Shimonoseki
• Ishigaki Island
• Miyako Island
• Kerama Island
• Tokyo Island
• Koka & Shigaraki
• Hida Takayama
• Ginza, Nihonbashi
• Beppu & Yufuin (Onsen)
• Ginzan Onsen
• Nagasaki Islands

• Kumano Kodo
• Shikoku Karst
• Amami Oshima
• Hachimantai
• Omihachiman
• Aizuwakamatsu

• Diving in Japan
• Skiing in Japan
• Seasonal Flowers in Japan
• Sustainable Outdoors
• Off the Beaten Track in Japan
• Scenic Spots
• World Heritage
• Home Stays & Farm Stays

• Japanese Gardens
• Japanese Crafts
• Temple Stays
• Heritage Stays
• Festivals and Events
• Theater in Japan
• Japanese Tea Ceremony
• Cultural Experiences in Japan
• Culture in Japan

• Local Cuisine Eastern Japan
• Local Cuisine Western Japan
• Local Street Food
• Japan's Local Ekiben
• Japanese Whisky
• Vegetarian and Vegan Guide
• Sushi in Japan Guide
• Japanese Sake Breweries

• Art Museums
• Architecture
• Performing Arts
• Art Festivals
• Japanese Anime and Comics
• Japanese Ceramics
• Local Crafts

• Scenic Night Views
• Natural Wonders
• Theme Parks
• Samurai & Ninja
• Iconic Architecture

• Wellness Travel in Japan
• Japanese Ryokan Guide
• A Guide to Stargazing in Japan
• Relaxation in Japan
• Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku)

• Experiences in Japan
• Enjoy my Japan
• National Parks
• Japan's Local Treasures
• Japan Heritage
• Snow Like No Other
• Wonder Around Japan

• Visa Information
• Getting to Japan
• Airport Access
• COVID-19: Practical Information for Traveling to Japan
• Anime Tourism
• Countryside Stays
• Accessible Tourism
• Hokkaido Great Outdoors
• Scenic World Heritage in Tohoku
• Shikoku’s Nature and Traditions
• Southern Kyushu by Rail

• Traveling by Rail
• How to Travel by Train and Bus
• JR Rail Passes
• Scenic Railways
• Renting a Car
• Sustainable Travel in Japan
• Travel Brochures
• Useful Apps
• Online Reservation Sites
• Eco-friendly Accommodation
• Luxury Accommodations
• Traveling With a Disability
• Hands-free Travel
• How to Book a Certified Tour Guide
• Volunteer Guides
• Tourist Information Center

• Japanese Manners
• Spring in Japan
• Summer in Japan
• Autumn in Japan
• Winter in Japan
• Cherry Blossom Forecast
• Autumn Leaves Forecast

• Japan Visitor Hotline
• Travel Insurance in Japan
• Japan Safe Travel Information
• Accessibility in Japan
• Vegetarian Guide
• Muslim Travelers
• Safety Tips

• News from JNTO
• US Partner News
• Interesting Articles
• Press Release
• Newsletter Archives
• Trade Newsletter
• Tender Notice

My Favorites

${v.desc | trunc(25)}

Planning a Trip to Japan?

Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU IN JAPAN: THE 2024 JAPAN PARADE IN NEW YORK

New York – April 26, 2024 : On May 11, 2024, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will be celebrating the U.S.-Japan Tourism Year with a commemorative “May the Force Be With You in Japan” float at the third annual Japan Parade in New York. The festivities will kick off at 1pm, with the parade route stretching from 81st Street to 67th Street along Central Park West.

The float will include costumed fans who have been officially invited by Lucasfilm , in conjunction with Japan Parade and members of Japan Society . Star Wars Celebration , the ultimate Star Wars fan event, will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan from April 18-20, 2025. In honor of that, JNTO will roll out a sweepstakes to win a free trip to Japan, which will run until September 30, 2024. Further details of the sweepstakes will be announced online on May 11. Wheelchair tennis star and four-time Japanese Paralympic gold medalist Shingo Kunieda has been named this year’s Grand Marshal, and the parade will also feature a live performance by the cast of Demon Slayer: The Stage, the musical stage adaptation of the popular anime and manga series, Demon Slayer. The parade will also feature performances from taiko bands, bon-odori dance troupes and martial arts groups.

Alongside the Japan Parade, Japan Street Fair will be held on West 72nd Street, with over 20 food tents serving authentic Japanese street cuisine. The street fair will also feature a JNTO tent, highlighting the best of travel to Japan, and cultural activities including calligraphy, water balloon yo-yo fishing, origami and a photo opp with Hello Kitty. A charity tent will collect donations for Noto earthquake victims, providing a free Japan Parade tote bag as a thank-you gift. In addition, JNTO has recently released a special video message from Boston Red Sox player Masahiro Yoshida, whose hometown in the Hokuriku region was affected by the earthquake.

For more information on the Japan Parade, please visit https://www.japanparadenyc.org/ .

ABOUT U.S.-JAPAN TOURISM YEAR

2024 will mark the first time both the United States and Japan have developed this kind of union, which seeks to promote increased travel, mutual tourism, and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Tourism Year agreement is a project of Japan National Tourism Organization(JNTO), the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office and U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and Brand USA. For more information, visit https://www.japan.travel/en/us/us- japan-tourism-year-2024/ .

ABOUT JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION (JNTO)

As the official tourism board, JNTO seeks to inspire international travelers to visit Japan. Focusing on sustainability, diversity and preservation of its history and culture, JNTO encourages travelers to explore the country while supporting local businesses, learning about indigenous cultures, and helping conserve its natural sites.

For more information about travel to Japan, visit https://www.japan.travel/en/us or the JNTO pages on Facebook , Instagram and Youtube . To contact the New York office of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) directly, please e-mail [email protected] .

ABOUT STAR WARS CELEBRATION

Star Wars Celebration is the ultimate fan experience focused on the galaxy far, far away… The event is filled with major announcements, immersive exhibits, an interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, costumes, and other surprises celebrating all things Star Wars! Star Wars Celebration is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience where memories are made, families are brought together, old friends are reunited, and new friendships forged — all in the setting of the ever-evolving Star Wars universe.The event is produced by Lucasfilm in cooperation with ReedPop, the organizers of New York Comic Con, C2E2, PAX, and many more events all over the world. The event will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan April 18-20, 2025 .

• Previous Article
• Back to Overview
• US Press Release

Please Choose Your Language

Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages

'It's gonna be May' meme is back: Origins, what it means and why you'll see it on your feed

The calendar flips from April to May on Wednesday, meaning social media users will almost certainly see " It's gonna be May " memes featuring singer Justin Timberlake in the coming days.

The meme stems from NSYNC's 2000 smash hit "It's Gonna Be Me." When singing the titular line in the song, Justin Timberlake annunciates the word "me" as "May."

According to a 2016 article from E! News, the first iteration of the meme appeared on Tumblr in 2012 . The meme was a calendar featuring a smiling photo of Timberlake on April 30 with "It's gonna be May!" written on it. The meme caught fire and different versions of it have been in circulation ever since.

Timberlake even got in on the fun himself in 2020, posting a version of the meme on X where his mouth is covered by a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Timberlake said in a September 2023 interview on popular YouTube interview show " Hot Ones " that he was not the one who came up with idea to sing the line in the song that way.

Timberlake confirmed on the show that he sang "It's gonna be me," and a producer told him to say "may" instead, with fellow NSYNC member JC Chasez chiming in to remind Timberlake the producers and songwriters Max Martin, Andreas Calsson and Rami were Swedish and had accents.

"What's funny specifically to Max Martin is, the parts of their English that were broken actually made them catchier songwriters because they would put words in a way that almost didn't make sense, but when you sang them they were more memorable," Timberlake said.

"I knew one day they're going to invent this thing called memes," Timberlake joked. "But yes, it was a specific note and I did it the way he requested and that's what made the record," he concluded.

Memes came early this year

Some social media users have already started posting the annual meme in anticipation of May 1.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X  @GabeHauari  or email him at [email protected].