Scary Japanese Words Explained (Kawaii, Kowai & Yokai)

Send us Fan MailJust in time for October, Nihongo to English (No Show) gets a little spooky. In Episode 4, Michelle and Michael explore Halloween in Japan and the fine line between kawaii (cute) and kowai (scary)—two words that sound similar but live in very different worlds.Along the way, we unpack haunted houses (obake yashiki), folk spirits (yokai), and Japan’s deep-rooted obsession with cleanliness, politeness, and the unseen. A big discovery in this episode is the power of the polite “o-” prefix, and how it can make words feel sweeter, stranger, or even slightly sinister—like o-kane (“honorable money”) and other phrases born from playful word logic.Between ghost stories and laughs, we practice formal Japanese greetings like hajimemashite, compare British “how do you do” with American “howdy,” and even pitch a horror movie called “The Curse of the Chewing Gum.” Because in Japan, everything might have a spirit… even gum stuck to the floor.It’s a mix of Japanese language tips, cultural comedy, and haunted grammar, where every word seems to come with a backstory.Highlights🏮 Halloween in Japan, explained👻 Yokai 101: why spirits are everywhere💸 The mystery of o-kane and the polite “o-” prefix💬 Formal vs. casual greetings in Japanese and English🎭 Mini role-play: international student meets Japanese studentKeywordsLearn Japanese, Japanese culture, Halloween in Japan, yokai, kawaii vs kowai, Japanese honorifics, Japanese greetings, bilingual comedy podcast, language learning through cultureEmail: [email protected] Theme Jingle by Michelle MaliZakiSupport the show🎙️ Nihongo to English — a bilingual comedy podcast by Michelle MaliZaki and Michael Allen (GoatVsFish).No homework. Just bilingual chaos—and somehow you learn.💌 Got a language or culture question? Email us at [email protected]📱 Follow us on Instagram @NihongoToEnglishPodcast for new episodes on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month.