If you understand Japanese, you’ll probably be able to break down the title of this entry and figure out what it means. Or can you?
Well, 「無料」 means free, as in you don’t have to pay. To 「案内」 is to show someone around. 「所」 simply means place. So when you put the whole thing together, it really sounds like a tourist information centre. It really is not. So don’t go running into one when you see it because depending on the depth of your facial skin, your flush tones will vary.
I know I’m naive, but I did use to think that these places provide information on the area’s tourist attractions though I did smell something odd, especially when most of them have flashy signboards and are abundant in a small area. After some time, I realised that 「無料案内所」 should really be translated as b.r.o.t.h.e.l. And thankfully that happened without me having to step into one.
And here’s the picture!
Look at the sign board and tell me it doesn’t look like a tourist information centre.
OMG is it really? I’ve seen one somewhere last time and thought it was a tourist information kiosk of sorts … luckily I did not venture further O.O
Wow this is a first for me, thought I knew enough about the weird and wonderful world of 日本. Nice blog btw, esp the post on taking the bus! I’m looking for a job in Japan other than teaching, but not that many opportunities so far. Let’s see how far that goes!