3 ms·

Maybe salaryman hadn’t entered the English vocabulary by the 80s. Salaryman almost always refers to Japanese white collar.

veidr 5y ago
I think this is right. I read Neuromancer and first came to Japan in the 1980s. IIRC the term "salaryman" wasn't yet commonly known in English. However, it was known by English-speaking people who had been to Japan, or were somehow involved with Japan. But not yet mainstream English.
ncmncm 5y ago
It absolutely had entered English vocabulary, if only so far as to refer to Japanese people we were told were obliged to drink at karaoke bars with co-workers every evening. Probably most Americans' awareness of Japanese words came from a very long James Clavell historical novel amazingly many people read, as was still done back then, called Shōgun. I recall a very bad movie in which a black gang leader insisted on being called Shōgun, for no apparent reason.
- bane 5y ago
  I think you are referring to "The Last Dragon" which is considered an all time cult classic.
  - selimthegrim 5y ago
    Shogun had been made into a TV miniseries with Richard Chamberlain c. 1980
    - the_af 5y ago
      Shogun, the TV miniseries, is pretty good. It features actual Japanese stars like Toshiro Mifune, and spoken Japanese (without subtitles) during much of the show, which was novel at the time. I think the other commenter referred to an unrelated TV show with a gang leader calling himself "a Shogun".
      - ncmncm 5y ago
        "The Shogun", as it happened. And, a movie shot on actual film, as was then done, not TV.
  - ncmncm 5y ago
    > all time cult classic Yes, it was really very bad. But in a good way, and had Vanity in it, 1985. Between it and Buckaroo Banzai (which had its own timely Japanese connections, 1984) I would choose the latter mentioned, but we don't need to choose.
rasz 5y ago
not always: Tim and Eric https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAFcEU6atk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAFcEU6atk

veidr 5y ago

I think this is right. I read Neuromancer and first came to Japan in the 1980s. IIRC the term "salaryman" wasn't yet commonly known in English. However, it was known by English-speaking people who had been to Japan, or were somehow involved with Japan. But not yet mainstream English.

ncmncm 5y ago

It absolutely had entered English vocabulary, if only so far as to refer to Japanese people we were told were obliged to drink at karaoke bars with co-workers every evening. Probably most Americans' awareness of Japanese words came from a very long James Clavell historical novel amazingly many people read, as was still done back then, called Shōgun. I recall a very bad movie in which a black gang leader insisted on being called Shōgun, for no apparent reason.

bane 5y ago
I think you are referring to "The Last Dragon" which is considered an all time cult classic.
- selimthegrim 5y ago
  Shogun had been made into a TV miniseries with Richard Chamberlain c. 1980
  - the_af 5y ago
    Shogun, the TV miniseries, is pretty good. It features actual Japanese stars like Toshiro Mifune, and spoken Japanese (without subtitles) during much of the show, which was novel at the time. I think the other commenter referred to an unrelated TV show with a gang leader calling himself "a Shogun".
    - ncmncm 5y ago
      "The Shogun", as it happened. And, a movie shot on actual film, as was then done, not TV.
- ncmncm 5y ago
  > all time cult classic Yes, it was really very bad. But in a good way, and had Vanity in it, 1985. Between it and Buckaroo Banzai (which had its own timely Japanese connections, 1984) I would choose the latter mentioned, but we don't need to choose.

rasz 5y ago

not always: Tim and Eric https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAFcEU6atk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAFcEU6atk