Duolingo Opens ‘Museum Of Wonky English’ Showcasing Mistranslated Signs In Tokyo

Duolingo is inviting people to step into its Museum of Wonky English, a tongue-in-cheek showcase of all the hilarious signs around Japan that have gotten lost in translation.
 
UltraSuperNew is the creative force behind the exhibit, which has found its home in Harajuku, Tokyo. It currently hosts 16 examples of how a simple misstep in translating Japanese to English can give even the most normal of sentences a whole new meaning.

Accompanying the gallery’s announcement is a film depicting a group of attendees wandering around the showing and taking in the exhibition. The characters are seen reading out the signage and often pointing out in deadpan humor how wrong it sounds.

One example of a sign on a table of food warns viewers not to eat children or the elderly. While another coffee machine states, “When coffee is all gone. It’s over.”

Toward the end of the video, a man walks into the room with a shirt that reads, “Crap your hands.” One of the characters in the spot points out how even just one wrong letter can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Ominous as these messages may seem, most can see the intentions behind them, and the good-natured humor is something that Duolingo hopes will inspire people to learn a foreign language and be more careful when translating text.

According to The Drum, Andrés Aguilar, associate creative director at UtraSuperNew, views these mistakes as “language-learning heroes.” The gallery is dedicated to highlighting how they can help someone in their journey to mastering a new language. And to have a few laughs along the way.

Visitors will also be able to pick up merchandise, including the ‘Crap Your Hands’ T-shirt and a ‘Don’t throw away dog’ tee, emblazoned in the ironic mistranslations.

 Alongside the exhibit, Duolingo is also inviting fans to send in other misinterpretations they see around Japan to its Twitter, @duolingo_japan, and the best submissions will be featured in the showroom and be rewarded with a free month of Super Duolingo.
 
The Museum of Wonky English will be open every day from November 29 to December 7.

 
 
 
[via The Drum and Marketing Communication News, images via various sources]