Quiz on things whose names differ between the past and now. Differences between old terms and modern terms.

dresser

A kyōdai, literally “a stand with a mirror,” refers to a dressing table. In Japan it’s synonymous with a dresser, but abroad it’s a bit different. In the UK and France, the word “dresser” actually means a type of kitchen cabinet or hutch. If you use the term without knowing this, it can lead to a major misunderstanding.

hanger

Emonkake originally referred to a tool used to hang and store kimono. “Emon” refers to the collar area of a kimono, and the name comes from hanging it by that part. From there, as Western clothing became mainstream, people from generations familiar with the original emonkake began calling clothes hangers “emonkakake.” Today, most people—including the older generation—simply call them hangers.

cabin attendant, flight attendant

Stewardess is a term that originated as the female version of "steward," meaning caretaker. However, as time went on, it came to be seen as an inappropriate expression and fell out of use. Incidentally, a similar term to the answer is flight attendant.

Major League Baseball

If you’re a longtime baseball fan, you probably recognized it right away. The media in Japan used to say “Dai League,” didn’t they? In fact, in the United States, people sometimes call the Major Leagues the “Big Leagues,” and it’s thought to come from that.

Baby powder

Tenkafen is starch extracted from Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Japanese snake gourd). Its appearance and use are almost the same as baby powder. However, since baby powder’s main ingredient is corn, their origins differ. Tenkafen is still sold today, so if you’re curious, try comparing them.

muffler

It’s called an “erimaki” because you wrap it around your collar—such an easy-to-understand name, right? However, it isn’t exactly the same as a scarf. Even today, shorter items made from animal hide, for example, are sometimes referred to as erimaki. If you see one in a shop, try checking what it’s called.

Note

In the past, bound sheets of paper were called “chōmen.” You can still see remnants of this in words like “gakushū-chō” (study notebook) and “renraku-chō” (communication notebook). Today, it’s generally called a “note” or “notebook.”