Wasei-eigo in Airport Linguistic Landscape: Functions and Meaning Shift Patterns in a Major International Airport in Japan
Keywords:
international communication, linguistic landscape, major international airport, meaning shift, wasei-eigoAbstract
The phenomenon of wasei-eigo is a form of adaptation of English vocabulary into Japanese that has evolved in response to the social and cultural needs of Japanese society. Its use is commonly found in the linguistic landscape of public spaces, including international airports, which serve as multilingual communication spaces. This study aims to identify the use of wasei-eigo in the linguistic landscape at major international airports in Japan and to analyse the functions and phenomena of meaning shifts found in the data. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method using documentation techniques to examine various signage, information boards, service guides, and visual media featuring wasei-eigo expressions. Data were collected during an internship from September 2025 to May 2026. They analysed using the Linguistic Landscape theory by Landry and Bourhis (1997), Nambu's (2025) concept of the Japanese linguistic landscape, and Ullmann's (1972) theory of semantic change.
The findings indicate that wasei-eigo is widely used throughout the airport and primarily serves an informational function. Most of the data retained meanings similar to their original English counterparts and did not undergo semantic change. These findings suggest that the use of wasei-eigo in a major international airport setting prioritises informational clarity and effective communication for users with diverse linguistic backgrounds. Nevertheless, some terms exhibited semantic changes, particularly narrowing and broadening, as adaptations to the Japanese sociocultural context. Thus, the use of wasei-eigo not only reflects the influence of English on Japanese public spaces but also demonstrates efforts to enhance the comprehensibility of information and reduce potential ambiguity in international communication
Keywords: international communication; linguistic landscape; major international airport; meaning shift; wasei-eigo