Some not-entirely-useful phrases for intending JETs:

Biru (Be-rue): Beer, which can be ordered in small bottles (ko-bin) if you're a jess, and large bottles (o-bin) if you're not. Not to be confused with: sake, biro.

Sushi (Sue-she): Slices of raw fish, frequently placed inside a bun or roll of rice flavored with vinegar, salt, sugar and mirin, a sweet rice wine. Tuna and eel particularly popular. Not to be confused with: rubber, rock salmon.

Yakyu (Yah-que): Baseball, introduced to Japan in 1873 and played professionally since 1934. Inexplicably popular, names to quote are the Hankyu Braves, the Hiroshima Carps and the oddly-monikered Nippon Ham Fighters. Not to be confused with: rounders, Ian Botham.

Ongaku (Own-gah-knu): Music, of which there are several categories and sub-categories classified by period, including gagaku (ancient) and koto (recent). Not to be confused with: Japanese heavy metal bands.

Sumo (Sue-moe): Dates back to mythical times and was said to be popular among the gods. Six 15-day tournaments each year in raised, 14.9 sq ft rings. Aim is to eject opponent from ring or cause him to touch the ground with anything but his feet. Not to be confused with: Mick McManus, Giant Haystacks, Dickie Davies.

Sei (Say-e): Sex. At the start of the decade, there were 35,000 so-called love hotels in Tokyo, with an average of 20 rooms each, each room used by an average of 2.3 couples. Not to be confused with: Catholic guilt.

Hello Kitty (He-low Ki-tee): Cartoon character created by the Sanrio Company as a trade name. One of the most successful trade names in the history of mass marketing. Not to be confused with: Hello Dolly, Hello Sailor.