This is actually from the news, but is related to Japanese language, so I post it here. It's from the Lonely Planet site : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/scoop/ar...437&region=asi


10 July '02
Keeping Japanese
The Japanese language is being invaded by so many foreign words that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has called for the Education Ministry to set up a committee of language experts to find Japanese alternatives. In particular, Japan's growing number of elderly are struggling to keep up with their own language, and Koizumi is said to have been forced into action upon receiving a document from financial bureaucrats that he found totally incomprehensible. Words such as 'kohi shoppu' for coffee shop, the French word 'pan' for bread and 'arubaito' from German for part-time work have been around for ages and don't cause problems - but a surge of new words, which, when adapted into Japanese sound little like the original word in its home language, are causing confusion all round. Japan's economy is struggling with 'resutora' (restructuring), while women in the workforce battle against 'seku hara' (sexual harassment). The country's growing number of unmarried women in their 30s are known as 'parasaito shingeru' (parasite singles), while those with a Lolita complex are called 'rori con'. Koizumi has a tough job on his hands - stemming the tide of foreign words is going to be near impossible when all things foreign are viewed as cool by the country's youth.