Irashaimase! Irashaimase!

Here is a little video featuring one of the many speakers that are a common sight in supermarkets and other stores. They have little sensors on them and thus start up automatically when someone approaches. This particular one is located in one of the few grocery stores in Takachiho. It's called A-COOP. The "A" stands for "agriculture" or "agricultural." If you listen closely, you'll be able to hear the male voice blaring out "irashaimase!" twice in rapid succession before going on to indicate some sort of sale. I can't make out too much of what he says myself, except for a couple of prices, but by now I certainly know what "irashaimase" means. Especially in A-COOP, you hear that word a million times. It means something like "welcome," but I think it's more of a "I'm here to serve you." It's the first thing you hear in many stores, but the employees at A-COOP go a bit overboard with it. It's pretty funny how often they say it. Even the cashiers, in the middle of ringing customers up, blurt out a constant stream of "irashaimases." It reminds me a bit of walking into a Waffle House. As soon as you enter the door, you get greeted by a chorus of "Welcome to Waffle House" or whatever it was that they say.

Not all of these speakers greet customers with "irashaimase" but they all have one thing in common: They make the customer aware of a special offer. Plus, they are a bit annoying. In Tokyo we were exposed to similar greetings on the streets from store employees and other people selling various things. But, according to my buddy Carl, the concept is carried to far more ridiculous extremes in China. Thank goodness that's not the case here.