Skip to content

japayuki

workers in Japan (usually bars)

noun ja-pa-YU-ki Japanese origin Rare

Usage Note

Japayuki is a portmanteau of 'Japan' and the Japanese yukisan (traveler), referring primarily to Filipino entertainers and bar workers who went to Japan on entertainment visas in the 1980s–2000s. The term carries mixed connotations — economic migration on one hand and exploitative working conditions on the other — and its use has declined as the Philippine government tightened entertainer visa regulations.

Examples

Beginner

" Naging japayuki ang tita ko. "

Natural Translation

My aunt became a japayuki.

Literal Translation

Became japayuki the aunt my.

Intermediate

" Maraming Pilipino noon ang naging japayuki para suportahan ang pamilya. "

Natural Translation

Many Filipinos back then became japayuki to support their families.

Literal Translation

Many Filipino then became japayuki to-support the family.

Advanced

" Maraming kababaihan ang nangibang-bansa bilang japayuki noong dekada otsenta upang tustusan ang pag-aaral ng kanilang mga kapatid. "

Natural Translation

Many women went abroad as japayuki in the eighties to fund their siblings' education.

Literal Translation

Many women the went-abroad as japayuki during decade eighty to fund the studies of their siblings.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.