The Japanese word for April fools is "shigatsu baka" or "eipuriru fuuru" (using the English expression). I was quite surprised when I first heard some countries have April fools jokes in major newspapers. The Japanese are known to be serious and I can imagine some people getting very upset or angry if an April fools joke was run in a Japanese newspaper. However, it is more accepted today, especially in online communities. There are quite a few Japanese online sites that entertain us on April fools. Some old sayings to consider on April fools day are: "Warai wa hyakuyaku no chou (laughter is the best medicine)" or "Warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru (fortune comes to a merry home)". I think laughter is important to our lives.
Japanese translation
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Comments
i think if laughter is associated with hassles and frustrations, it wouldn’t be nice. I’m talking about that virus. oh well! ja mata!
i’m frustated and annoyed by lame jokes
四月馬鹿の新聞が出来ませんか
I am yet to witness any april fool jokes in Japan. In Finland, it’s all over the news and magazines, so you end up being skeptical when reading those in first of April.
Luckily my birthday is 31st of March, not the next day..