JJapanese

Japanese Student Joined My School and he Calls me Sakana?

  • May 27, 2025

Exactly at the title says.

We have a new student that joined us late in the year. He doesn't speak a lot of English, but he's a bright and happy kid. I get along really well with him with the tiny bit of Japanese I've been able to piece together. When I introduced myself to him he seemed to understand. He's 10.

But when I asked him what my name was today, he said Sakana. It means fish and sounds nothing like my name. I then asked him to draw what he think he was saying. He then wrote it out in a sentence (in Japanese kanji) and drew a picture of a fish. I tried to tell him what my name actually was but he insisted that I was Sakana-sensei.

I just want to know whether or not this is like a quirk of this kid or there's some larger cultural context that I'm missing. Maybe like a meme or song? This might just be him having a silly moment. But I really wish I understood the joke if there is one.

Thanks if anyone knows and sorry if this breaks the rules.

EDIT: Mystery solved! I wore fish jewelry yesterday. I am Sakana-sensei. Thanks everyone for the responses. Y'all were really nice πŸ˜€

by ipreferfoodanyway

25 comments

  1. Probably just he’s 10 and latched onto something he thinks is funny. Japanese kid, no use trying to make sense of it sometimes lol

  2. Probably sakana deez nuts but that’s pretty far fetched for a non English speaker

  9. As someone who was in the opposite situation (10yr old living in Japan and attending a Japanese school) we used to nickname people all the time, especially while my language skills were still developing. There were various logical / illogical/ 10yr old logic reasons behind the names but all were associated with something to do with the person to help with remembering stuff.
    We had the Samurai people, the old ducks, the Yakitori people and the Shoe people. We didn’t call them that to their face tho

  10. Not Japanese, but my wife is.

    The absolute closest guess I have here is it referencing a somewhat popular person? ι­šγ‚―γƒ³ (sakana kun)

    ι­šγ‚―γƒ³ is a icthyologist (a word I 100% definite knew without having to Google, yep!) and vaguely popular TV guest in Japan. I only know him because for a while my wife was obsessed with the dude because he was self taught and had crazy art skills or something.

    No other guesses from me, but I don’t consume much JP media unless she has it on while we eat, and someone using specialized vocab like a literal scientist is a bit out of my depth (pun not intended)

  12. He seems bright, happy and to like you. I’d just put it down to him being ten and not worry about it!

  15. Are you sure he understands your question?? Sounds odd to me. But Sakana sensei sounds cute ☺️

  17. Own it. Get a fish tshirt and a fish pencil case.

    Edit Also he just gave you a cool gamer tag that you could use for the rest of your life

  19. I remember when I taught in Japan a student would call me Anpanman. I think they just like to be silly sometimes.

  21. He’s probably just trying to interact with you using one of the words he’s comfortable with in English. If I were you, I’d engage with him on it and ask some follow up questions about fish. It might get him talking.

    He could just be weird though…

  23. OP, and I mean this kindly, do you have limited exposure to children? Because this is Just Something Kids Do.

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