Mizu Shōbai
/mizu ɕoːbai/noun
A Japanese term for the nightlife and entertainment industry, especially businesses involving hostesses, hosts, bars, and clubs.
Did you know?The phrase reflects the idea that nightlife income is as unstable and changeable as water, rather than referring to selling water itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Japanese
水
“Water; the first character later read mizu in Japanese.”
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Japanese
商売
“Commerce, trade, or business; the characters were adopted into Japanese vocabulary.”
8th–12th Century
Japanese
みず / mizu
“Water; the native Japanese reading of 水.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
しょうばい / shōbai
“Trade, commerce, or business.”
Edo Period
Japanese
水商売 / mizu shōbai
“Literally “water business,” increasingly associated with occupations whose earnings were considered unstable.”
Modern English
English
mizu shōbai
“A Japanese cultural term used in English-language writing for the hostess, host-club, bar, and nightlife-entertainment trade.”