How We Understand One Term Can Be the Difference Between ‘Healthy Living’ and ‘Always on a Diet’

What a Google Search reveals about indulgent food

Illustrations by Kaki Okumura

One Google search, two very different results

What happens when you Google the terms “indulgent food”? What images do you think will pop up in the search results?

If you guessed overflowing milkshakes, candy, ice cream, chocolate, bacon, burgers, and fries, you’re exactly right. It’s not much of a surprise is it?

Screenshot from Google Search

But what happens when you Google “indulgent food” in Japanese?

Screenshot from Google Search

The search results bring up images of sushi, unagi, salmon roe, uni, mangoes, white peaches, bamboo shoots, seafood, and wagashi Japanese confectionery desserts. Would this be something you’d expect from the terms ‘indulgent food’? If you’re Japanese, it shouldn’t be too big of a surprise.