• ISSN: 2382-6282 (Print); 2972-3108 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Lang. Lit. Linguist.
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL
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HOME > Archives > 2026 > Volume 12 Number 2 (2026) >
IJLLL 2026 Vol.12(2): 113-117
DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL.2026.12.2.641

Describing Deliciousness: A Cross-Linguistic Analysis of European Pear Reviews in Japanese and English

Nobuyo Fukaya
Faculty of Agro-Food Science, Niigata Agro-Food University, Niigata, Japan
Email: nobuyo-fukaya@nafu.ac.jp

Manuscript received November 28, 2025; accepted February 9, 2026; published April 28, 2026

Abstract—This study investigates cross-cultural differences in the linguistic expression of pear deliciousness, focusing on reviews written by Japanese and American consumers. While general evaluative terms such as “delicious” are common, more precise descriptions often refer to specific sensory attributes, including appearance, smell, flavor, and texture. Online reviews of European pears from Japan (Rakuten) and the United States (Walmart) were analyzed to identify differences in sensory vocabulary. Japanese reviewers emphasized softness (46% of texture-related comments) and smell, whereas American reviewers highlighted juiciness (48% of texture-related comments) and firmness. To explore the underlying reasons for these differences, a supplementary analysis of Japanese pears (nashi) reviews was conducted. Japanese pears differ from European pears not only in flavor but also in shape, being round rather than oblong. Japanese reviewers frequently described Japanese pears as juicy and refreshing, suggesting that their perception of European pears as “soft” may reflect a cultural benchmark based on the crisp, juicy texture of domestic pears. These findings indicate that cultural background shapes the sensory vocabulary used in food reviews, highlighting the importance of culturally informed approaches to understanding consumer perception and language use in the context of food evaluation.
 
Keywords—consumer reviews, pear, texture, juicy, sensory evaluation

Cite: Nobuyo Fukaya, "Describing Deliciousness: A Cross-Linguistic Analysis of European Pear Reviews in Japanese and English," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 113-117, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).


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