The square that ends up being a big part of TV comprehension in Japan

After living in Japan for a while, I've grown used to something I never knew had a name: the tiny reaction window on almost every TV show, known here as the ワイプ (waipu, from the English "wipe"). Before moving, I'd watched plenty of reality shows and morning programs in Australia, but none of them used this format. We get panel discussions, sure, and the occasional picture-in-picture segment for news, but a permanent little box tracking someone's facial expressions? That feels uniquely Japanese, but maybe it's used in other countries as well.

From an expat POV, I think it can be a really helpful way of understanding more Japanese! Variety shows here are famously fast-paced, packed with gags, cutaways, and cultural references that can fly over your head if you're not fluent. The ワイプ becomes a guide of sorts, basically like a built-in translator for social cues. If the featured person in ワイプ the raises an eyebrow or bursts out laughing, you instantly know how you're supposed to take the moment, even if you missed a pun or nuance.