晒し

• Reading: さらし
• Romaji: sarashi
• Kanji breakdown: 晒し (exposing/displaying) from 晒す (to expose to public view) → publicly shaming someone
• Pronunciation: /sa.ɾa.ɕi/

Meaning

Publicly exposing someone — posting screenshots, usernames, or other identifying information to shame a player for bad behavior.

Rooted in Japanese internet forum culture, 晒し involves making someone's in-game identity or behavior public to shame them. While sometimes motivated by legitimate grievances like cheating or harassment, 晒し itself is generally considered a form of harassment and is prohibited by most game and platform terms of service. The practice can escalate into real-world consequences.

Examples

1. 晒し行為はマナー違反だからやめたほうがいいよ。 Doxxing and public shaming violates community guidelines, so you should really stop doing that.
2. 試合中に暴言吐いてきたやつを晒したい気持ちはわかるけど。 I get wanting to expose that guy who was trash-talking during the match, but still.
3. 掲示板で晒されてるの見たけどあれ誤解じゃない？ I saw someone getting called out on the forum, but isn't that a misunderstanding?

Usage Guide

Context: gaming forums, social media, internet forums

Tone: confrontational, warning

Do Say

• 晒し行為は規約違反だから通報しよう (Exposing people publicly violates terms of service — report it instead)
• 晒されたくなかったらマナー守ろうね (If you don't want to be exposed, follow the rules)

Don't Say

• 晒しは正義の行為ではない (Publicly shaming someone is not justice — use official report systems instead)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking 晒し is acceptable if the target did something wrong — it's still considered harassment and can violate platform rules

Origin & History

From 晒す (to expose to public view). Has roots in 2ch forum culture of the early 2000s, where users would post screenshots to publicly shame players for bad behavior in games.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s internet forum culture (2ch era)

Generation: Internet and gaming users

Social background: Online communities

Regional notes: Used nationwide in online contexts. Considered poor etiquette in most Japanese online communities.