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初見 shoken
First time seeing this.
What does shoken mean?
Literally "first look". Used for a game you've never touched and, very often, as a greeting in a live stream chat: 初見です means "new here, hi".
Example
この配信、初見です。よろしくお願いします。
First time watching this stream. Nice to meet you all.
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Safe to use Fine in ordinary conversation.
The story behind shoken
初見 is an ordinary word, first sight, that live streaming quietly promoted. On Japanese video platforms from the late 2000s onward, typing 初見です in the chat became the standard way to introduce yourself, and streamers learned to answer it out loud. It is a greeting that doubles as a status report.
It also organises viewing etiquette. A 初見プレイ stream means the host has never touched the game, which puts the chat under an unwritten spoiler ban that regulars enforce with real severity. Half the pleasure of watching is watching someone else not know, and one impatient comment can spend the whole evening's suspense in a second.
Get shoken in your pocket
初見 is one of 308 words in YABAI, a Japanese culture snack for Android. Every word comes with its meaning, an example sentence, a vibe check and a story like the one above — in 13 languages, read aloud by your device. Paid app: no ads, no sign-up, no subscription.
