660 posts tagged with japanese.
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Is there another meaning than mushroom to the Japanese "-take"?
I believe I read somewhere that, similar to common usage in Chile of the Quechua word "k'allampa" both for mushrooms and for "dick" (or Uyghur "يەر مەدىكى / yer mediki", meaning "earth dick") the Japanese -take that many mushroom names are composed with, taken by itself can be a slang word for penis, or was an arcaic or dialect word for it. [more inside]
My Move-To-Japan Plan Has Ground to a Halt: Help.
I'd like to live in Japan for a while. I don't want to be an English teacher. I should be able to do this if I enroll at a language school and get a 1 or 2 year student visa, but my initial desire to take this route has become conflicted with an increasing concern that I won't be able to hack it, and so my planning has ground to a halt. I need some help: has anyone done anything like this and can offer advice? [more inside]
What does this Japanese woman have in her mouth?
In this period illustration, what is the woman doing? [more inside]
Trying to remember a book. Historical? Japanese? A list of things?
I'm desperately trying to remember the name of a book. Not contemporary; it's the kind of book a historian or literary scholar might read. I think it's Japanese; I think the title is something along the lines of Ten Thousand Beautiful Useless Things, because I remember that it sounded like a list, and it had an evocative adjective (or two) that suggested it was about listing sublime, useless, luxurious, connoisseurial kinds of pleasures. Written by a man? Didn't really sound like a novel? It was not The Pillow Book; I think it might have been published a few centuries later. [more inside]
Japanese photographic tradition of leaving a print for someone to find
I remember reading about it in passing a long time ago - a photographer would make a print of his/her work, and would then just leave it in a public space for others to discover and enjoy, or even take for their own. Google has been of no help - does anyone know what this tradition is called/what I'm talking about? [more inside]
What's going on with instagram's English -> Japanese translation?
I follow a bunch of Japanese instagram accounts, and the auto-translate frequently does this weird thing where a word is repeated a lot in the translation, when it pretty obviously isn't in the original text. Examples inside. [more inside]
Online Japanese OCR is failing with this brief printed text from 1800...
Though it seems orderly enough, all online Japanese OCR resources are coming up short with the brief description that accompanies this lovely illustration of a kinugasatake, the Phallus indusiatus, drawn in 1800 by Kamei Kyodo. Help, please?
Inspire me to learn Japanese for work.
So despite making this decision not long ago, a long-term opportunity has potentially come up at work. We have a new large grant to start a Japan focussed 'section' and as an editor and project manager there could be opportunities for me if I could develop my Japanese ability.
But 'learning Japanese' is something I seem to fail at. I need your help. [more inside]
「ねこ」あとでわからん
IPad program for annotating Japanese text in a particular way
I'm studying Japanese, and I haven't had luck in finding an iPad program that can do what I want. I'm also interested in alternative methods of going about what I'm doing. Google Docs is the closest to where I've gotten where I want to be. Here's an example. I want to write down Japanese text I am reading, and I want to be able to highlight each part of the text and make notes: this is the word's meaning, this is the word's reading, etc. etc. This way, I can read a text without distracting annotations, but can make reference to my notes on the text whenever I need or want by clicking on the part of the text I'm interested in. [more inside]
Anime Romance Recommendations
My favorite anime used to be Sailor Moon, but a rewatch of all its episodes (both the originals and the reboots) have made me realize that Mamarou and Usagi's relationship was really sad and toxic, especially once Chibi Usa shows up. What other animes are fun and thrilling like Sailor Moon and have romances that don't follow the same dysfunctional dynamic? Please exclude Avatar/Legend of Korra from your recommendations.
Non-Amazon online sources for Asian groceries
I want to buy shelf-stable stuff like shaoxing wine, doubanjiang, kombu, Thai curry paste, and other things I used to buy in quantity at Asian grocery stores like H Mart. I'd rather not buy them on Amazon if possible. [more inside]
Is this forgotten Japanese word actually a thing?
I seem to remember reading, many years ago now, about a Japanese word that refers specifically to the kind of love that manifests as a deep contentment on feeling one's lover warming their cold feet on one's body.
Is there actually such a word?
Bonus points: where am I likely to have read about it?
What is this fable?
I am in possession of a list of folktales and myths. The titles have been translated from Japanese. I assume the translator doesn't speak English well or is using Google Translate, because there are some very unusual things in there, however, they are identifiable. This list includes the tantalizing title "Compared the Back of Acorns." Does anyone have any idea what this is? [more inside]
Please translate handwritten... Japanese, I guess?
The man on the left in this photo is my grandfather. Does the script offer a clue as to who the guy on the right might be? [more inside]
Japanese Streaming Service for one off vanity use.
My kid was in a Japanese re-enactment drama. It showed on TBS in Japan and I'd really like to see it! Can you help me figure out how to? [more inside]
Improving Japanese at home
I studied Japanese for a couple of years in college using the Genki textbooks. I'd like to study more now that I have free time. Can you recommend resources with a similar feel that I could study at home with? [more inside]
How would I address a Japanese police inspector?
I'm writing a story set in Japan, and I'm looking for the appropriate honorific to use when addressing a police inspector or chief inspector using their name and rank. [more inside]
Recommend me some Japanese music/educate me in Japanese music
Snowflake details within! [more inside]
Estimated Effort/Plan to Learn Japanese after hours as an adult?
I've long been interested in many aspects of Japanese culture (film, woodworking, apparel, textiles, stationary) and my family did work and lived there for 1.5 years when I was young. I'm considering learning the language as a middle aged adult and I'm curious to get a sense for how much time I should plan for study, successful tools and practices, and realistic outcomes. I'm a working professional with a small child at home, so I probably about 5-8 hours per week or so available for study.
Where can I find a simple video on using an iPad in Japanese?
I gave my old iPad to one of my elderly Japanese students and he loves it. And he also loves asking me how to use it. But I'm leaving soon and he needs more help. Is there a video or video series online - and in Japanese - that shows a newbie the ins and outs of the iPad? I've looked but, not speaking Japanese, I don't know what's good.
What Would The Chopstick Say?
A friend sent me a picture of chopsticks(?) with writing on them. They are something his father would have gotten in the 1950's. I have tried Google Translate and other online translations but the most I've gotten is, "You can."
Can anyone help translate? ( I have never been able to hyperink here.)
Link.
Midnight question about non-american fantasy fiction
When I watch Hollywood fantasy fiction, I can usually tell where the grey line is between "This is a pretty accurate portrait of how we think history looked" vs "Yeah this is total fantasy." For example, Braveheart and Gladiator are "realistic" history, whereas Game of Thrones is obviously "fantastic" history. However, in thinking of Japanese shows, or the little African literature I've read, I don't know what those cultures would consider "realistic" vs. "fantastic" fiction. Can you please give me some examples?
Help me translate this cup's contents from Japanese
Found these photos on the internet and somebody told me they mention some health tips for life. Can you help me out to translate them? Each photo has a different set of "rules".
Thanks!
Japanese translation requests
Can anyone translate for me a variety of inscriptions on Japanese prints, and one on the label of a carved Buddha? Any additional information about the prints and Buddha appreciated as well! Details within. [more inside]
Where did I learn these Chinese characters?
When I was a young hanov3r, I found a book that was intended to, in a humorous fashion, teach mnemonics to remember a bunch of Chinese (or, MAYBE, Japanese?) characters. I can identify the characters for the numbers 1 through 6 and 10 because of the descriptions, along with the characters for 'man' and 'woman', but that's about it. I want to find this book again. [more inside]
Alternative Heisig hiragana stories?
We're learning hiragana and katakana as a family (and eventually kanji). Somebody recommended Heisig, who has written short stories about each character to help you remember them. The first two hiragana lessons were great, and everything has stuck fast in our minds. Lesson three, and it starts to get real weird, with dagger-ejecting mothers spinning in fields accompanied by levitating dogs attached to boomerangs. [more inside]
I want to understand Japanese current affairs. What should I read?
So there's a chance I'll be moving to Japan next year. I know a little bit about Japanese history up to the present, but not that much. I guess I want to get up to speed! Specifics inside! [more inside]
English vs Japanese Pokemon names?
I've tried to Google this, but I'm not having much luck in finding a good answer.
In English, many Pokemon names are jokes or puns of some kind (examples: Trubbish, who looks like a garbage bag, and its evolution Garbodo; the trio of Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam; Tentacool; Cloyster). This culminated in one of my favorite Pokemon jokes of all time. So... do the original Japanese names follow similar joking patterns? Are there puns in the Japanese names that might elicit groans the same way "Trubbish" does?
Japanese gangster-musical-spoof movie
This came out eight, possibly longer, years ago.
The ending featured armed police surrounding a gangster as he came out of a building, with a funny musical number - spoof Matrix.
Does anyone recognise this and know the name? Thanks.
Need a japanese toilet seat in Canada. Not crazy expensive
So my mom has trouble with the wiping due to rheumetoid arthritis. My parents are planning a bathroom renovation. I'd like to buy them a japanesse toilet seat (having been to Japan and returned in love.) It should wash with not-freezing water and I guess it should dry or otherwise she'd have to wipe dry. I don't want to go crazy on price. They're not changing the toilet, so just the seat, not a toilet. Please recommend.
vernacular architecture in japan
I was reading about machiya townhouses and minka farmhouses. Do you know of more resources on Japanese traditional and vernacular architecture, especially concerning thermal management and ventilation?
How did they do washing stuff in old Japan?
Clothes and food stuff, specifically. [more inside]
Language learning for the rather hearing impaired?
I have long wanted to both learn Mandarin and increase my Japanese vocabulary, but now that I have moderate hearing loss I'm finding language acquisition challenging. With Mandarin I really can't distinguish between some of the tones, and am stymied by most language learning materials. Are there any materials geared more towards the written language? Also, could someone point me towards good tutorials on entering characters into Windows 10? [more inside]
More easy Japanese - with English?
I'm looking for more easy Japanese to read (maybe third or fourth grade level?) with English translations. Online? Books? With audio? Online used book sellers? Kids' magazines? [more inside]
Is this a thing? Japanese Business Gift Question
I work for a multinational corporation. Today I received a piece of mail from our Tokyo office containing a small Japanese fan and a mint-condition American ten dollar bill. No note, no name on the return address. It was addressed to me personally. [more inside]
Okay how does this unmarked Japanese AC/Heater work?
So the Beaver heater/AC in my new bedroom in Japan has a wired remote. Pic of AC and a Pic of Remote. It's got a bunch of sliders that do...something. I can't figure out what. Once it had some kind of panel on it that explained what things did. It doesn't now. So first, what model is this thing? Second, what DID it say on the remote? And third, roughly translated, what does that mean in ENGLISH? Please help. It's cold here.
Name those artists
I'm trying to remember the names of a pair of artists from late 90s-early 00s.
They were a couple, possibly one Japanese and one American who drew vivid cartoony cityscapes with all sorts of cute cartoon creatures in them. They went by a name something like yuki&bob.
Seriously: how hard can it be to buy a memory foam queen bed in Japan?
Look normally my process on this is pretty simple. Go to amazon. Search for memory foam queen size beds. Filter by four stars. Sort low to high. Buy one for 250 bucks or less. Throw in the cheapest highly rated bed frame FRAME and call it a day. Then give it someone when I move and do it again. But for some reason this seems IMPOSSIBLE to do in Japan. For price. For size. For mattress thickness. FOR EVERYTHING. So please help.
"I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune..."
When I took a Japanese history course these many ages ago, one of the things I learned is that Japanese pronunciation is blessedly simple compared to English. So...what's up with "karaoke?" Shouldn't it be "kah-rah-oh-kay?" How did it become "carry-oh-key," which doesn't even seem like the first choice for English speakers trying to decipher the word? What's the linguistic/phonetic basis here? I can't think of any similar loan words from Japanese.
Can you pay your balance on a US credit card from a Japanese bank?
I'm getting set to take a position in Japan for a year or more. I have a recurring payment I make to a friend on a money transfer app - PayPal usually - which then charges my credit card. But now my paycheck will be going to a Japanese bank. So can I pay my US credit card with a Japanese bank? And if so, what specifics should I expect? (transfer fees etc)
Proofreading/translation pricing negotiation for JPN-ENG documents?
I've been doing some technical translation work for an automotive company, and was asked last week if I'd like to proofread/edit the Japanese employees' English translations as well; this would involve going through the original Japanese and verifying that their corresponding English translations are accurate. I am not sure how to price this sort of work. Based on my current translation rates for said company (see inside), what do you think would be a fair price that neither party would be dissatisfied with? [more inside]
British K-Pop equivalent to Kero Kero Bonito?
Looking for British groups that sing in both English and Korean, similar to Kero Kero Bonito, a group that sings in mostly English and Japanese.
What is this tiny antique Japanese item supposed to be?
A tiny old Japanese charm or pendant, but I can't figure out what it's meant to be. [more inside]
Japanese Detective Show shown in the 90's?
I used to watch a live-action Japanese detective show subtitled in English, and I've been unable to find out what it was. [more inside]
I need more of a yarn I bought at a 100-yen shop in Tokyo
I bought a few balls of different colors at a 100-yen shop in Tokyo, this Can Do store in Shibuya to be specific, and I found a pattern that I thought would serve me well, but I'm running out of my main color and can't figure out how, if at all, to get more of this yarn in the states. Help! [more inside]
What are the best Japanese TV shows (not anime)and how can I watch them?
Bonus points for shows about people eating Japanese food [more inside]
Sketchy Japanese Cultural Appropriation?
Do the red 'characters' in this image from skater-gear maker/artist Sketchy Tank say anything? If so, in what language? [more inside]
Please identify these Japanese ladies for me
I inherited these five bamboo Japanese ladies which were made sometime between WWI and WW2. Any information re their use much appreciated.
Link
Japanese translation question
Can anyone tell me what "good fortune" is in Japanese? [more inside]