BEFORE YOU POST- FAQ's on Japan

[Brian Dunn]

Every week or so this board gets more "are Japanese racist?" and "how expensive is Japan?" threads. Sure, they are nice for conversation, but for the people answering them, it can get tiring answering the same things over and over.

So here a few websites that you should check out before posting questions that might be covered:

FAQ on moving to Japan and everything involved:
http://thejapanfaq.cjb.net/

Pictures of uniquely Japanese sights (note there is a second page) :
http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/pics.html

Culture shock (are Japanese racist? etc) :
http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/FAQ-Primer.html

Japanese manners and etiquette:
http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/FAQ-Manners.html

and unrelated to the above sites, this next one talks about Japanese rational behavior, something very useful for those of you living or about to live in Japan to help you understand the cultural behavior of everyone around:
http://www2b.biglobe.ne.jp/~shohei/contents.htm
Part 1 is essays, while Part 2 is presented as situations/case studies, with links to "Analysis" explanations at the bottom). Also, much of this relates to language and language use as well. Everyone should check it out. (For Part 1, click on the numbered lines, as the indented section links (ie., .../xxx.html #notes) don't work.

[ToyMachinist_86]

the second link seems to be dead.

[Brian Dunn]

I just checked the site -- it says it has exceeded its daily bandwidth limit. So try back later.

[Sharp-kun]

I've just cleaned up this thread and I'll be watching it. Keep it on topic.

[Suzaku]

A site which you people may find helpful in any translating you may find yourself doing, be it as a pocket dictionary or not;

Monash University Online Interactive Dictionary (http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html)

Note this is unlike Babelfish and doesn't translate pages or paragraphs, but can enable you to look up individual words, kanji, meanings etc.

[kenchan]

Hey Brian,
Where do you test and translate in Seattle, which company, Nintendo or Microsoft?

I'm at Monolith making games. hehe.,...small world. I'll check out those links.

[aciddj9]

the japaninfo.esmartweb.com ones have moved, for the record

[Suzaku]

There seem to be a few people who can't get Japanese (or any non-english language) working in their internet explorer, be it showing up or inputting it, so I'll post a brief guide for how to do this.

Note this will only apply to Windows XP or similar platforms because I don't have a mac on hand to write accordingly for.

On the microsoft Japanese page (http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=japanese), click whatever corresponds to your system, or more likely it may be this Global IME (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=803a623e-c311-4591-a593-b0e24a6f38e8&DisplayLang=en).

Once the download has completed and installation done, your computer should be able to read Japanese on the internet(if not, I'll have to search around some more, it's been a while since I've had to do this).

To actually input Japanese, read on.

Go to Start, Control Panel. From there, click the Regional and Language Options, and go to the Languages tab, and click the Details... button. There should be a Text Services and Input Languages window that pops up. There are a list of keyboard layouts here, likely your default is English(US) for those of you living in North America. Go to the Add... button, and click the Input Language and Keyboard layout. Japanese should show up if the correct pack was installed. If it doesn't show up try installing some other components to your computer from Microsoft. Once done click Ok and this new keyboard layout should show up in the list on the previous menu. Click that one and finish.

Once you are out of the Control Panel right click the windows taskbar at the bottom of the desktop, and go to the Toolbars option, and click Language Bar. This should bring up a small icon on the taskbar with the letters EN or JP for whichever language your computer is set up with currently. To switch quickly, hit Alt+Shift (unless you changed the default) between them (and excempting if you have more languages installed).

Right click the Language button and go to Restore the Language Bar. Now you will be in the master input area of Japanese characters. In the Input Mode button, there will be a series of input methods which your keyboard can use. Most common for you will likely be Direct Input (using the english alphabet), and Hiragana (using phonically Japanese input from english letters). Select one, and you are set to go.

Direct input is like this, •½‰¼–¼ƒCƒ“ƒvƒbƒg‚Í‚±‚¤‚È‚è‚Ü‚·�B

Enjoy.

[KuroiKenshi]

Just wanted to add one tip to Suzaku's post about inputting:

Once you have enabled Japanese input on your computer, you still have to manually switch from romaji to japanese input (separately from switching from english to japanese). this can be quickly accomplished (so, for example, you dont need to restore the language bar) by pressing alt+` (the key above tab)

[Cadmus]

Sorry to go off topic slightly, but would these make good things to put in an FAQ for this board?

[list=1]
You can't post Kana or Kanji here, the boards don't support anything other than the uni-code set
If you try to enter a Macronned letter it comes out as having a Circumflex, so if you see a circumflex read it as a Macron
[/list=1]

[Kerberos]

A site which you people may find helpful in any translating you may find yourself doing, be it as a pocket dictionary or not;

Monash University Online Interactive Dictionary (http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html)

Nice catch, Suzaku.

Unfortunately, people just refuse to read anything before posting.
AN is infested with those "how do you say this word?" threads. :mad:

[Jake]

If I may, I'd like to post on honorifics. A new post comes up on these every week it seems. I have decided to make this the HONORIFICS POST! I have put together information from different threads, sites, and my head to make this. For example's sake, I will use the Nadesico chara Jiro (Given Name) Yamada (Family Name) as the person these refer to.

Yamada-san: Can be translated as Mister Yamada, Missus Yamada, or Miss Yamada, but you use it on pretty much all adults/people your age or older..
Jiro-san: Can be used for young men or women. Not as polite as -san, but more polite than saying just the name.
Jiro-chan: Used for kids or younger women. It often has a cute effect, so it's used a lot in anime.
Jiro-kun: Used for male students or males that are younger than you.
Yamada-sensei: Mainly used for teachers or professors, but can sometimes be used for doctors or the title "master".
Yamada-senpai: Used for upperclassmen, mentors, or elders. This can be used with the given name (Jiro-senpai, which would just be a little less formal) and depending on how you romanize Japanese, the "n" could be replaced with an "m".
Yamada-sama: Really respectful, literally means lord, but is used in very formal situations. This is also used sometimes when referring to kami, the "gods" of Shinto. Also, it could be used sarchastically.
Yamada-dono: The polite masculine form of -san. It's used a lot by older people. This isn't used too much anymore.

Please add if you feel the need!

[Nami]

Chan and kun can be used with both male and female. ^^

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

You can't post Kana or Kanji here, the boards don't support anything other than the uni-code set

Actually, you can, I think. I've seen it done before.

"--dono" can also be used for women.

[Jake]

It depends. I'm using "Mozilla", and it's not working. When I use IE, it works fine. I guess it just depends...

[onearmedscissor]

It depends. I'm using "Mozilla", and it's not working. When I use IE, it works fine. I guess it just depends...
try going to view->character encoding->japanese (shift-jis). if that doesn't work, try any other japanese options in the encoding menu. i've never found any japanese that i couldn't get to show up properly with mozilla.

[Kaiga]

If you need to find some help with your Japanese or just plainly need a growing list of words to use go HERE (http://www.geocities.com/kaiga40/ANIME-HUT.html)

[Ken-Ohki]

For those using mac system 9+ has a Japanese character set you can install from your system disc. 8+ you'd have to pay for a seperate Japanese character set. Should be simple enough to find it. I'm not certain if X comes preloaded to read Japanese, mine was installed from system 9 prior to my addition of X. I've liked it but it has trouble translating everything, and few PC users can read what a mac posts in kana/kanji.

[Cheeto]

I have IE and after changing the appropriate settings Japanese comes up fine... with only one small problem. Every now and then the program seems like its "bleeding" or moving into English parts of my computer and making it "become Japanese"... For example: every now and then ordinary e-mails will have a word or two transformed into kanji whenever I open them and every now and then "pathways" on my computer will have the "/" signs changed into "yen" signs...
How can I fix this?

Thanks,

Cheeto

PS- I hope this makes sense. I'm dead tired and my grasp on the english language is slipping... Later

[Jake]

The same thing happens to me sometimes. Certain combinations of letters and punctuation come up as kanji. I don't know how to fix it.

[wakarimasu]

If you need to find some help with your Japanese or just plainly need a growing list of words to use go HERE (http://www.geocities.com/kaiga40/ANIME-HUT.html)

Um... the link's broken.

~Nick

[Jamicus]

All the FAQ's etc I read about Japan really don't show it in a positive light at all.

[CrimeofPassion]

All the FAQ's etc I read about Japan really don't show it in a positive light at all.

I know! I wonder how much of it is 100% true, though? Seems rather sad, really...makes me not want to even visit Japan, much less live there.

[Jamicus]

I know! I wonder how much of it is 100% true, though? Seems rather sad, really...makes me not want to even visit Japan, much less live there.

Though the thing is, the reflection I get from japan in their music, films, anime and games and all other kind of media isn't one of a big conformist country where only the rich survive. It seems like a fun place.
Who knows though I guess we'll have to visit to find out.

[CrimeofPassion]

Though the thing is, the reflection I get from japan in their music, films, anime and games and all other kind of media isn't one of a big conformist country where only the rich survive. It seems like a fun place.
Who knows though I guess we'll have to visit to find out.

That's so true, Jamicus. ^_^

[{NG}Fidel]

he reflection I get from japan in their music, films, anime and games and all other kind of media
Media is never a good judge of a country but hey you were just making a guess! Dont want to sound like I am bashing you. Japan is more strict than most people believe. Anime shows Japan in a diffrent light than most FAQs and Citizens will tell you.

[Prons]

Though the thing is, the reflection I get from japan in their music, films, anime and games and all other kind of media isn't one of a big conformist country where only the rich survive. It seems like a fun place.
Who knows though I guess we'll have to visit to find out.

Because frankly, what you see in their media is "ideal Japan."

In Ideal Japan, everyone ends up in love and living happily after after, people always get saved at the last moment, etc. etc. etc.

What you are seeing, is the opposite. Consider their Drama shows, they usually involve a young, polite girl falling in love with a handsome "prince charming" like character.

Then consider that the birth rate in Japan is shockingly low, as is their dating and romance scene, not to mention the sky rocketing suicide rate.

[HoshikuHanako]

There seem to be a few people who can't get Japanese (or any non-english language) working in their internet explorer, be it showing up or inputting it, so I'll post a brief guide for how to do this.

Note this will only apply to Windows XP or similar platforms because I don't have a mac on hand to write accordingly for.

On the microsoft Japanese page (http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=japanese), click whatever corresponds to your system, or more likely it may be this Global IME (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=803a623e-c311-4591-a593-b0e24a6f38e8&DisplayLang=en).

Once the download has completed and installation done, your computer should be able to read Japanese on the internet(if not, I'll have to search around some more, it's been a while since I've had to do this).

To actually input Japanese, read on.

Go to Start, Control Panel. From there, click the Regional and Language Options, and go to the Languages tab, and click the Details... button. There should be a Text Services and Input Languages window that pops up. There are a list of keyboard layouts here, likely your default is English(US) for those of you living in North America. Go to the Add... button, and click the Input Language and Keyboard layout. Japanese should show up if the correct pack was installed. If it doesn't show up try installing some other components to your computer from Microsoft. Once done click Ok and this new keyboard layout should show up in the list on the previous menu. Click that one and finish.

Once you are out of the Control Panel right click the windows taskbar at the bottom of the desktop, and go to the Toolbars option, and click Language Bar. This should bring up a small icon on the taskbar with the letters EN or JP for whichever language your computer is set up with currently. To switch quickly, hit Alt+Shift (unless you changed the default) between them (and excempting if you have more languages installed).

Right click the Language button and go to Restore the Language Bar. Now you will be in the master input area of Japanese characters. In the Input Mode button, there will be a series of input methods which your keyboard can use. Most common for you will likely be Direct Input (using the english alphabet), and Hiragana (using phonically Japanese input from english letters). Select one, and you are set to go.

Direct input is like this, •½‰¼–¼ƒCƒ“ƒvƒbƒg‚Í‚±‚¤‚È‚è‚Ü‚·�B

Enjoy.
I did everything above...I toggle to JP and it still only does english letters....is there something else that I'm missing??

Media is never a good judge of a country but hey you were just making a guess! Dont want to sound like I am bashing you. Japan is more strict than most people believe. Anime shows Japan in a diffrent light than most FAQs and Citizens will tell you.

The reality of what Japan is really like would keep anyone from moving there...

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

I did everything above...I toggle to JP and it still only does english letters....is there something else that I'm missing??
You're selecting "Hiragana" as your input mode and it's still not working? You have to manually change your input mode each time you switch from English language input to Japanese language input. Unless you have a version of Windows that doesn't support East Asian language input, there should be no reason that you're unable to input Japanese text. (And even if your version of Windows doesn't support East Asian language input, there should be a download available that enables support of East Asian language input.)

[HoshikuHanako]

I downloaded the files for all right to left languages....it has everything including middle east languages too...I have Win. XP....

[Mikadzuki Tatsu]

I downloaded the files for all right to left languages....it has everything including middle east languages too...I have Win. XP....
Then there shouldn't be any reason why it doesn't work. Even Internet Explorer allows input of East Asian languages. (I am able to input hiragana into IE). And I know Microsoft Office allows it.

[Suiko Eiji]

I downloaded the files for all right to left languages....it has everything including middle east languages too...I have Win. XP....

If you've gone through all of the normal channels, might I suggest downloading a small Japanese Word Processor, like NJ Star is what I use, and then doing copy-pasta into your browser, word doc, etc.?

[HoshikuHanako]

OK...I'll try that and play around a little more and see what I can do...I can see the Japanese characters now instead of ?????? which is one nice thing...Suiko Eiji...NJ Star is kinda hard to follow...LOLz...any pointers on how to use it...

[Len]

If you know how to speak Japanese and can Romanize it then I compiled this to be able to convert back and fourth between Romaji and both Kana scripts for when I have the wrong keyboard in xD. Doesn't support auto-type Kanji though.

Directions:
1. Chose Hiragana or Katakana
2. Type in the Romaji field the japanese 'in romaji'.

Note: THIS IS NOT A TRANSLATER it is a Transcriber. I didnt make it to be a translator, that would be VERY difficult. :P It is meant to transcribe Romaji to Kana. If anyone finds a bug in it, tell me.

Script: http://www.geocities.com/midnight_glim/kyovert.html

As for the shift_JIS. You can download it on the Microsoft Downloads page somewhere. Make sure you find the one that supports West ISO to UTF-8 encoding.

[Suiko Eiji]

Suiko Eiji...NJ Star is kinda hard to follow...LOLz...any pointers on how to use it...

Wow, I'm really sorry I missed this...

NJ Star is hard? Hrm. I believe the text window is defaulted to the lower left; I usually move it to the top by clicking an arrow on the far right of the menu. Then I change the input to 'romaji' and type away, stopping every so often to select kanji. For a portion of the trial, there is a dictionary function, so you can check the general meanings of kanji you have the choice of using.

PM me if you have any more problems.

[Chousho]

If you know how to speak Japanese and can Romanize it then I compiled this to be able to convert back and fourth between Romaji and both Kana scripts for when I have the wrong keyboard in xD.
...
Note: THIS IS NOT A TRANSLATER it is a Transcriber. I didnt make it to be a translator, that would be VERY difficult. :P It is meant to transcribe Romaji to Kana. If anyone finds a bug in it, tell me.

Script: http://www.geocities.com/midnight_glim/kyovert.html

Or you could go to
http://www.markusstengel.de/various/javascript/kana/kana.html

On the note of helpful tools, I found rikaichan (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2471/) and moji (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/145/) extensions for Firefox to be helpful.

Other helpful extensions:
Pera-Pera-kun (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3343/) (like rikaichan)
Chinesepera-kun (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3349/) (like rikaichan, but for Chinese)

[HoshikuHanako]

Wow, I'm really sorry I missed this...

NJ Star is hard? Hrm. I believe the text window is defaulted to the lower left; I usually move it to the top by clicking an arrow on the far right of the menu. Then I change the input to 'romaji' and type away, stopping every so often to select kanji. For a portion of the trial, there is a dictionary function, so you can check the general meanings of kanji you have the choice of using.

PM me if you have any more problems.

Maybe 'hard' is a slight exaggeration....LOLz...I haven't had time to look it over or even study any japanese...:( working for yourself sometimes has it's drawbacks...

[sreeja]

The link cannot get.I want to know about Japaneese life.

[Black Cat]

hi, are Japanese people racist?

[shinri]

The reality of what Japan is really like would keep anyone from moving there...

As much as I enjoy my visits there, I wouldn't consider living there for a nano-second, even though I'm fluent in the language and culture. I treasure my life here too much, and would have far less freedom as a single woman (of Japanese background, since there IS a difference in how they'd view me if I wasn't) there to do what I wanted without being judged, or being held to certain blanket expectations.

Not being pessimistic here...just realistic, based on my own past personal experiences.

[Chaotix]

the last 2 links are errors

[Mahrahia]

Oh what. I read the whole FAQ and it shows Japan in a completely different light than what's portrayed in the TV--but then again, everything in TV is prettier than in real life. I wouldn't mind visiting Japan, but only visiting.

[hassanchop]

What are their feelings towards Southeast Asians?