I. Romanization = Spelling Japanese words I want to start with the Basics. And romanization of Japanese words is very basic, yet I often see mistakes by Japanese people writing English. There are two romanization systems commonly used today: Hepburn (ヘボン式) and Kunrei (訓令式). You should be aware of the differences and be careful which [...]
Posts under ‘English Tips’
English Tip: Spelling Long Vowels
Spelling Long Vowels Spelling long vowels has been and will always be a permanent problem for all of us. There is no perfect way to spell long vowels in Japanese words. So people spell long vowels in different ways, which makes it confusing for everyone. For example, 近江（おうみ）. See the image for the sample spellings. [...]
Hyphens
Hyphens Continuing my English tips on romanization, my next topic is hyphenation. A hyphen is used to indicate a connection between two different units of meaning. At the same time, it also helps to indicate proper pronunciation and understanding. However, the rules of hyphenation are not clear cut, especially when romanizing Japanese words. There is [...]
Interpreting
Let me talk briefly about how to be a good interpreter. Obviously, you must be bilingual. But this is not enough. You also need to have good knowledge of the subject you are interpreting. For example, if you are a tour guide interpreter taking foreign tourists around to shrines and temples, you will need to [...]
Koka’s English Web site
Koka finally has an English Web site: http://www.city.koka.shiga.jp/english/index.html It’s not bad. However, one common error is “Koka City.” It should just be “Koka.” If you say “Koka City,” it means “City” is part of the city’s name. The city’s name is “Koka,” not “Koka City” (=甲賀シティ市). For example, in the US, we have “Kansas City” [...]