Japan’s amazing “Braille Blocks” for the visually-impared (点字ブロック）
In this post I talked about Japan’s “Braille Blocks”, a system that is employed throughout Japan to assist the visually-impaired.
Category Archives: culture
Japanese literature paperback release: “Fast Forward Japan: Stories by the Founding Father of Japanese Science Fiction” by Juza Unno
I’ve just released a paperback book of classic Japanese science fiction works by Juza Unno, including “Eighteen O’Clock Music Bath”, the first modern Japanese dystopian story.
Japanese literature translation: 風の又三郎 (Matasaburo of the Wind) by 宮沢賢治 (Kenji Miyazawa) [Part 2]
I translated the second part of Kenji Miyazawa’s famous story “Matasaburo of the Wind”, which happens to be the same story referred to in the song “Matasaburo” by the rock band Yorushika.
Beware of fake Japanese proverbs
When learning a foreign language, it’s generally a good idea to learn some proverbs, what we call “kotowaza” (諺) in Japanese. It’s not just because they are a fun way to learn new words in context, but also because proverbs can express meaningful ideas in a concise form that often reflects that country’s history and… Read More »
An eclectic interview with Edward Lipsett of Kurodahan Press, publisher of Japanese literature
I posed a series of questions to Edward Lipsett, one of the founders of Kurodahan Press, a publisher that focuses on new translations of Japanese literature as well as reprints of classic texts. We touched on a variety of topics, including learning Japanese, Japan’s culture, translation checking, and the daily activities of a publisher, so I think there’s a little something for everyone.
Japanese Literature Release: “The Masquerade Ball” by Edogawa Rampo (Bilingual Edition)
I’ve released an ebook of “The Masquerade Ball” in bilingual Japanese/English format. It’s written by Edogawa Rampo, master of classic Japanese mystery.
Japanese women’s literature book release: “Days and Nights” by Hayashi Fumiko
I’m proud to announce my next release of classic Japanese’s women’s literature: a collection of Hayashi Fumiko’s short stories titled “Days and Nights”.
Japanese literature review: 人間 (“Ningen”) by 又吉直樹 (Matayoshi Naoki)
I reviewed the latest novel by Matayoshi Naoki (又吉直樹), titled “Ningen:” (人間).
The majority of the review is via a Youtube video, but I have also provided a summary of my findings.
Japanese fairy tale translation: “The Soul Lives On” (by Mimei Ogawa)
I’ve translated and published the full text of the classic Japanese fairy tale “The Soul Lives On” (たましいは生きている) by Mimei Ogawa (小川未明), a poignant tale about the strength of a brotherly bond, even after death.
Japanese drama review: “Million Yen Women” (100万円の女たち)
Ever since I got a membership to Netflix as part a promotional deal, I’ve been watching little bits of anime and life-action series on there. For the most part, even if I find something that is good in the beginning, it’s never compelling enough for me to make it through the end (and this includes… Read More »