I’ve been a fairly avid reader all of my life, but I’ve found that after a few months has passed I tend to remember only a small fraction of what I read––perhaps because of my reading speed. Or maybe it’s just how my mind works. While a majority of my reading time has been devoted… Read More »
I’ve recently started a new series called “TransLiterary Lab” (文学翻訳ラボ) where I do analysis and translation of short excerpts of Japanese literature. You can see more information about this series in this post. In this third episode I will discuss and translate a little of 夢十夜 from Natsume Soseki (夏目漱石) for which you can the… Read More »
Most, if not all languages contain asymmetricities. I attribute this to the fact that grammar in languages is generally shaped over time by a series of small adjustments (which I think of as a type of evolution) as opposed to purposeful rules created by explicit decisions. But whatever the reason, to master a language we… Read More »
Muji, known as Japanese in 無印良品 (literally “good unbranded products”), is a Japanese store that sells a variety of goods: clothes, skin care, sandals, containers, etc. Around a year ago Muji opened their first store in Portland, and the combination interesting products, beautiful interior design, and the Japanese element makes this one of my favorite… Read More »
I’ve decided to start a new series called “TransLiterary Lab” (文学翻訳ラボ) where I do analysis and translation of short excerpts of Japanese literature. You can see more information about this series in this post. In this second episode I will continue where I left off in episode one, and translate a little more of Akutagawa… Read More »
(Update: the book sale referred to in this article is no longer active, but you can find a book of Juza Unno’s stories available here.) Science Fiction lovers have a lot to enjoy in Japanese literature, with great authors like Sakyo Komatsu, Taiyo Fujii, Project Itoh, and Kobo Abe. But if you go back a… Read More »
I give special value to vocabulary words or expressions that I have learned through interaction with native speakers. No matter how much you read or watch forms of Japanese media (books, manga, movies, etc.), it just seems there are some things you have to experience yourself by using Japanese in daily life. In this post,… Read More »
This it the 11th chapter of a novel I am translating and publishing on this blog. See this post for the first chapter and more details about the novel. I want to thank the author, Yuki Hoshizaki (星崎ゆうき) for giving me permission to translate and publish this chapter here. You can find the original Japanese… Read More »
I enjoy writing articles on this blog as well as doing translation of various Japanese works, and was considering writing more articles where I analyze passages and talk about translation details. However, some time ago I hit upon an idea that would be much more fun and potentially more educational than a simple article. Now,… Read More »
In this post I’d like to go over the connecting expression “〜ものの” (~mono no), which is especially useful for those of you interested in Japanese literature. The meaning of this relatively simple: 〜ものの is used after a phrase in order to express a contrast with what comes after. In English we express this with words… Read More »