Help with Japanese pen-friend letter?

Question:

Hi! I need to write an introduction letter to my new Japanese pen-friend. It's very simple. Please write it only in Hiragana and Katakana. Thank you for your help!! ;D

Hello! It's nice to meet you. My name is ___. I'm excited to be pen-friends with you. I'm very interested in learning about Japan. It must be exciting to live there. Have you ever been to America? If not, you should visit! I hope to hear back from you soon.
Sincerely,
____

Answer:

どうも、はじめまして。
わたしはXXXです。
あなたとペンフレンド（ペンパル）になれて、とてもうれしいです。
わたしは、にほんについてとってもきょうみがあります。
きっとにほんでのせいかつはすごくすてきでしょうね。
あめりかにきたことはありますか？
もし、なければ、ぜひ、きてください！
それでは、へんじまってます。

ではまた。

Good Luck~!

Can anyone translate this from japanese?

Question:

It's a wall scroll and I'd appreciate it if someone who can read and understand Japanese to translate this for me? Thanks! Here's the link btw: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5637070936_1a08de2967_z.jpg

Answer:

Lang-8.com and livemocha.com is useful.

Does this Japanese sentence make sense?

Question:

それから、今日は誰かも練習すること英語の”Nine symbolic cuts"と言うこと。

Would this be a way to say "Even now, Today, there are (many)people who practice what is called in English the "Nine Symbolic Cuts""? Is this correct?

Answer:

The correct way is:
現在でも、今日では、実際に何を英語で呼ばれる人々が（多く）がある"ナインシン…
or phonetically:
Genzai demo, kyō de wa, jissai ni nani o eigo de yoba reru hitobito ga (ōku) ga aru" nainshinborikkukatto"

Does this Japanese sentence make sense?

Question:

それから、今日は誰かも練習すること英語の”Nine symbolic cuts"と言うこと。

Would this be a way to say "Even now, Today, there are (many)people who practice what is called in English the "Nine Symbolic Cuts""? Is this correct?

Answer:

It's not correct at all. It's as awkward as machine translation.

Japanese are these correct?

Question:

http://img51.imageshack.us/i/picture001h…

Answer:

11 should be きり
14 should be あげく

Others are OK.

きり　is used for these situation that someone had been doing something until sometime, and no activity since that time.
あげく　is used for these situation that someone had been doing "this and that" until sometime, and that people left these "this and that" stuff and end up with something or started doing other things, after all.
以来　is like "since"
かまわず is like "without regard", "not care"...

Sudent visa in Japan?

Question:

I have a student visa for Japan, 15 months, i have not yet used it. Actually, due to the earthquake I cannot start until second semester. and will have to get a new visa before then.
I want to just stay in Japan and live and work here until the second semester starts. At which time i'll go back to my country and get a new student visa to readjust to the time of study (basically i will go home for just 2 weeks or something). The current one would allow me to reside in Japan longer than 90 days. But because I'm not technically a student at this time, is it illegal? is it void? And more importantly would i be able to work legally? some Chinese friends of mine said you can work 20 hours on a student visa but i don't know the Japanese rules :S

I know that with a work visa once you have been issued it, its yours, and even if you quit the job that gave you the visa, tha'ts just too bad for them, you're allowed to stay get a new job etc until the date you must leave

can anyone answer these questions for me? Thanks in advance!

Answer:

you can work part time on a student visa. not full time. if you get hired by a company full time the have to sponsor you.

Japan after World War 2?

Question:

apan's industrial base was devastated after WWII.

What strategies did Japan use to re-industrialize after WWII?
Also, what impact did geography have on Japan's ability to re-industrialize?
Finally, can any of you also name three countries in Asia that followed Japan's economic lead? How successful have they become and what specific strategies did these countries use?

Im studying for a test. Can someone please answer all these question. I will award 5 starts and a thumbs up. I really need help for my AP exam and need the best answers.

Answer:

In short, Japan's industry would benefit of American contracts in the context of the Cold War, starting with the Korean War, followed by the Vietnam War. As the Communists took power in China, Japan remained an outpost of American might in East Asia, soon followed by its ex colonies South Korea and Taiwan. All three countries had inherited good infrastructures (harborrs, highways, irrigation...), and the emphasis was put on a strong and high level education system. There was a strong link between the State and the industrials to develop an industrial base. The economy was not left to free markets. The strategy was to transform the country into an export base, relying first on cheap labor and then on high quality sophisticated products.

What is the quickest way to get to Minowabashi from Shinjuku by subway/walking?

Question:

Answer:

Using Hibiya line from Ueno, should be the best, but I show another one.

1. Take yamanote line to Nippori
2. transfer to Keisei line and go to Machiya
3. transfer to Toei arakawa line to go to Minowabashi

How do I format a Japanese Address? mailing from the USA?

Question:

I recently got a pen pal from Japan so that i could support someone while they're going through such hard times, and she told me that her address is: (the numbers have been changed to save her privacy)

5-8-50-404 Oogami Ayase-shi Kanagawa 222-1234 JAPAN
also lets say her name is Jane Doe.
how would i address a letter from the USA so that I knew it would reach her?

Answer:

Jane Doe
5-8-50-404 Oogami Ayase-shi
Kanagawa
Japan 222-1234

In Japan, can workers request days off for a special occasion?

Question:

My boyfriend and I work at 2 Japanese restaurants in the US, run by the same Japanese owner. He just told all his employees that we are not allowed to request days off ever, we're not allowed to go on vacation when the summer comes, and we have to work whatever day he schedules us and we have no say in the matter. In two months my boyfriend's sister is getting married and I have my university graduation ceremony in the same weekend, and we've been reminding our boss that we would like that weekend off since January, but now he's acting like he expects us to miss the wedding and my graduation ceremony and said that in Japan, workers don't get days off.

Neither my boyfriend nor I are Japanese, so I was just wondering if anyone who had a better idea on the subject could tell me if he is right and that Japanese workers don't get to request days off work for something like a wedding or a graduation ceremony, or if our boss is being completely unreasonable in his expectations? We are also in the US, not Japan, and at least half of the workers are Chinese or of other descent and not Japanese

Answer:

It depends on each reason. There is no general answer.

But it's much more difficult to get a day off in Japan anyway.

On your case, it's not common to go to a college while you are working in Japan (only part-time is common. Are you working part-time?). So your case is not general in Japan.

On BF case, if he himself is getting married, of course most employers would let him take days off. But if it's his sister, hmmm, it's not so common for Japanese workers to take days off for that reason. But it depends on each employer after all. Some would let us take days off.

Addition:
>both me and my boyfriend are working only part-time,

OK. The biggest benefit of part-time is to take days off relatively easily.

>Do part-time-working students in Japan get to go to their graduation ceremony?

Sure!

>Or are graduations in Japan not as big an occasion as they are in America or my other home country

Of course, it's big. Incidentally, many colleges canceled their graduation ceremony this year because of the earthquake. It took place on March 11th. Graduation ceremonies are like March 15-20th in Japan. There was still much turmoil at that time. I feel sorry for those who graduated this year.

Most students in Japan go to a graduation ceremony even if they have a part-time job. Your employer is tyrannical and a liar. I recommend that you change your job, either before or at the time of your events.

Is japan's candy affected by the radioactive meltdown?

Question:

i brought some japenese soda candy and my sis said its affedcted by the meltdown in japand with radiation. should i eat it? is japan candy infected?

Answer:

Probably not, there is a good chance that candy was made prior to the melt down. Even then it was sealed in an air tight package (which doesn't mean its FULLY radiation proof but it helps a lot). And even then it was probably made in a perfectly safe place in Japan. And one more step! It probably would have been scanned and banned if it were radioactive.

Where is the best place to give money for japan relief?

Question:

my school is doing a fund raising and we are looking for a place to give money to Japan. we want to give it to the red cross, but we're not sure.
please answer.

Answer:

Red Cross, It's the best place. Or if you have any Japanese stores near you, i bet there will be people standing in front of the entrance, who are looking for money for Japan!

What factors contribute to Japan's dependence on trade and fishing?

Question:

Answer:

Are you talking about Japan lacks natural resources line of thought?
Then 98% of oil she consumes comes from foreign countries just because there is not a large oil source domestically.
But as rabbiton wrote Japan has rich sea resources as well as some minerals such as whattyamacallit i forgot the english name. Also the soil in Japan is rich in nutrients and water is plenty, so Japan is suitable for cultivation.
Fishing is important just because Japan consists of small islands and there are lots of fish in the sea.

As he or she wrote Japan's economy does not depend on her exports.
This is an English website that tells you the proportions of exports in GDPs of various countries:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_ex…
Japan's rank in this list is 171. So it's in near the bottom. The proportions of exports of various countries in their GDPs are: 10%(the US), 13%(Japan), 26%(the UK), 26%(Italy), 40%(Germany), 37%(China), 42.5%(South Korea). Which shows that the proportion of Japan's exports in her GDP is the second lowest in G8.
Simply speaking, Japan's exports is probably not as import for her economy as Germany's or Italy's exports are import for them. So people in Japan says that Japan's "dependence on foreign demands" is low. Whatever this means.

But then again, Japan doesn't not produce oil so Japan "depends" on imports. Well if you have watched Godfather II, you should know that(there's a reference to this at the end of the movie).

Visting Japan, Tokyo or Osaka?

Question:

My friend and I, are going to Japan this July. Would it be better to go to Tokyo or Osaka. Which city would we have more to do in, and We would NOT leave a city by train, I mean in the city.

Answer:

if you won't want to leave the city you are staying, I suggest Tokyo then. Tokyo in July will be very hot so prepare summer clothes, sunscreen and lots of water. Also there'll be lots of activities and attractions in Tokyo by then.
But I really recommend Osaka. The surrounding cities like Kyoto, Nara and Kobe are just near, it will only take 30 mins - 1hr by train. It's not bad, right?

Complex sentence structure in Japanese?

Question:

I've been studying Japanese for a bit, and have learned the basic sentence structure, along with using と as a conjunction. However, I'm having a bit of difficulty using sentences that, in English, have two verbs.

For example: I didn't know you knew Japanese... or: I didn't buy food because I don't have my wallet

Can anyone explain how to create these complex sentences?
ありがとうございます

Answer:

I didn't know you knew Japanese.　
あなたが　にほんごを　ごぞんじ（はなせる）とは　しりませんでした。
I didn't buy food because I DIDN'T have my wallet.
さいふをもっていなかったので、たべものが　かえませんでした。

If you are pointing at と（は） used above, that's 助詞 joshi which indicates word or phrase being defined.

I doubt if と in the first sentence is categorized in ”conujunction”.

"seems like" translation?

Question:

we learned many ways to say " ~ seems like"
we have to show the difference between

この映画は面白そうです。
この映画は面白いそうです。
この映画は面白いらしいです。
この映画は面白いようです。
この映画は面白いみたいです。

can anyone explain? it's difficult to understand.

Answer:

This movie seems interesting
I've heard this movie is interesting
They say this movie is interesting
(It) seems this movie is interesting / They say this movie is interesting
(It) seems like the movie seems interesting

Do they cut off your fingers in japan?

Question:

Answer:

ya if you steal something of less than $1 in value. otherwise its your whole hand.

What is the Japanese word for "Sith" in the English alphabet?

Question:

Does it exist?

When I say Sith... i'm ofc referring to Star Wars Jedi/Sith.

How about in Japanese characters?

Cheers.

Answer:

Sith is a name for an alliance of warrior mages from a galaxy far, far away. Of course, the japanese language has no native word for it.

Foreign names and concepts are written in japanese using the katakana syllabary, which approximates foreign sounds to japanese phonological constraints.

Hence, Sith would be written "シス" (shi-su) in Japanese. In fact, that's the word they use in the japanese Wikipedia.

Will the prices of exports from japan Rise if so how long (aprox.) will it take for prices to be normal?

Question:

i was just wondering considering the tsunami/earthquake and the meltdown...

Answer:

It depends on each product. There is no general answer.

How long would it take to get to Japan on a yacht?

Question:

Me and some friends are planning a trip to japan, an wanna know how long it would take to get there and the fastest way to get there possibly...any ideas?

Answer:

Flying is fastest and a yacht is just about the slowest.

IS the lack of Black people in Japan one of the reasons why it is the most safe country?

Question:

In the west, in most industrialized countries like the USA, Most crime & statistics occur from the Blacks.
Black neighborhoods are the Most dangerous, & blacks commit the most Robberies, Murders, Drugs ,Prostitutions & crime.

Answer:

China has "lack of black people" too but it has HIGH crime rate. Have you been to Guangzhou?

@Meiko: I am talking about Mainland China. Not Hong Kong or Macau. Obviously you are in Hong Kong. I'm only saying China has a significant low population of "black people" than USA, UK, Canada, France and other countries.

Having problems calling Japan, keep getting all circuits busy, this has not improved since the earth quake?

Question:

Answer:

Where in Japan are you trying to call? In addition to people flooding the lines trying to call friends and relatives in Japan, I imagine that phone service in some of the hardest-hit areas is spotty at best these days. I was able to call my school in Gunma a couple of days after the earthquake though. You might also consider trying to figure out a time when fewer people might be calling and try to make your call then.

How would someone travel to Japan from America in 1947?

Question:

I am writing a story about a Japanese American who wants to travel to Japan after WWII.

Answer:

I think Area 52 has a very good point. You had better give your character a connection to GHQ and put him on a military flight through Honolulu and Guam, etc. There was just no commercial way for an American civilian to get to Japan in 1947. I suppose he could sneak into Japan from Macao or something like that. Japanese nationals weren't allowed to exchange currency in 1947, so they had no money to travel even if GHQ was OK with it.

When did japan nuclear alerts?

Question:

about people of japan

Answer:

Unfortunately, your question isn't even remotely clear so I'll just give you some places to read.

Here is an informative article describing the situation at the Fukushima power plant:
http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fu…

And here is where you find current, factual status information:
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsun…
Historical status:
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2011…

And a slide presentation that describes the effects:
http://www.slideshare.net/iaea/radiologi…

And here is a chart that helps make sense of the numbers:
http://www.xkcd.com/radiation/

Can someone explain to me the education system in japan?

Question:

lately, i have been somewhat interested in the culture, education, beliefs, etc. of the Japan. And now I somewhat started first getting to know more the education of that country. I have been reading many mangas with a genre of school life and i somewhat don't understand their educational system. pls.. someone HELP ME!!

Answer:

Manga is not real. It is like saying the Simpson's is how america is. Not true. Japanese only have to finish Junior high school. High School is not free and you need to take a test to get into it. Students study there butts off and even go to cram school after school. On the weekends there lives are spent doing clubs, after school sports, or cram school. In school, there learning system is robotic. So they are taught to listen and do without answer.

How to say in Japanese "to be taken to hospital" (I was taken to a hospital).?

Question:

Answer:

病院に運ばれる - To be taken

私は病院に運ばれたが、- I was taken to hospital

To help you - lots of translation websites:

http://www.systransoft.com
http://www.e-promt.com
http://www.freetranslation.com
http://www.linguatec.net/online/ptwebtext/index_en.shtml
http://www.comprendium.es/
http://www.reverso.net
http://www.itranslator.com/BGSX/BGSXeng_us-EntryPage.htm
http://www.ling98.com/
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en
http://babelfish.altavista.com

Chelsea.

How do most Japanese people view Middle Easterns?

Question:

How do the majority treat them.

Answer:

I have met a few Americans and Canadians of Middle Eastern descent and a few Iranian nationals over the years. I had a colleague from Iran (not a drug dealer) at one job, and he would talk about things like this.
In his opinion, and I tend to agree, the Japanese do not see the world through the Anglo-Saxon lens. England and the USA, as parts of Western Civilization have a long, long history of interacting with the Middle East and all of the cultural, historical, and religious baggage. There have been conflicts and ongoing violence and mutual misunderstanding between common Americans and common Middle Easterners.
There is less of this, very little of this, with Japan. Japanese have very little historical contact with the Middle East, and so there is a clean slate. Many Japanese visit Egypt to see the Pyramids and the museums, or have traveled in Malaysia and Indonesia, so they are somewhat familiar with the faith of Islam.
There are people in Japan that hate foreigners, no matter what country, but you won't find too many people who single out Middle Easterners for discrimination, or Japanese people who hold negative stereotypes.

(The Iranian thing was a long time ago and pretty much confined to the Kanto Area. Besides, the customers of the drug sales were Japanese! So how the hell are you gonna blame the Iranians? They are just the businessman. If you want them to go away, stop buying drugs.)