This unique reference contains a brief discussion of the Japanese surname as well as several lists of 1,000 of Japan's most-common surnames: an alphabetically ordered list of the English spellings of the surnames along with their kanji (i.e., Chinese characters); a list of the surnames in kanji order; and a list of the English meanings of the common individual kanji.
Zipped .pdf file, with Japanese pronunciation guide and brief glossary. 57 pp.
Newly published!
This just-published reference contains the Japanese translations of the 250 most-common first names of American females, sorted both in American alphabetical order and Japanese JIS order.
Names:
Agnes Alice Alicia Allison Alma Amanda Amber Amy Ana Andrea Angela Anita Ann Anna Anne Annette Annie April Arlene Ashley Audrey Barbara Beatrice Bernice Bertha Bessie Beth Betty Beverly Bonnie Brenda Brittany Carla Carmen Carol Caroline Carolyn Carrie Catherine Cathy Charlene Charlotte Cheryl Christina Christine Cindy Clara Claudia Colleen Connie Constance Courtney Crystal Cynthia Dana Danielle Darlene Dawn Debbie Deborah Debra Delores Denise Diana Diane Dolores Donna Dora Doris Dorothy Edith Edna Eileen Elaine Eleanor Elizabeth Ella Ellen Elsie Emily Emma Erica Erin Esther Ethel Eva Evelyn Florence Frances Gail Georgia Geraldine Gertrude Gina Gladys Glenda Gloria Grace Hazel Heather Heidi Helen Holly Ida Irene Jackie Jacqueline Jamie Jane Janet Janice Jean Jeanette Jeanne Jennifer Jessica Jessie Jill Jo Joan Joann Joanne Josephine Joy Joyce Juanita Judith Judy Julia Julie June Karen Katherine Kathleen Kathryn Kathy Katie Kelly Kim Kimberly Kristen Kristin Laura Lauren Laurie Leslie Lillian Lillie Linda Lisa Lois Loretta Lori Lorraine Louise Lucille Lucy Lydia Lynn Marcia Margaret Maria Marian Marie Marilyn Marion Marjorie Marlene Martha Mary Maureen Megan Melanie Melinda Melissa Michele Michelle Mildred Minnie Monica Nancy Natalie Nellie Nicole Norma Pamela Patricia Paula Pauline Pearl Peggy Phyllis Rachel Rebecca Regina Renee Rhonda Rita Roberta Robin Rosa Rose Rosemary Ruby Ruth Sally Samantha Sandra Sara Sarah Shannon Sharon Sheila Sherry Shirley Stacey Stacy Stella Stephanie Sue Susan Suzanne Sylvia Tamara Tammy Tanya Tara Teresa Terri Thelma Theresa Tiffany Tina Tonya Tracy Valerie Vanessa Vera Veronica Vicki Victoria Viola Virginia Vivian Wanda Wendy Willie Wilma Yolanda Yvonne
Newly published!
This just-published reference contains the Japanese translations of the 250 most-common first names of American males, sorted both in American alphabetical order and Japanese JIS order.
Names:
Aaron Adam Adrian Alan Albert Alex Alexander Alfred Allan Allen Alvin Andre Andrew Angel Anthony Antonio Arnold Arthur Barry Ben Benjamin Bernard Bill Billy Bobby Brad Bradley Brandon Brent Brett Brian Bruce Bryan Calvin Carl Carlos Cecil Chad Charles Charlie Chester Chris Christian Christopher Clarence Claude Clifford Clinton Clyde Cody Corey Cory Craig Curtis Dale Dan Daniel Danny Darrell Darren Darryl David Dean Dennis Derek Derrick Don Donald Douglas Duane Dustin Earl Eddie Edgar Edward Edwin Elmer Eric Erik Ernest Eugene Fernando Floyd Francis Francisco Frank Franklin Fred Frederick Gabriel Gary Gene George Gerald Gilbert Glen Glenn Gordon Greg Gregory Harold Harry Harvey Hector Henry Herbert Herman Howard Jack Jacob James Jamie Jared Jason Javier Jay Jeff Jeffery Jeffrey Jeremy Jerome Jerry Jesse Jessie Jesus Jim Jimmy Joe Joel John Johnny Jon Jonathan Jorge Jose Joseph Joshua Juan Julio Justin Karl Keith Kelly Kenneth Kevin Kurt Kyle Lance Larry Lawrence Lee Leo Leon Leonard Leroy Leslie Lester Lewis Lloyd Lonnie Louis Luis Manuel Marc Marcus Mario Mark Martin Marvin Mathew Matthew Maurice Melvin Michael Micheal Miguel Mike Milton Mitchell Nathan Nathaniel Neil Nicholas Norman Oscar Patrick Paul Pedro Peter Philip Phillip Rafael Ralph Ramon Randall Randy Raul Ray Raymond Reginald Ricardo Richard Rick Ricky Robert Roberto Rodney Roger Roland Ron Ronald Ronnie Roy Ruben Russell Ryan Sam Samuel Scott Sean Shane Shawn Stanley Stephen Steve Steven Ted Terry Theodore Thomas Tim Timothy Todd Tom Tommy Tony Travis Troy Tyler Tyrone Vernon Victor Vincent Walter Warren Wayne Wesley William Willie Zachary
Newly annotated edition of the 1897 article in The Century!
With prose as resplendent as the flowers she describes, American travel writer Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore explores the underworld of the morning glory in Japan, from its manifold bizarre varieties to the cryptic gardeners who cultivate them.
Zipped .pdf file with illustrations. 26 pp.
Newly annotated edition of the 1896 North American Review classic!
In the 1980s Japanese corporations brushed aside their Western competition to bestride the earth. Americans wondered, "Can we compete?" But this was not the first time Japanese competition had terrified the West. Nearly a century earlier, American Robert Percival Porter asked the same question, and after examining the trade numbers came up with a surprisingly prescient answer...
Zipped .pdf file with illustrations. 19 pp.
Newly annotated edition of the 1896 Atlantic Monthly classic!
In 1896, Lafcadio Hearn traveled to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of its founding. In this unique article, the 19th-century Japanophile beckons the reader into the everyday life of common Kyotoites, from Kyoto's gardens and geisha, to the Japanese aesthetic sense and their source of happiness, and from the tragedy of Yuko Hatakeyama to the sublime Kyoto evening.
Zipped .pdf file with illustrations. 37 pp.
Newly annotated edition of 1893 classic!
Who better than Lafcadio Hearn to interpret the uninterpretable, the Japanese dancing girl? Also known as maiko, this apprentice geisha danced and sang for the guests at countless Japanese banquets for hundreds of years.
This unique e-book also includes Hearn's retelling of the moving tale of the ghostly shirabyoshi (courtesan).
Zipped .pdf file, with illustrations and footnotes. 32 pp.
What did late-19th-century Western writers think of Japanese women?
Pierre Loti, for one, had definite opinions that today would be considered unpublishably candid.
These opinions the frank French naval officer expressed in Japanese Women, the newly annotated 1890 Harper's article republished here.
Because Loti's observations are revelatory, this document remains the most candid Western snapshot of Japanese women in late Meiji Japan.
Zipped .pdf file, with illustrations and footnotes. 23 pp.
Is it possible that shipwrecked Japanese sailors arrived in North America before Columbus—and even before the Vikings?
Dr. Charles Wolcott Brooks, Japanese Consul in San Francisco, suggests as much—and more: Centuries ago, a few Japanese sojourners even managed to return to Japan with reports of North America and its wonders.
The author cites 60 examples of Japanese shipwrecks, often in haunting detail.
In this newly edited edition of the 1875 classic, Japanorama's editor has supplemented the original text with dozens of illustrations and over 115 footnotes, to transport the reader back to the 19th-century milieu of the events described, when desperate, starving men clung to waterlogged junks on an uncharted ocean, beyond hope of rescue.
Zipped .pdf file, with illustrations, footnotes, and map. 37 pp.
For seven months in 1878, the peripatetic, redoubtable Scotswoman Isabella Bird, the first female member of the Royal Geographical Society, rode and traipsed through areas of north Japan avoided by Western travelers. En route, in a series of letters to her sister, she described all manner of novelties undiscovered by the less adventurous. Her account of this arduous journey is arguably the greatest Japan travel book of the 19th century. To ensure that this newly annotated edition is clearer than any previous edition, the editors at Japanorama have added an extensive glossary, footnotes, dozens of illustrations, and a map—which make the work all the more enjoyable.
This e-book contains a brief biography of the artist, Ando Hiroshige, and then displays some of Japan's most beautiful landscapes: the 55 woodblock prints of the Reisho edition of the Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido Highway, which were painted by the 19th-century ukiyo-e artist. The e-book includes landscapes of the two termini (Tokyo and Kyoto) in addition to the 53 post-towns en route.
Enjoy and study images that influenced Western artists such as Manet, Degas, Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
A unique metadictionary containing approximately 1,000 words and their definitions culled from over 700 foreign languages (e.g., Japanese), with the intention of introducing them as neologisms into the English language. Hilarious and shocking, the concepts say much about their native cultures—but equally much about English, which shunned them for one reason or another.
Written early in the 20th century by Japanese art critic Okakura Kakuzo, this book is the most famous explanation of the aesthetics of tea in the Far East. For nearly a century it has revealed a different appreciation of beauty, thereby enhancing the aesthetics of the West.
This collection of eerie Japanese ghost stories still disturbs sleep around the world. Caution: Best read after midnight.
The complete texts of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan (1889) and The Constitution of Japan (1947), with preface and photos.
How many patents did almost 200 selected Japanese corporations apply for in the United States in 2003? Find out here. Data are listed both by name of corporation and by number of patent applications.
Zipped .pdf file, with brief glossary. 15 pp.
Other inexpensive Japanorama e-books about China, Western Classics, etc.
