Loekalization Blog
Japanese/Chinese/Korean/English/Dutch game localization
Category: japanese
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When ‘broad’ secretly means ‘yellow’
Today’s word of the day is 鉱山 (kōzan). Which is just Japanese for “mine.” Not the fun “mine” as in Mine! Mine! Mine! from Finding Nemo. No, this is the delightful pit-in-the-ground, canary-killing, back-breaking, soul-draining kind. The kind you get assigned to in dystopias and black-and-white documentaries about children with no teeth. Let’s take a…
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The Kanji that Slaughtered a Cow
造 (tsukuru) is a kanji that started off as a complete snooze fest and somehow ended up with a far more dramatic and somewhat absurd history than anyone could have anticipated. Let’s rewind and look at how this character went from boring to “wow, now that’s something.” Originally, 造 (tsukuru) was made up of two…
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天才 – Tensai – Talent
Tensai, the sacred Japanese word we toss around whenever someone manages to not choke on their own shoelaces while solving a math problem. Let’s take a good, long, cynical look at what this word really means—because, clearly, the world needs one more overhyped buzzword to worship like a golden calf with a Rubik’s Cube. 天…
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“日本語で遊べるのが嬉しい”— How We Loekalized a Money Laundering Sim So Well It Got Quoted on Game*Spark
What do you get when you combine dirty money, literal washing machines, and one of the most unexpectedly satisfying game loops since PowerWash Simulator? You get Cash Cleaner Simulator — a title that turns the phrase “money laundering” into a sudsy, UV-lit, oddly therapeutic experience. Developed by Mind Control Games and published by Forklift Interactive,…
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温まる – Atatamaru – Warm up
温まる is the verb that shows up not to impress, but to remind you that comfort doesn’t always need a spotlight. On paper, it means “to become nicely warm,” but in practice, it’s the language equivalent of a warm hand on your shoulder. And just when you think it’s all about physical temperature, it casually…
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掛け布団 – Kakebuton – Quilt
The Japanese word 掛け布団 (kakebuton) refers to the warm quilt or duvet placed over your body while you sleep. It’s the upper half of the traditional Japanese bedding ensemble, which also includes the humble 敷き布団 (shikibuton)—its flattened underbelly. Though seemingly straightforward, 掛け布団 (kakebuton) has a name that reveals far more than just its job description.…
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手を出す
Today’s word, 手を出す (te wo dasu), is essentially Japanese for “doing something you probably shouldn’t,” which, let’s face it, is pretty much everyone’s favorite hobby these days. Take our first kanji, 手 (te, hand). A surprisingly straightforward pictogram—so straightforward, in fact, it looks like someone tried their best to doodle a claw and ended up…
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Making Monsters Speak: Inside the Localization of Bloomtown
Imagine this: a small American town in the 1960s, all pastel colors and warm summer days. Kids riding bikes past vintage diners, neighbors chatting on their porches, an old bookstore filled with dusty conspiracy theories. It’s the kind of place where you’d expect to spend an idyllic childhood. But just beneath the surface, there’s something……
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Indie Dev Finds Out The Hard Way: ChatGPT Sucks As A Translator
In the world of Japanese localization dreams of a global indie hit were swiftly derailed by the terrifying specter of bad translations. If you thought ghosts were the scariest thing in Subway Exorcist Girl, you haven’t seen what happens when AI decides to take on a language as nuanced as Japanese. Spoiler alert: the ghosts…
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How a ‘Gamble’ Turned Into a 700% Win: The Japanese Love Affair with Our Adventurer Guild
I smell the sweet, bewildering charm of the Japanese gaming market—a land where even the most niche indie SRPGs can find themselves transformed into “神ゲー” (divine game). Enter Our Adventurer Guild, a game that began as a heartfelt tribute by a lone German developer, GreenGuy, to his late friend, and ended up conquering the hearts…
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