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Thread: Really basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

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    Sandwich Shooter ocpachinko's Avatar
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    Default (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Every pachinko has a name. Most released in the past few years start with CR, short for Card Reader, meaning the machine has features compatible with stored value cards in Japanese pachinko parlors. Some start with CRF, where the F is short for "Fever"; a sort of trademark of machines made by Sankyo and its Daido (Bisty) subsidiary, and also a reference to what happens when you hit the "jackpot"...but that's covered in videos in the museum.

    Most modern machine names end in the model, just like Toyotas and Hondas have LE or LX, etc. The model names indicate different sets of odds and/or operating details (you can find these in the links to the Japanese museum in the Pachitalk museum for each machine; the Japanese museum has a page for each model.)

    There are three writing systems used in Japanese. Pachinkos are named with all three systems, and occasionally with a combination of two.

    System 1: Kanji
    Example machine nameCR新海物語M56

    How to recognize kanji: They're often complicated, and seem like pictograms.

    How to translate: There are about 2000 commonly used kanji characters in Japanese. They are actually Chinese characters with meanings that are sometimes borrowed from the Chinese. The Google translator will often do the trick for these (http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en). Copy the four Kanji characters above and paste into the Google translator, and you'll get:

    New Sea Story

    and darned if that isn't the name in English on this machine! It's the card-reading New Sea Story, model M56 (which is the model with the English name on the front).

    新=new
    海=sea
    物語=story (from two kanji meaning "thing" and "language"

    So this machine is, in English, CR New Sea Story M56.

    A more interesting example is
    CR浮世絵GS2

    This machine keeps being called "Surfer" or "Mt. Fuji". But what is it really?

    Cut and paste the characters and you get Ukiyoe. From the Random House dictionary: "a genre style of painting and printmaking developed in Japan from the 17th to the 19th centuries and marked by the depiction of the leisure activities of ordinary people." Like the one on the front of the machine (good references in the Pachitalk museum review).

    浮=float
    世=world
    絵=picture

    because Ukioye prints depicted the things of this transitory, or "floating", world.

    So this machine is CR Ukioye GS2.

    More about Kanji: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_kanji.htm

    System 2: Katakana
    The majority of Pachinko names are not written in Kanji...they're written in katakana (which mans "part (of kanji) syllabic script). These characters each represent one syllable of spoken Japanese. But here's the best part: Many pachinkos really have English names, written phonetically in katakana! When I visited Japan some years back I was surprised by the fact that many of the advertisements for prestigious product on trains and subways were in English...well, more like Japlish...a unique adaptation of English to Japanese tastes and pronunciation limitations.

    Katakana look "simple"; they're written with straight lines, and only a few strokes.

    So let's look at one:
    CRホラーマンションV1

    This game, on the playfield, says "Horror Mansion". On the video, too (see Arby's videos). But if you put this into Google, you get

    Fear Apartment

    Is this game really called Fear Apartment? Google won't give you the phonetics. Here they are:

    ホ=ho
    ラ=ra
    ー=(breath)
    マ=ma
    ン=n
    シ=tsu
    ョ=yo
    ン=n

    "hora mantsuyon". It's Horror Mansion. The katakana is merely a way to spell the English words in Japanese. Where does Google get "Fear Apartment"? It's to give the sense of these words more generally, particularly as they would be in the context of other words, and without the extreme connotation of the original.

    It's obvious that the designers of this Pachinko were going for extreme.

    It's CR Horror Mansion V1.

    If you're still reading this, a fun game is to go to
    http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_katakana.htm
    and translate the Japanese names of
    Lord of the Rings (CRフィーバーロード・オブ・ザ・リングMX)
    or the game Slot USA calls Lil' Divas: CR・プリティバンドYS
    On these, Google comes close, but you'll see that these really do have English names.


    System 3: Hiragana
    This is yet another alphabet, of phonetic "curly" characters, and occasionally make an appearance with a children's themed game (and others):

    CRのらくろS

    Once again, our friends at Omniglot help us with this other phonetic alphabet:
    http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_hiragana.htm

    and I'll leave you to do this four character transliteration yourself.

    This time, the video of this machine has the English over the hiragana, and adds the word Story. So this machine is

    CR Norakuro Story S

    since the manufacturer gave us an English name.

    And that's about all I know so far. But at least I feel I've gotten closer to the truth. For example, I call CRドレミ天国FN
    CR Do-Re-Mi Heaven FN, as it's a combination of the three katakana characters and kanji with the sense of "heaven" according to Google. I think it's close.

    But I'm sunk on CRお祭りサブちゃんML1 apart from Celebration--it obviously involves a popular Japanese TV character, and I would love for someone to give me a decent English name from this game--hello, you silent Japanese lurkers out there! I'm sure this has amused you, so please help!

    The next time someone dismisses your Pachinko fascination as simply one with "gambling machines", bring up this post (except for this sentence) and tell them "no, I'm simply following the ocpachinko method of Japanese immersion!"

    Good luck.

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  3. #2
    Sir Carl slotter's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Wow! Great information. Thanks for this, ocpachinko. Am going to stick this to to the top of the forum for any other additions.

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    Stuey - The RADministrator MrGneiss's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Since they're using Katakana to sound out English names this explains why the online translators can't translate then.(Since they're not Japanese words.)

    I think I figured something out!

    "Blowing smoke rings at the moon."

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    Pachi Puro Tony Junior's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Katakana?

    It's all Greek to me.
    Check my member page here or...

    Temporarily, go to youtube.com and search for BudgeRahe for videos. Until I get the links set up in the museum

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    Sandwich Shooter ocpachinko's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    More fun:

    CR忍者ハットリくんFN http://www.pachitalk.com/4images/det...20&mode=search

    Has keyword "Doofus" in the museum (from the way the stylized letters from the name on the playfield somewhat resemble that English word, which is kind of funny).

    This has ALL THREE:

    Kanji:忍者=Ninja (from two characters meaning "patience" and "person"!)

    Katakana:ハットリ=Hattori (a proper name spelled phonetically)

    Hiragana: くん=kun (name suffix meaning little, I believe-a clue is remembering that Hiragana is often in materials for children, like Norakuro before)

    So all together: CR Ninja Hattori-kun or CR Little Ninja Hattori!

    From the Japanese manga, later TV anime series, later live action movie about a young ninja named Hattori - link to anime reference site: (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/enc...ime.php?id=4313)

    Where does Google get "Hat Lee"? From the fact that this katakana is used as a pronunciation "work around" for the lack of an "L" sound...and of course it can't understand a proper name, so the (phonetic in Katakana) name Hattori becomes "Hat Lee".

    Arby inspired me once on this board: as he said, "Really, we're all learning..."

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    Slotter Jr. rupan777's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Quote Originally Posted by ocpachinko
    But I'm sunk on CRお祭りサブちゃんML1 apart from Celebration--it obviously involves a popular Japanese TV character, and I would love for someone to give me a decent English name from this game--hello, you silent Japanese lurkers out there! I'm sure this has amused you, so please help!

    The next time someone dismisses your Pachinko fascination as simply one with "gambling machines", bring up this post (except for this sentence) and tell them "no, I'm simply following the ocpachinko method of Japanese immersion!"

    Good luck.
    With this one I would use the theory of not translating it directly and going with CR Omatsuri Sabuchan. Omatsuri you got to mean celebration or festival, the name of which comes from the machine's theme (it came out in Japan in the Summer of 2003. Summer is the festival season in Japan so the manufacturers wanted to capture that Summer spirit). Sabuchan refers to a really famous enka (a kind of old Japanese music similar to Country/Western) singer whose first name is Saburo, don't remember his last. -chan you probably know is a diminutive used for children or cute things. In this case, it's used because the singer is so beloved in Japan.

    SOooo, if I were to attempt to translate it, I would maybe say "CR Sabuchan At the Festival" but, again, I don't think there's any harm in just romanizing it to CR Omatsuri Sabuchan.

    That's my .02, keep the change.
    Player, not collector. ドルドル箱yo~~~!
    Check out my journal for translated pachinko guides and manuals.

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    Tokie Owens LeeinEngland's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Hello,

    I would really like to reccommend http://www.yesjapan.com
    It's a great Japanese language site with loads of lessons videos and music.
    I used it for 7 months before I went on holiday to Japan in 2004 and some time after that.
    I'll tell you now, it helped me to get by, order food, and got me to where I wanted to go.
    I've had to put the Japanese to one side as I ended up with a Chinese girlfriend and am learning Chinese now.
    I will deffinately be returning to http://www.yesjapan.com
    Don't be put off by the misconception of Japanese being hard to learn. Yesjapan really does make it easy.

    がんばって ください。


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    Eye Shooter vespacar's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    That's why I love the goggle translator, it translates Japanese into english that actually makes no cense. It makes it an adventure all in it self. They do try but you'd think they would have waited until it worked better before releasing, I guess it's just harder than writing a program, you actually have to think!. But it is free and it usually is a good laugh!!!

    Cheers,
    James


    Just when you think you've acomplished something!

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    Sandwich Shooter ocpachinko's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    The Google translator gives a great deal of insight into the difficulty of machine translating jargon...if the programmers spent a week or two with Rupan the translations of Pachinko-related content would make vastly more sense...

    ...but why would anyone with specialized translation knowledge sell it out to a company that could automate them out of work...and why would Google care about one miniscule subinterest...

    This is the challenge of quality systems design...and one reason why our friend can still make a bit of a living, thank goodness.
    [D] means [developement] [doramatic] [demention] and [design]

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    Kungishi MrGoodBurn's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Here is a site that will give you the basics for free. I just found it, and figured I would share.

    http://www.freejapaneselessons.com/

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    The Barbarian johntofva's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Good use of the search engine MrGoodBurn.
    Life
    It's what happens
    When you least expect it.

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    Hyah! rubberratt's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Quote Originally Posted by MrGoodBurn View Post
    Here is a site that will give you the basics for free. I just found it, and figured I would share.

    http://www.freejapaneselessons.com/
    Niwa Niwa Niwa Niwatori ga imasu

    せぶん戦闘機 せぶん

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    SNORTARRIFIC! new in town's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Quote Originally Posted by rubberratt View Post
    Niwa Niwa Niwa Niwatori ga imasu
    Yea! What he Said.
    72 Pachi's, 36 Pachinko's, 2 Pallots, 3 Pinn's & 2 Pachinko Bar Signs. Links to About Me: pachijunkie's Videos


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    Tokie Owens janbari's Avatar
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    Default (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Easiest way to translate a title is not to, because half the time they barely make sense in Japanese.
    Romanizing is probably the best way.

    Alot of the latest machines tend to have english names or spin offs from famous hollywood movies. At least thats the trend i'm noticing.

    Although in desperate times Babelfish is always great. And you have to love the Hitch Hikers Guide reference!

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    Chicken Fried Steak takethecastle57's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Quote Originally Posted by janbari View Post
    Easiest way to translate a title is not to, because half the time they barely make sense in Japanese.
    Romanizing is probably the best way.

    Alot of the latest machines tend to have english names or spin offs from famous hollywood movies. At least thats the trend i'm noticing.

    Although in desperate times Babelfish is always great. And you have to love the Hitch Hikers Guide reference!
    I've loved reading and re-reading Douglas Adams books including "Last Chance to See" and "Titanic"


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GUV7zz-8Oc
    Last edited by takethecastle57; 06-02-2008 at 04:53 AM. Reason: a little more
    When things don't go right the 1st time , Step back ,Take a break and come back renewed. RGS

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    Tokie Owens jmtech's Avatar
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    Default Re: (Really) basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    Here is a very useful site that will convert Japanese characters (Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana) into Romaji for us westerners. This converter also has a built-in dictionary. Try some of the examples above with this site, you can paste Japanese words or URLs in the text box.

    kanji romaji hiragana converter

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    Blind Shooter wkmiller's Avatar
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    Default Re: Really basic Japanese for Pachinko Buyers

    I've used: https://jisho.org/search , it allows you to pick the characters to build the translation.

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