News outlets cover events from around the world and often have to work to get information as quickly as possible to release in their native languages. This can lead to some interesting translation errors or highlight linguistic differences. I want to make it very clear that I am only focusing on those linguistic elements, and... Continue Reading →
While the majority of sessions at GDC this year focused on things like art, narrative, design, and production (all very important things to have sessions on) I was also able to catch a couple of sessions relating to localization. I'm hoping that there will be more localization focused sessions in the coming years, which goes... Continue Reading →
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Games Development Conference in San Francisco this year. My favorite session from Day 1 was Anne Ferrero's talk entitled "Big in Japan, Not in the West: The Difficulties of Cross-Cultural Appeal" discussing the difficulties Japanese indie developers face in creating and publicizing their games. Her... Continue Reading →
I keep trying to find time to write on this blog, but somehow seem to only be managing one post a semester or something like that. I promise I still want to! I just can't find the time. I'm a few weeks into my second semester studying translation and localization management at MIIS. This semester... Continue Reading →
I recently took a course on Soft Power/Pop Culture in Japan, and had to do a research project for my final. I'm really proud of myself for not only the research I did, but also for writing my research paper in Japanese. It's the most complex piece of Japanese writing I've done so far, and... Continue Reading →
It's been almost 4 months since I left Japan, and my life has dramatically changed. It's interesting when periods of your life are not only defined by physical locations, but also by beginning something so different from anything you've done before that you know you're entering a new stage of who you are. Anyway. Long... Continue Reading →
Leaving my schools was difficult for me. Each of my schools hold so many memories, and so many stories of growth. Over 3 years, I watched a lot of kids do a lot of growing up. I was often awed by their kindness, their enthusiasm, and their senses of exploration and curiosity. I was also... Continue Reading →
I have so many Kit-Kats to talk about! It's been a long time since my last Kit-Kat post, so now I have 9 flavors to discuss. I started out with 7, but as I was working on this a mango flavor came out. And then an ice cream one. Of course I couldn't resist buying... Continue Reading →
It's fairly common to find local, honor system stores here in the inaka. These usually take the form of a little table or stall set up on the side of the road by a farmer's field selling extra veggies, flowers, nuts, etc. There's usually a sign that tells you how much each item costs, and... Continue Reading →
Ever since I moved to Gunma, I've wanted to visit the caldera of Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane. Unfortunately, I'm doomed to disappointment as the volcanic activity levels have been too high to safely allow visitors for the past 3 years. Despite this, it's still well worth the effort to make the drive up the mountain. The twisty-turny... Continue Reading →
Linka Learns Things 