Having just opened in January 2005, www.japanese-name-translation.com now bursts to national prominence, heading a list of top picks from the USA Today Web Guide team.
“We're awfully pleased with what we found here,” enthused USA Today staff writers, who went on to praise the katakana and kanji name translation features and the “nifty resources for learners”. Explaining how the name translation works, they continued: “Type in your first and last name, and the system hands back a transliteration in katakana (the Japanese “alphabet” derived from kanji and used to write foreign words), complete with pronunciation so you can hear what it's chosen to represent you phonically.”
Japanese-name-translation.com’s creator, Stephen Munday, was surprised and flattered by the honor. “We have worked really hard to create both a unique range of products and a fun experience for the visitor. Our customers often compliment us on our service, but to receive this recognition from USA Today is the icing on the cake.”
Munday went on to explain the site’s origins. “The influence of manga, anime and movies like Matrix has created a surge of interest in all things Japanese. The recent trend among sports stars and celebrities such as Brittney Spears for kanji tattoos has also fuelled demand. The problem is that the average consumer doesn’t know the language and has no idea what they are really buying. This is where we come in. Based in Japan, we have the linguistic expertise to help our customers get the best kanji translations and go the extra mile to make sure they get them.”
Kanji have a particular attraction: “Yes, kanji characters have a complex beauty as well as individual meanings. People who get kanji tattoos or jewellery are often drawn to this. Unfortunately, the flip-side is that there are a lot of pitfalls for the unwary. I have personally seen such elementary mistakes as a tattoo with the kanji reversed and a necklace that supposedly meant ‘love’, but actually said ‘street’. Our goal is to help people explore the beauty and complexity of kanji characters safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with experts.”
Japanese-name-translation.com (http://www.japanese-name-translation.com) is an innovative website where you can download your name in Japanese kanji, order a special translation for jewellery or a tattoo, or even buy a unique calligraphy scroll. This website was featured in USA Today and the original story can be read here - http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/hotsites/2005/2005-02-24-hotsites.htm.
