This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

There Is Always Something to Read

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう
Twenty-year veteran
Joined
15 Mar 2002
Messages
16,758
Reaction score
2,298
There is always something to read...and sometimes it is mildly alarming.

I thought some learners might enjoy figuring out what this is, where I saw it, and why I took a picture of it. The photo was taken today.



See why I encourage foreigners in Japan to not just learn to read but to actually read stuff?
 
Oh dear.

Side question, how should 済証 be read? すみあかし? Maybe even ざいしょう? (It doesn't seem to be in the dictionary)
 
lanthas said:
Oh dear.

Side question, how should 済証 be read? すみあかし? Maybe even ざいしょう? (It doesn't seem to be in the dictionary)
Click to expand...

ほうこくずみしょう, I think. Sort of a double suffix.

 
If my calculations are correct it's only 8 days so... should be alright?
 
Last edited:
letslearn said:
If my calculations are correct it's only 8 days so... should be alright?
Click to expand...

Mechanically...nothing to worry about.

Administratively...a black eye for someone

Legally...a world of sh*t if an accident occurs
 
Mike Cash said:
Mechanically...nothing to worry about.

Administratively...a black eye for someone

Legally...a world of sh*t if an accident occurs
Click to expand...
Very true.
Buy the time I worked out what the sign said, I don't think I would have been safe Mechanically.
It was a very good exercise for me as a lot of the kanji were well above my level(thank god for search by radical)
Thanks mikesan
 
letslearn said:
a lot of the kanji were well above my level(thank god for search by radical)
Click to expand...
Take a look at KanjiTomo: lets you hover over a word in the image and instantly get copy-pastable kanji + translation. Just don't fall in the trap of constantly using it, especially for words that you do know but don't remember right away.
 
lanthas said:
Take a look at KanjiTomo: lets you hover over a word in the image and instantly get copy-pastable kanji + translation. Just don't fall in the trap of constantly using it, especially for words that you do know but don't remember right away.
Click to expand...
Thank you lanthas I will.
 
What year and date are we right now regarding the emperor? 平成 ...

EDIT: ok, just checked the above question.

有効期限が過ぎたっていうことですか。
 
Last edited:
I thought I may as well continue this thread, posting a few examples of stuff to read encountered in daily life.

Here's a nice little exercise in reading handwritten Japanese and what to many might appear an almost farcical use of polite speech.

 
警察までいらっしゃいますか。随分厳しい対策をお定めになりましたね。:hilarious:
 
lanthas said:
警察までいらっしゃいますか。随分厳しい対策をお定めになりましたね。:hilarious:
Click to expand...

"What are you in for?"
"I stole half a roll of toilet paper"

It would make for an awkward jailhouse conversation....
 
Here's a very polite letter I received from the Tokyo Metro Police. The vocabulary and grammar aren't hard, but if you're not accustomed to handwritten Japanese you may find it a good challenge.

 
It took me a couple of goes to realise that was 又. Admittedly I saw your other thread and knew the context which helped.

For those who are enjoying this thread and would like more of this sort of reading practice, there's also a huge stash of images of Japanese signs available here.
 
Wow I was surprised I was able to read that, considering I have pretty much zero exposure to handwritten Japanese these days. Although, what's the character after 事故当日, is it から？
 
nice gaijin said:
Wow I was surprised I was able to read that, considering I have pretty much zero exposure to handwritten Japanese these days. Although, what's the character after 事故当日, is it から？
Click to expand...

Yes. I've never seen it written that way before.
 
It took quite some time but I managed to grasp most of it as well. Truly context is everything here; there's no way I would've recognized the 様 and 映 on their own. That へ-like か is also quite something.

The katakana word ?ロ?ード is a mystery to me however...

nekojita said:
For those who are enjoying this thread and would like more of this sort of reading practice, there's also a huge stash of images of Japanese signs available here.
Click to expand...
Nice! Found some fun ones already like "雨の日は歩道がすべりやすいので注意して下さい". Obvious, but caring at the same time; you'd never see this kind of sign around here.
 
Last edited:
The SD preceding it is a big clue...
 
Oh - D, not ロ. Then it's clear indeed.
 
Last edited:
Indeed this is a good example of how crucial the context is to recognize kanji or kana. I would read the second 御 (in 御返送) as 衛 if that's a stand-alone kanji.

EDIT:
Sorry, I've just noticed that this 御 is actually the third one.
 
Last edited:
Toritoribe said:
Indeed this is a good example of how crucial the context is to recognize kanji or kana. I would read the second 御 (in 御返送) as 衛 if that's a stand-alone kanji.
Click to expand...
Wow, I had the same thought briefly when I first saw it!
 
It shows that you have an extensive knowledge of kanji enough to read my poor handwriting correctly!
 
A couple more handwritten examples, taken from that most democratic of all free speech venues, the public toilet stall.





You will need to know the term マグロ女 to understand the second one. If you already know it, you have my sympathy.
 
Last week I stopped by the local Hotto Motto to get a couple of bentos for supper and was surprised to find the both the sign by the street and the signs on the building were off. It almost looked like they were closed.

Another fairly easy handwritten example:

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
Websites to practice reading
Replies
8
Views
40K
GaijinGirl
G
Hirigana Reading Practice
Replies
11
Views
31K
Wataru
Good N5 reading reading material?
Replies
5
Views
19K
BrianLewis
B
Where to start learning Japanese to read
Replies
4
Views
22K
Coffeesan
Need Quick Help Proof Reading a Manga Translation Project
Replies
2
Views
25K
pedroami
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…