Manual of Style
From IkataWiki
The Manual of Style describes the official style conventions for English publications produced by the town of Ikata. This style is to be adhered to as closely as possible for any and all English text whether in print, online, or on other media.
Contents |
In general
English publications are to use U.S. English spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary (when alternatives exist).
Exception: Always use the official name of organizations, etc. For instance, the JET Programme or the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Romanization
When Romanizing words, use the Revised Hepburn romanization scheme. Hepburn allows English readers to approximate the correct pronunciation of the words, and is the most widely-used Japanese romanization system in the world.
Essentially, Hepburn to native English speakers is "spelling Japanese how you think it should be spelled." It is most often contrasted with Nihonshiki, where regularity is given priority over English pronunciation (e.g. し is si, ち is ti, ふ is hu, etc.). Nihonshiki is to be avoided whenever possible.
Revised Hepburn displays long o and u vowels with a macron:
- 恐竜 (きょうりゅう) is kyōryū.
Macrons can be difficult to input, but they are necessary to prevent confusion. For an example within Ikata, the neighborhoods Ōku (大久 ) and Oku (奥 ) are otherwise indistinguishable. When macrons absolutely cannot be used, simply drop the macron and disambiguate with an explanatory phrase ("Oku (Seto)" or "the Oku neighborhood in Seto").
Tip: The vast majority of Japanese text input methods (such as ATOK or IME on Windows, Kotoeri on Mac OS, Anthy on Linux) allow you to register custom words. It can be useful to register often-used macronned characters under an easily-entered kana input. For instance register the "words" ō and Ō (separately) under the input おー. Register ū as うー. Then you can easily input these characters without searching through lists or relying on copy-paste. Note: Anthy support for this seems to be broken. Instead, use the GNOME Character Palette on the top of the screen in Linux. Simply click the appropriate character and then paste (Ctrl-V) it into your document.
Place names
In general, place names should not include a romanized Japanese suffix, like shi (市), chō (町), son (村), etc. For the case of municipalities, these suffixes should not be translated into English either. For example,
- 伊方町
- Good: Ikata
- Bad: Ikata-chō, Ikata-cho, Ikata Town
However, "town of Ikata" (lowercase) is acceptable when the distinction of "city" vs. "town," "village," etc. is relevant. When referring to the municipal government, use "Town of Ikata" (uppercase).
Prefectures should be suffixed with "Prefecture" ("Ehime Prefecture").
Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, etc. should not have redundant suffixes like -yama.
- 堂々山
- Good: Mount Dōdō
- Bad: Mount Dōdōyama
Exception: When the suffix is part of the name, such that removing it would make the name nonsensical.
- 亀ヶ池
- Good: Kamegaike Pond
- Bad: Kamega Pond
Known mistakes
Street signs (標識 hyōshiki) along Melody Line give the following incorrect Romanizations:
- Wrong: Kamaki; Correct: Kamagi (釜木)
- Wrong: Ikatagoe; Correct: Ikatagoshi (伊方越)
Addresses
- See also: Japanese street address
Japanese addresses should be written "Western style," where the order of specificity is specific to general, e.g.
- {building number} {neighborhood}, {ku, city / town, district}, {prefecture}
For example, 愛媛県西宇和郡伊方町湊浦123番地 should be
- 123 Minatoura, Ikata-chō, Nishiuwa-gun, Ehime-ken
This is the opposite of Japanese style. Other things to note:
- Include, but do not translate, suffixes such as -ken, -shi, -chō, -gun.
- Drop 丁目 (chōme), 番地 (banchi), etc. and include only the numbers, hyphenated. E.g. 1丁目2番地3号室 should be 1-2-3.
- Note that when the neighborhood's name contains a number, the neighborhood should not be reduced to that number. E.g. 三番町 should be Sanban-chō, not 3.
- Include 甲 (kō), 乙 (otsu), 耕地 (kōchi), etc. after the banchi numbers.
- 大字 (ōaza) and 字 (aza) should be treated as prefixes to the neighborhood part of the address. E.g. 字三机 should be Aza-Mitsukue.
- Note, however, that 字 and 大字 are often not actually part of the official address. Check with Japan Post to get the official address.
- Linebreaks are not required between any address elements.
Proper nouns and names
These specific proper nouns and names should always be translated as follows. When adding to this list be sure to check appropriate websites, dictionaries, Google, etc. for existing examples before making up your own translation. When preexisting translations are obviously wrong or otherwise require correction, please note as such in the Remarks column.
Examples given tend to be (but are not limited to) the closest or most relevant ones to Ikata (i.e. the closest Tax Office, etc.).
Locations, organizations, and offices
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 課 | Division | |
| 係 | Section | |
| （総合）支所 | Branch (Office) | |
| 出張所 | (Sub-)Branch (Office) | When a 出張所 is subordinate to a 支所 (like in the case of Ikata Town Office branches), use "Sub-branch (Office)." |
市役所
町役場
村役場 | City Office
Town Office
Village Office | There are no longer any villages in Ehime Prefecture. |
駅
道の駅 | (train) station
Roadside Station | Drop the company name when clear from context. See Wikipedia for info on Roadside Stations. |
入国管理局
| Immigration Bureau
| |
地方法務局
| Legal Affairs Bureau
| [1] |
国税局
| Regional Taxation Bureau
| [2] |
税務署
| Tax Office
| [3] |
合同庁舎
| Joint Government Building
| |
保健所
| Public Health Center
| ○○市保健所 are run by municipalities. ○○保健所 (without the 市) are run by the prefecture. |
検疫所
| Quarantine Station
| [6] |
事務所
| Office
| |
事務局
| Bureau
| [7] |
委員会
| Committee
| |
| 社会保険業務センター | Social Insurance Operation Center | [8] |
| 愛媛県運転免許センター | Ehime Driver's License Center | [9] |
| アイテムえひめ | Ehime World Trade Center | [10] |
| 愛媛県宅地建物取引業協会 | Ehime Real Estate Transaction Association | [11] |
| 日本自動車連盟 | Japan Automobile Federation | [12] |
| 母子保健事業団 | Maternal and Child Health Organization | [13] |
| 日本家族計画協会 | Japan Family Planning Association | [14] |
| 保育所 | Nursery School | |
大学
| University
| |
短期大学
| Junior College
| |
専門学校
| Vocational School
| [21] |
| 消防科学総合センター | Institute for Fire Safety & Disaster Preparedness | [22] |
| 住民課 | Citizens' Affairs Division | |
市区町村
| municipality
| Append "local" to distinguish from prefectural- or national-level organizations. |
Documents and legal entities
- See also: JAT documentation regarding translating 戸籍s
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 申請書 | Application (for) | |
| 交付 | Issuance (of) | |
| 証明書 | Certificate (of) | |
| 届（出） | Notification (of) | |
| 印鑑 (署名)捺印 | Personal Seal (signature and) Personal Seal | |
| 収入印紙 | revenue stamp | |
| 在留資格変更許可 | Change of Status of Residence | [23] |
| 在留期間更新許可 | Extension of Period of Stay | [24] |
再入国許可
| Re-entry Permit
| [25] |
| 永住許可 | Permanent Residence | [26] |
| 在留資格取得許 | Permission to Acquire Status of Residence | [27] |
| 資格外活動許可 | Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than that Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted | [28] |
| 就労資格証明書 | Certificate of Authorized Employment | [29] |
外国人登録
変更登録 | Alien Registration
Registration of Alteration of Registered Items | [30] [31] [32] |
出生
| Birth
| |
婚姻
| Marriage
| |
| 離婚届 裁判離婚 | Notification of Divorce Judicial Divorce | |
死亡
| Death
| |
戸籍
| Family Register
| [33] |
| 住民票 | Certificate of Residence | |
| 母子健康手帳 | Maternal and Child Health Handbook | Published by the 母子保健事業団 [34] |
国民健康保険
| National Health Insurance
| |
国籍
| Nationality
| 「証明書」 is generally "Certificate," but no single document by the name of 「国籍証明書」 seems to exist. Rather, this refers to any document that may officially indicate one's nationality (e.g. passport, Birth Certificate, etc.). |
| 日本語による翻訳文 | Japanese translation of (your) foreign driver's license | In the context of driver's licenses, this always refers to an official translation (performed by, e.g., the JAF) of a foreign driver's license. |
Housing, real estate, and services
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 保証人 | Guarantor | |
| 敷金 | security deposit | |
| 礼金 | key money | |
| 仲介手数料 斡旋料 | Brokerage charge | |
| 共益費 | Common Service Charge | |
| 都市ガス | pipeline gas | |
| LPガス | propane gas (canister) | "LP" stands for "liquefied petroleum" |
| 電話加入権 | Telephone subscription rights |
Medical
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 診察券 | Patient Registration Card | |
出生
| See Documents and legal entities | |
| 母子健康手帳 | See Documents and legal entities | |
| 介護保険 | Nursing Care Insurance | |
| 要介護認定 | Certification of Nursing Care Need | |
| 受診券 | Examination Voucher | |
| 指定居宅介護支援事業者 | Home Nursing Care Specialist | |
手当金
| Allowance
| |
| 出産育児一時金 | Maternity & Childrearing Allowance | |
| 按摩（あんま） | Acupressure | |
| 灸 | Moxibustion | [35] |
| 柔道整復師 | Judo Therapist | [36] |
Cars and driving
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 愛媛県運転免許センター | See Locations, organizations, and offices | |
| 日本自動車連盟 | See Locations, organizations, and offices | |
自動車税
| See Documents and legal entities | |
| 普通車 | standard automobile | Also "standard passenger car" |
| 日本語による翻訳文 | See Documents and legal entities | |
| 優良運転者 ゴールド免許 | Conscientious Driver Gold License | Conscientious Drivers (clean record for 5 years or more) are issued Gold Licenses.[37] |
| 違反点 | (Penalty) Points | Drop "penalty" when clear from context. |
交通反則
| traffic violation
| Traffic Violation Notices are apparently also called "blue tickets" (青色キップ). |
Banking, insurance, finance, and taxes
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 普通預金（口座） | (Ordinary) savings (account) | |
| 定期預金（口座） | Time deposit (account) | [38] |
| 積立預金（口座） | Installment deposit (account) | |
| 払い戻し | refund withdrawal | Can mean "withdrawal" in the context of a bank account. |
| 通帳 | passbook | |
| ペイオフ制度 | Deposit Insurance | |
小切手
| (Personal) check
| |
| 郵便送金 | Postal remittance | |
国税
| National tax(es)
| |
地方税
| Local tax(es)
| |
| 消費税 | Sales tax | |
自動車税
| Motor Vehicle Tax
| |
| 国税局 | See Locations, organizations, and offices | |
| 税務署 | See Locations, organizations, and offices | |
| 被用者保険 | Employee's Health Insurance | Equivalent to 社会保険. |
| 社会保険 | Social Health Insurance | Equivalent to 被用者保険. |
| 国民健康保険 | National Health Insurance | Distinct from 被用者保険. |
| 介護保険 | See Medical | |
| 国民年金 | National Pension System | [39] |
| 厚生年金保険 | Employees' Pension Insurance | |
脱退一時金
| Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment
| [40] This is a bad name. Explain as "pension (payment) refund" as necessary. |
| 被保険者証 保険証 | Insurance Card | |
| 第n号被保険者 | Category n insured |
Media and technology
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 地上デジタル 地デジ | Digital Broadcast | |
| 衛星放送 | Satellite Broadcast | |
| 受信料 | Reception Fee | |
| ワンセグ | 1seg |
Transportation
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 郊外電車 | Suburban Train(line) | |
| 路面電車 | Tram | While "tram" is a Britishism, it appears to be more common in Japan than "streetcar" (the preferred US term). |
| 市内電車 | Tram | When equivalent to 路面電車. If underground, use "subway." |
| みどりの窓口 | JR ticket office | |
電車・列車・汽車
| Train
| In general there is no need to distinguish between 電車, 列車, and 汽車. |
Ikata-specific
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 政策推進課 | Policy Implementation Division | |
| 生涯学習課 | Lifelong Learning Division | |
| 学校教育課 | School Education Division | |
| 総務課 | General Affairs Division | |
| 建設課 | Construction Division | |
| 商工観光課 | Commerce, Industry & Tourism Division | |
| 町民生活課 | Townspeople Life Division | This is a bad name. Do not copy it. Use "Citizens' Affairs Division" (住民課) or similar if naming a newly-created Division. |
| 福祉課 | Welfare Division | |
| 税務課 | Taxation Division | |
| 会計課 | Accounting Division | |
| 農林水産課 | Agriculture, Forestry & Fishery Division | |
| 農業委員会事務局 | Agricultural Commission Secretariat | |
| 下水道課 | Sewer Division |
Titles
| Japanese | English | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 町長 | Mayor | |
| 伊方町長 | Ikata Mayor, or Mayor of Ikata | |
| 課長 | Division Manager | |
| 係長 | Section Manager | |
| 室長 | Office Manager |
