Wikipedia:Manual of Style (Japan-related articles)
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This guideline is a part of the English Wikipedia's Manual of Style. Editors should follow it, except where common sense and the occasional exception will improve an article. Before editing this page, please make sure that your revision reflects consensus. |
Please follow these conventions when writing and editing articles related to Japan.
For more general guidance on editing conventions, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style. For standardized translations of some common Japanese terms, see Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style (Japan-related articles)/Translation note.
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[edit] English words of Japanese origin
The English Wikipedia is an English-language encyclopedia. An English loan word or place name of Japanese origin should be used in its most common English form in the body of an article, even if it is pronounced or spelled differently from the properly romanized Japanese; that is, use Mount Fuji, Tokyo, jujutsu, and shogi, instead of Fuji-san, Tōkyō, jūjutsu, and shōgi. However, the romanized Japanese form should always be listed in the opening paragraph.
[edit] Pluralization
Some Japanese loan words are usually pluralized according to English grammar rules, although this usage may sound odd to Japanese speakers. A few examples are tsunami, tycoon, and futon, which take the plurals tsunamis, tycoons, and futons. In the case of more specialized Japanese words such as koi, sushi, haiku, anime, ronin, manga, or dojo, English-language speakers are often familiar with Japanese word usage, and the words usually lack plural forms. For a few words, such as geisha and kamikaze, both forms of pluralization are acceptable. When in doubt, it is probably best to use a dictionary for reference. Helpful tools include the Merriam Webster website for American-English usage and the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary for British-English usage.
[edit] Capitalization of words in Roman script
Titles of songs, and the names of singers, companies and so forth are often capitalized when written in Roman script within a Japanese-language context or (in flyers, posters, etc.) for a Japanese audience, and the relevant publicity departments or fanbases may vehemently insist on the importance of the capitalization. However, these names and name elements are not excluded from the guidance provided by the main manuals of style for English-language Wikipedia, listed above. Words should not be written in all caps in the English Wikipedia. For example, although the title of the manga Bleach is always written as "BLEACH" in Japanese (e.g. in its article within Japanese-language Wikipedia), it should be written as Bleach within the English-language Wikipedia.
[edit] Using Japanese in the article body
Generally, Japanese script for a word can be added to the text the first time it is introduced, provided that the word is not linked to another article on the English Wikipedia. In that case, the linked article should be edited to show the Japanese script in the opening line, if the text is not already there. Japanese script should only be added once per word in an article, and not added when it already exists in a separate linked article, with exceptions noted below.
If the word is linked to an article which includes the Japanese script, then, Japanese characters are unnecessary in the original article, unless they appear in the context of a list or glossary, such as Glossary of sumo terms, or Tōkaidō Main Line#Tokyo area. In those cases, having several Japanese words appear together in context may be beneficial to some readers, and the script should not be deleted.
Japanese text should be marked with the {{Nihongo}} or {{Nihongo2}} templates.
[edit] Linking to Japanese Wikipedia
Use interwiki links to link to the equivalent article on the Japanese Wikipedia. Additionally, there is generally no need to use inline links to the equivalent Japanese Wikipedia article for any words in an article. If a word is important enough to warrant a link, it will have an article here, in which case a standard link is sufficient.
When interwiki linking to the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia, omit spaces from the Japanese page name. For example a page beginning
must be linked as [[ja:小泉純一郎]] (no space between 小泉 and 純一郎).
[edit] Romanization
Revised Hepburn romanization (described below) should be used in all cases, excepting the few unusual circumstances discussed below. Wikipedia uses the version of Revised Hepburn described below because it is generally accepted by scholars and it gives a fair indication of Japanese pronunciation to the intended audience of English speakers. People who care about other romanization systems are knowledgeable enough to look after themselves.
Macrons should be used in all cases outside of those specifically mentioned below. Use of apostrophes should be avoided except in the case of the syllabic "n" followed by a vowel (see "Body text", below). Excessive use of hyphens should be avoided.
[edit] Body text
Take care with these points regarding usage in article body text (anything that is not the title of the article):
- For transliterations from kanji and hiragana, long o and u are written with macrons as ō and ū respectively. If you have difficulty typing these characters with your IME, you can click on the special characters below the Wikipedia edit box, or see Help:Macrons for instructions on setting up your computer to input them directly from the keyboard. You can also enter the HTML entity ō for ō, and ū for ū. All other long vowels are written without macrons: ああ → aa, いい → ii, and ええ → ee. Apostrophes and hyphens are not needed to distinguish i)(i from ii.
- For transliterations from katakana, use the English spelling if available (i.e., Thunderbird (サンダーバード Sandābādo) instead of Sandābādo). If an English spelling is not available, but a spelling from another language of origin exists, use it (i.e., Homard (ja:オマール Omāru) rather than Omāru, and Zha cai (ja:ザーサイ Zāsai) rather than Zāsai). Otherwise, macrons should be used for all long vowels indicated with ー, including "a", "e", and "i".
- は, ヘ and を as particles are written wa, e, and o respectively.
- Syllabic n ん is generally written n (see below).
- Syllabic n ん is written n' when followed by a vowel or y but not when followed by another n.
- Transliterated terms should be italicized in accordance with Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Foreign terms. Note that proper nouns (place/person names) should not be italicized.
- Do not capitalize suffixes in the titles of historical periods and events, such as Edo period, Tokugawa shogunate, and Recruit scandal.
- Names should be romanized according to common usage (see below), which includes unconventional romanizations by licensees (e.g., Devil Hunter Yohko and Tenjho Tenge).
- City names should include macrons in all cases, except for Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. These cities are well-known around the world already.
- Likewise, prefecture names should include macrons in all cases, except for Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto. The capitals of these three prefectures are well-known around the world already.
- Island names should include macrons in all cases, except for Ryukyu Islands, Bonin Islands, and Iwo Jima. These islands use the common English name.
- For other Japanese terms which are used frequently in English (such as sumo), any clearly established romanization should be given preference.
The original version of Hepburn used m when syllabic n ん is followed by b, m, or p. While generally deprecated, this is still allowed in titles for cases where the official romanization continues to use m (examples: Asahi Shimbun, Namba Station). In the modified Hepburn romanization system, unlike the standard system, the "n" is maintained even when followed by homorganic consonants (e.g., shinbun, not shimbun). Use Google to check popularity if in doubt, and create a redirect from the n version.
[edit] Article titles
Article titles should follow all of the points above, with the following exceptions:
- Article titles should use macrons as specified for body text except in cases where the macronless spelling is in common usage in English-speaking countries (e.g., Tokyo, Osaka, Sumo and Shinto, instead of Tōkyō, Ōsaka, Sumō and Shintō).
- Where macrons are used in the title, appropriate redirects using the macronless spellings should also be created which point to the actual title (e.g., Tessho Genda and Tesshou Genda pointing to Tesshō Genda).
- For proper names, redirects should be created for the Japanese name order which points to the actual title of the article (e.g., Genda Tesshō, Genda Tessho, and Genda Tesshou pointing to Tesshō Genda).
[edit] Category link sorting of names and macronned titles
In accordance with Wikipedia:Categorization, articles with macronned titles should not use macrons for category sorting. If a title has macrons in it, the non-macronned version of the title should be used in category sorting. Additionally, the DEFAULTSORT template should be used directly above the category list:
-
-
- {{DEFAULTSORT:Genda, Tessho}}
- [[Category:Japanese voice actors]]
-
This will put the page in the correct order in every category of which it is a member. Please also use a comma after the family name in the case of names of people in order to ensure correct sorting with all names across Wikipedia.
[edit] Alphabetical order
Lists of romanized words in the English Wikipedia should be ordered in alphabetical order, A-Z, instead of the common Japanese ordering system which is based on the kana characters. In the case of names, alphabetize by family name, not by given name. Words with macrons should be alphabetized as if the macron was one of the normal 26 letters. In cases where two words are exactly the same except for a macron vowel in one word, the non-macron version should be listed first.
This rule also applies to lists of prefectures or other place names, and is in contrast to the Japanese standard of ordering from north to south. Exceptions to this rule can be made when the geographic location or arrangement is important to the overall context of the article, such as in the article Prefectures of Japan. Articles which fall under this exception should always explain the non-alphabetic sort order used within the article.
[edit] Words ending in 絵 (e) and 画 (ga)
For words ending in 絵 (e), place a hyphen directly before the "e" in the romanized word (e.g., yamato-e, ukiyo-e). Do not use a hyphen for words ending with 画 (ga) (e.g., manga, nanga). Do not use a hyphen for words beginning with 絵 or 画 (e.g. emakimono rather than "e-makimono").
[edit] Other languages
The transliteration of other languages such as (but not limited to) Ainu and Ryukyuan should use the accepted standard transliteration for that language, if any. If there is no accepted standard transliteration for that language, and the word is generally written in katakana in Japanese, a direct katakana to rōmaji transliteration — without macrons — should be used (e.g. ドウモイ becomes "doumoi" rather than "dōmoi"). If no other accepted transliteration method exists, the Japanese transliteration as described here should be used.
[edit] Japanese terms
Give the romanization for any name or term written in kanji or kana when the Japanese pronunciation is different from the English pronunciation. Use the pattern:
- English (Japanese characters rōmaji)
Then you can use the English term in the rest of the article.
For example:
- At 3,776 meters (12,388 feet) tall, Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san?) is the highest mountain on the island of Honshū …
Do not use the <ruby> tag to further annotate the kanji, as many browsers cannot display it properly.
[edit] Template
There is a template (Template:Nihongo) to help standardize the entries for Japanese terms.
Usage example:
- {{Nihongo|New Meikai Japanese Dictionary|新明解国語辞典|Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten}}
appears as
- New Meikai Japanese Dictionary (新明解国語辞典 Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten?)
The first entry appears before the brackets, the second is the Japanese term in kanji and kana, the last is the reading in modified Hepburn romanization described here. The question mark ? is a link to Help:Japanese.
[edit] Names
This section defines the proper way to write Japanese names on the English Wikipedia. If you are unsure of how to write a name after reading the information below, please post your question on the Talk page. Please note that in all cases, a redirect should be employed for any commonly-used romanization other than that indicated here in order to cover alternate usages. Redirects for the opposite naming orders noted below should also be employed. That is, if an article is titled "given name + family name", a redirect from "family name + given name" is required; and, vice versa.
[edit] Names of historical figures
For a historical figure (a person born before the first year of Meiji (1868)), always use the traditional Japanese order of family name + given name and family name + <space> + given name for Japanese characters. Names from Japanese mythology and folklore fall into this category. For example:
- Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康, January 30, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate …
Macron usage in the name of an historical figure should adhere to the following, in order of preference:
-
- Use name most commonly used in academic journals and texts;
- Use the form found in a dictionary entry from a generally-accepted English dictionary;
- If none of the above is available, use the macronned form.
[edit] Names of modern figures
For a modern figure (a person born from the first year of Meiji (1868) onward), always use the Western order of given name + family name for Western alphabet, and Japanese style family name+<space>+given name for Japanese characters. For example:
- Junichiro Koizumi (小泉 純一郎 Koizumi Jun'ichirō, born January 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician …
Spelling, including macron usage, of the name of a modern figure should adhere to the following, in order of preference:
-
- Use the official trade name if available in English/Latin alphabet;
- Use the form found in a dictionary entry from a generally-accepted English dictionary;
- Use the form publicly used on behalf of the person in the English-speaking world;
- Use the form publicly used on behalf of the person in any other popular Latin-alphabet-using language (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Dutch, or variations); or
- If none of the above is available, use the macronned form.
[edit] Pseudonyms
In the case of an actor, athlete, author, artist or other individual who is more well known under a pseudonym, use the pseudonym as the article title, and note the additional names they may use (e.g., birth name, other pseudonyms), following the standards above.
If the individual is more well known by family name + given name, a redirect for that should be used as well, and the article should note the multiple ways the name is used.
[edit] Names of emperors
For Japanese emperors before Emperor Hirohito, including emperors from both the northern and southern courts during the Nanboku-chō Era, use the form [[Emperor {name}]], which is a partial translation of their posthumous name. The word Emperor is an integral part of the name and not merely a title, so it should be capitalized and the article the should not appear before it. It is also acceptable to refer to a Japanese emperor without "Emperor", so long as the first appearance of the name uses the above format. Be sure to create appropriate redirects so that the version of the name without the title will bring the reader to the correct location.
Although posthumously named Emperor Shōwa, Hirohito can be called Emperor Hirohito (or simply Hirohito), as this continues to be the most widely known name for him in the West. Similarly, the current emperor may be referred to as Emperor Akihito, or just Akihito. It is incorrect to refer to him as Emperor Heisei, as he will not be renamed Heisei until after his death.
[edit] Place names
For prefectures, use the form [[{prefecture-name} Prefecture]] without ken, fu, or to, for example, Tochigi Prefecture. As an exception, use the title Hokkaidō Prefecture when refering to Hokkaidō (北海道?), for dō (道 passage or circuit?) being an integral part of the prefecture's name cannot be omitted.
For cities, use the form [[{city-name}, {prefecture-name}]]; for example, Otaru, Hokkaidō.
For districts, use the form [[{district-name} District, {prefecture-name}]]; for example, Tosa District, Kōchi.
For towns and villages, use the form [[{town or village-name}, {prefecture-name}]]; for example, Kamikuishiki, Yamanashi.
For wards in cities, use the form [[{ward-name}-ku, {city-name}]]; for example, Naka-ku, Yokohama.
For the 23 special wards in Tokyo, use the form [[{ward-name}, Tokyo]]; for example, Shibuya, Tokyo.
[edit] Suffixes
Suffixes such as "City", "Town", "Village", and "Island" are generally superfluous in English and should be avoided. An exception is when differentiating between two municipalities of the same name (i.e. if a town is "promoted" to a city of the same name), or between a prefecture and city of the same name (e.g. Saga Prefecture and Saga, Saga). Even in that case, though, "city of {name}" (lowercase) is preferred. When referring to the city government, use "City of {name}" (uppercase).
A notable exception is Tokyo City, a historical city that existed in what is now Tokyo, in order to avoid possible confusion.
When suffixes are appropriate, capitalize them. For example, Tochigi Prefecture; Kashima District, Ibaraki; Ise Province; Himeji Castle; Tokyo Station; Satsuma Domain.
[edit] Temples and shrines
Use the Japanese name and insert a hyphen before bō (坊), dō (堂), in (院), ji (寺), gū (宮), sha (社), taisha (大社) and tera/dera (寺). However, write the English word "Shrine" in place of jinja (神社) and jingū (神宮). Use common name instead of formal name (Kinkaku-ji, not Rokuon-ji; Yama-dera, not Risshaku-ji). All words are capitalized and place/personal names should be offset with a space. Use redirects liberally.
Do not add the word "Temple" into the title. Do not write English translations of names in article titles (where appropriate, they are welcome within the article, e.g. "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion"). Do not prefix -san names (山号) (e.g. do not write "Kinryūzan Sensōji"; simply write "Sensōji"), unless absolutely necessary to distinguish famous temples of the same name and provide a disambiguation page, for example, Kaikozan Hase-dera and Buzan Kagura-in Hase-dera.
Examples:
- Temples: Sensō-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Sanjūsangen-dō, Byōdō-in
- Shrines: Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Fushimi Inari-taisha but Meiji Shrine (Meiji-jingū), Oyama Shrine (Oyama-jinja)
[edit] Train and Subway stations
- The default name is X Station.
- When necessary, disambiguate by geographical location: Y Station → Y Station (Prefecture) → Y Station (Prefecture, City).
- Stations on private lines that have the same name as other train or subway stations in the same prefecture are disambiguated as Z Station (PrivateCo). For example, there are two stations named Asakusa Station both located in Asakusa, Tokyo. One is an interchange station for 3 different train companies and one is a smaller station for the Tsukuba Express. As a default, the major station would be Asakusa Station, while the Tsukuba Express station is Asakusa Station (Tsukuba Express).
[edit] Addresses
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.
- Linebreaks are not required between any address elements.
[edit] Names of companies, products, and organizations
Honor the current romanization used officially by that party (i.e., Kodansha rather than Kōdansha, Doshisha University rather than Dōshisha University). If the entity no longer exists, use the most commonly used format. If this can not be determined, use the Hepburn romanization as defined here.
[edit] Names in titles
If the name in question is a title (i.e., of a book, an award, etc.), the name order within the title itself should not be changed. For example, the Ina Nobuo Award should not be changed to Nobuo Ina Award even though Nobuo Ina is a modern figure as defined above. However, a redirect pointing at Ina Nobuo Award should be put in place for Nobuo Ina Award in order to avoid any possible confusion.
[edit] Using Japanese characters on the English Wikipedia
Since the conversion of the English Wikipedia to the use of the UTF-8 character encoding, most characters used around the world can be directly used in Wikipedia articles. Since these characters are supported by the UTF-8 standard they are no longer converted to character references, with the exception of a few characters reserved for usage in HTML, such as the ampersand.
Fonts for Japanese come as standard for most modern commercial operating systems (such as Windows XP and Mac OS X). Please be aware, however, that some users may not have installed (or may have disabled) the Japanese fonts needed to display kanji and kana.
