embroidered names on hakama [Archive]

andrew

11-14-2001, 07:49 AM

There's a website I saw before where they sold calligrapy of your name (in kanji, obviously, or I would not mention it...) and I shall endeavor to provide the link here later this afternoon. (It's on my college computer account, and there's a low computer to student ratio and I'm too busy in the lab to queue for 25 minutes now...)

I think I found the link here on aikiweb anyhow, perhaps even in the links section.

Anyhow, that'd be a case of finding your name in kanji and finding somebody who does embroidery...

andrew

Anne

11-15-2001, 08:14 AM

This one was under "link of the week" some time ago, maybe it's the one Andrew mentioned:

http://www.takase.com/index.htm

Anne

Anne

11-15-2001, 12:14 PM

There are sewing/embroidering machines that can upload designs directly from a computer/disk. If you find a site where you can get your name in japanese, download the kanji and take it to a local tailor.

Good luck,

Anne

momentrylapse

11-16-2001, 02:05 AM

thanks for your help folks.

I have found that at aikido online they sell hakama with embroidered names, but the cheapest hakama is about $120 (I cant afford that right now)

apparently bujin design will also do it, so I think I will have to go find a local with a sewing machine as you suggested.

JJF

11-16-2001, 02:25 AM

I believe that www.tozando.com can provide hakamas with your name embroided as well. However transferring a european name into Kanji might not turn out so well. The japanese alphabet for writing names and words of a western origin is katakana which is an alphabet concisting of 'sounds' rather than ideograms. Theres is a danish site that provides translation of your name into katakana. Even though it is in danish it is pretty straight forward to use - so take a look at: http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc5820/japnavn.htm

Just write your name in the box and push the button (that's pretty easy isn't it ?)

Have fun!

andrew

11-16-2001, 09:21 AM

Originally posted by Anne
This one was under "link of the week" some time ago, maybe it's the one Andrew mentioned:

http://www.takase.com/index.htm

Anne

Actually, yes it is, and I completely forgot I was supposed to come back and post it up again...

andrew

Anne

11-16-2001, 09:41 AM

Here is another idea if you don't want to pay for the calligraphy:
There are excellent japanese word processors where you can enter a name/word in romaji and get it transferred into japanese hiragana, katakana and kanji. My favourite is this one at http://www.njstar.com
There is a free demo version on their site.
So you can look up your name and its japanese spelling at http://www.takase.com/index.htm and enter it in the njstar programm were you'll get it in hiragana/katakana. You can look up the kanji at their Radical Look Up Table. Unfortuneately, the demo version has only one font so maybe you have to print it, smooth it by hand and scan it again before taking it to a tailor.

Have fun,
Anne

jimbo

11-16-2001, 12:04 PM

Originally posted by JJF
Theres is a danish site that provides translation of your name into katakana. Even though it is in danish it is pretty straight forward to use - so take a look at: http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc5820/japnavn.htm

Just write your name in the box and push the button (that's pretty easy isn't it ?)

Have fun!

Except a simple name like Jim came out Yomu....Must be a Danish thing....Might work with other names, though...

--jimbo

JJF

11-22-2001, 03:46 AM

Originally posted by jimbo

Except a simple name like Jim came out Yomu....Must be a Danish thing....Might work with other names, though...

--jimbo
Nope! It's a japanese thing :D. There are a limitied number of syllables in the japanese (sound) alphabet (46 if I remember right) and none of these begin with 'J'. Therefore 'Ji' is suggested to be substituted with 'Yo' which according to the program is the sound that will come closest to the original.

'M' dosn't exist either so it has to be translated into the sound 'mu' but don't worry - the 'u' is allmost silent ;)

My own name is modified rather much when translated:
Jørgen is turned into: Yo-ru-ge-n
Jakob is turned into: Ya-ko-bu
and Friis is turned into: Fu-ri-i-su
Sounds really funny when pronounced especially since 'r' sound a lot like 'l' in japanese, but it is the same result my japanese teacher came up with, so I believe it to be the closest I can get to something that will 'work'.

In conclusion - some names just dosen't translate well into japanese alphabet.

Anne

11-22-2001, 03:56 AM

Luckily my name seems to be 100% japanese compatible (A-n-ne) but we had some good laughs while trying names of family members and friends.

Anne

JJF

11-22-2001, 03:58 AM

Originally posted by Anne
Luckily my name seems to be 100% japanese compatible (A-n-ne) but we had some good laughs while trying names of family members and friends.

Anne
So! how well did 'Schwaderer' come out ? :D

Anne

11-22-2001, 04:06 AM

It's su-chi-a-de-re-ru

Not too far away I think.

Anne

Creature_of_the_id

11-22-2001, 04:43 AM

Originally posted by JJF

Nope! It's a japanese thing :D. There are a limitied number of syllables in the japanese (sound) alphabet (46 if I remember right) and none of these begin with 'J'. Therefore 'Ji' is suggested to be substituted with 'Yo' which according to the program is the sound that will come closest to the original.

'M' dosn't exist either so it has to be translated into the sound 'mu' but don't worry - the 'u' is allmost silent ;)

Ji is a japanese character. it is the character for Shi with two dots. and the letter M and N are basicly the same thing in japanese, as the N is pronounced soft.. it could be replaced as Mu though if you wanted to. so Jim or even Jimbo should be real easy to write in katakana Ji-n/m or Ji-mu or Ji-n/m-bo.

I do think the change from a J to a Y is a danish thing as that is how it would be pronouced in danish I think. and japanese spells things the way that they are pronounced.

but anyway :)

akiy

11-22-2001, 09:45 AM

Originally posted by Anne
It's su-chi-a-de-re-ru

Not too far away I think.
If your last name is pronounced Germanically (ie "v" rather than "w"), I'd think it would more be transliterated as "Shu Va De Re Ru."

And, as far as "Jim" goes, since the American "J" is a "J" sound (rather than a "Y" sound in the Danish/Germanic languages), it should, as Kev writes, be transliterated as "Ji Mu." "Sisley" should also be pretty easily transliterated as "Si Su Ri."

Since I had some time this morning (it being a holiday and all), I went and transliterated "Schwaderer," "Jim," and "Sisley" into katakana. No, I will not have the time to honor all requests, so please don't ask! I'll include the JPG image of the transliterated names below.

-- Jun

Anne

11-22-2001, 10:13 AM

Wow,
thanks Jun!

Since in German all words are pronounced as they are written the w in my surname is a soft sound, much like the w in water.

Anne

guest1234

11-22-2001, 10:59 AM

A trip one night to a sushi bar resulted in several of our names being translated by a waitress. I was told mine meant 'small wheel', which after a few sakes became 'little tire', a name the sushi chef happily recalls whenever I walk in...:rolleyes:

akiy

11-22-2001, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by Anne
Since in German all words are pronounced as they are written the w in my surname is a soft sound, much like the w in water.
Interesting -- goes contrary to what I learned in three years of German in college (ie pronouncing "Schwester" with a "v" sound rather than a "w" sound)...

-- Jun

Outi

11-22-2001, 11:28 AM

This is again one of the things I often keep thinking about... I know my last name -- which is Kentta (a is actually with two dots over it) -- has a certain meaning but my first name doesn't really. And I've found so many stories of it's origin and meaning that I wouldn't be at all surprized if none of them was right (maybe there is still one more).

I tried that danish translation thing as well and my first name turned out as o-u-chi. not so far away, except I don't pronounce "ti" as it would be pronounced in english, but rather like thi (not excactly that either, something inbetween). Maybe I'll go try again... :)

I wish I had as universal name as Anne, since everyone always has such a hard time learning to pronounce my name. Usually they end up calling me something else...

Anne

11-22-2001, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by akiy

Interesting -- goes contrary to what I learned in three years of German in college (ie pronouncing "Schwester" with a "v" sound rather than a "w" sound)...

-- Jun

Normally people tend to be confused by the German v because it can be a sharp f-sound as in "Vogel" or a soft w as in "Vase".
W is always a soft sound.
If your teacher was a native speaker it can depend very much on which region he/she was from.

Anne

akiy

11-22-2001, 12:22 PM

Originally posted by Anne
Normally people tend to be confused by the German v because it can be a sharp f-sound as in "Vogel" or a soft w as in "Vase".
W is always a soft sound.
If your teacher was a native speaker it can depend very much on which region he/she was from.
OK -- I've been taught to pronounce "w" in German as the "v as in Vase" (or, rather, a "voiced, labial-dental fricative" as we linguists sometimes called it) rather than the "v as in Vogel" (an unvoiced, labial-dental fricative). I'm glad I'm not just misremembering things!

ObAikido: The only time I was able to train in Germany when I was there was in Hannover during CeBIT.

-- Jun

Anne

11-22-2001, 03:28 PM

Originally posted by akiy

OK -- I've been taught to pronounce "w" in German as the "v as in Vase" (or, rather, a "voiced, labial-dental fricative" as we linguists sometimes called it) rather than the "v as in Vogel" (an unvoiced, labial-dental fricative). I'm glad I'm not just misremembering things!

ObAikido: The only time I was able to train in Germany when I was there was in Hannover during CeBIT.

-- Jun

So we've been talking about the same sound from the beginning...

:D

Anne

Simone

11-23-2001, 04:18 AM

Hi everybody!

I've read this thread with increasing amusement!
First, I don't have my name embroyedered on my hakama, but it's a good idea! Kevin, when you solved the translation problem, why don't you try it yourself or give it to your mum (or grandma, or someone else who is capable to do the embroidery by hand or with a machine)? I'd do it myself, I think.
Hallo Anne! Nice to see some others from Germany round here. Are you the one with the selfmade hakama? I also wanted to answer this topic as I have made 4 hakama by myself up to now (I also made the pattern by myself, and it fits quite well) and there are some more to come, I think. I also repair the hakama of our blackbelts because I can't see them train with holes in the knees! In case there are others interested, we should organize a course somewhere in Germany!
As to the translation problem: my name is somewhat a problem because the syllable si doesn't exist in the Japanese alphabeths, but the meaning of my name is "God has listened" and that should translate quite well in Kanji, or? So maybe, in case your name has some meaning, try to translate this?!

much Aiki with your hakama (embroidered or not),

Simone

momentrylapse

11-23-2001, 04:29 AM

I never actualy had a problem translating the name to Japanese as I am leaning the language and got my Japanese teacher to do it for me. But thanks anyway everybody.

I think I am going to get a new hakama from the tozando site and get the embroidery done that way (I need a new one anyway my other two are getting a bit tatty now.

Once again thanks everyone.