Translating Japanese...

[HaRuMaN]

Anyone know how to read this?  Thanks!

[HaRuMaN]

And this too:   

[danny_galaga]

i think the first word reads 'new'. i could be wrong...
there, i've translated 33% of the text 

[HaRuMaN]

Something about 'gambling sidequest from the land of wind and ghosts'

Seriously?

[Ken Layton]

Anyone know how to read this?  Thanks!

Many of those Japanese "Pachislo" style skill stop slot machines already have been translated at www.pachitalk.com forums.

[SithMaster]

Something about 'gambling sidequest from the land of wind and ghosts'

Seriously?

No.   

That is probably what it actually says.

[Malenko]

translates to "See Island" or something about seeing an island. My Japanese fails.
the coin I am completely clueless on

[ChoiceStriker]

Hi guys.  The game itself says "Shima-uta" (Island Song), which is a style of folk music from the Ryukyu islands in Southern Japan, the most famous of which is Okinawa.  It's also the name of a Japanese pop song. 

I can't help with the token, because it's such an archaic style of kanji (Japanese characters), but my guess is that it's just the name of the establishment that's on the token. 

P.S. I'm a freelance Japanese translator with an M.A. in East Asian Studies, so I enjoy solving these little mysteries for people.

[HaRuMaN]

Hi guys.  The game itself says "Shima-uta" (Island Song), which is a style of folk music from the Ryukyu islands in Southern Japan, the most famous of which is Okinawa.  It's also the name of a Japanese pop song. 

I can't help with the token, because it's such an archaic style of kanji (Japanese characters), but my guess is that it's just the name of the establishment that's on the token. 

P.S. I'm a freelance Japanese translator with an M.A. in East Asian Studies, so I enjoy solving these little mysteries for people.

Oh, wow!  Thanks for your help!    This thing is sitting in my living room and I had no idea what it said.   

[ChoiceStriker]

Oh, duh.

*smacks self in forehead*

I was mis-reading the ENGLISH letters on that token.  It just says "Daigaku" (University) Pachinko.  I was thinking that even though the characters were so stylized, it looked familiar.  I thought of the Waseda Daigaku logo (coincidentally, where I studied abroad one summer), and when I looked it up, there it was:

http://www.waseda-ny.org/Test/logo.gif

So now you know!

[Dartful Dodger]

"...of two men who love each other, you are the one who plays the woman."

[ChoiceStriker]

"...of two men who love each other, you are the one who plays the woman."

LOL!  That'd be an awful lot for just those two characters. 

*shifts into uber-geek mode* 

Although, there is an enormous range of sayings / idioms in Japanese called yoji-jukugo (四字熟語 - literally, four character idiom) that say an awful lot with just those four characters.  For example, three "mottos" of 19th century Japan were "Sonnō jōi" (尊王攘夷 - "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians"), "Bunmei kaika" (文明開化 - "Civilization and enlightenment"), and "Fukoku kyōhei" (富国強兵 - "Rich country, strong army").  So just four characters can represent some broad ideals.

But there are other sillier and more literal examples still in use today, such as: "Isseki nichō" (一石二鳥 - "One stone, two birds"). 

And thus concludes your history lesson for the day.

[Malenko]

I'm just happy I was partially right. Thats what I get for learning Japanese from some one whos first language is mandarin Chinese :p

[danny_galaga]

cool info (",)

the example you gave here is interesting. who would think such different cultures as english and japanese would share a saying...

But there are other sillier and more literal examples still in use today, such as: "Isseki nichō" (一石二鳥 - "One stone, two birds"). 

And thus concludes your history lesson for the day.