Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Printable Version

+- kanji koohii FORUM (http://forum.koohii.com)
+-- Forum: Learning Japanese (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: Learning resources (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-9.html)
+--- Thread: Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary (/thread-8478.html)

Pages: 1 2

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - thurd - 2011-10-01

Does anyone know if any of the newest Kindles will support Japanese dictionary? I remember it wasn't possible in 3 because of how it handled "words" and I'm interested if they managed to deal with it. I did learn they support Japanese fonts out of the box (same as in 3) but without the dictionary I cannot see myself reading Japanese on it so I won't buy it.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - TheVinster - 2011-10-01

Speaking of those (if I do buy one in the future), are you able to purchase digital books in Japanese, despite living in America?

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-10-01

Last I checked, the Kindle isn't sold in Japan, but you can put text files, and manga/book scans on it. There's just no Japanese dictionary functionality. Kindle 4 might be different though, but I doubt it'll change too much. Since it's not sold in Japan, they don't have much reason to add Japanese dictionaries, though a English-Japanese version of EDICT is available.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - thurd - 2011-10-02

Bokusenou Wrote:Last I checked, the Kindle isn't sold in Japan, but you can put text files, and manga/book scans on it. There's just no Japanese dictionary functionality. Kindle 4 might be different though, but I doubt it'll change too much. Since it's not sold in Japan, they don't have much reason to add Japanese dictionaries, though a English-Japanese version of EDICT is available.

They do advertise the ability to display Japanese fonts and I see salarymen with Kindles in trains so it could be an interesting market for them. Who knows maybe this generation is IT?

Kindle 4 could be different since there are complaints about the current popup English dictionary because it doesn't get phrases, hyphens etc. all thanks to a stupid design choice to distinguish words based on spaces...

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-10-02

thurd Wrote:
Bokusenou Wrote:Last I checked, the Kindle isn't sold in Japan, but you can put text files, and manga/book scans on it. There's just no Japanese dictionary functionality. Kindle 4 might be different though, but I doubt it'll change too much. Since it's not sold in Japan, they don't have much reason to add Japanese dictionaries, though a English-Japanese version of EDICT is available.
They do advertise the ability to display Japanese fonts and I see salarymen with Kindles in trains so it could be an interesting market for them. Who knows maybe this generation is IT?

Kindle 4 could be different since there are complaints about the current popup English dictionary because it doesn't get phrases, hyphens etc. all thanks to a stupid design choice to distinguish words based on spaces...

I would love this generation to be "IT" (and for the Japanese features to carry over to the English version XD), but so far the only announcements I've seen about the Kindle 4 on Japanese sites have been about, or translated from the English announcement. Wouldn't there be something on Amazon.co.jp about it if this was "it"? Unless Amazon is only going to release a Japanese one later in the year, which might happen, but I would hope they would spend a lot of time promoting it before it comes out, like they did in the US.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - trusmis - 2011-10-02

I do have a Kindle. Last time I checked there was like 0 kindle books in the Amazon store but you can load it with PDF and text files, so whatever you have around I guess you will manage to convert it to something you can read on your kindle.

About the japanese dictionary support, dont expect it anytime soon. Kindle store is mostly English now so dont spec to see any kind of support for other languages till Amazon makes a bigger bet on books first.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Javizy - 2011-10-02

Does anyone know if there's a reason why there's no Japanese Kindle store? Are e-books available anywhere else? I remember someone slagging Japanese publishers for being too backwards, but I don't know the details.

I'm thinking of ordering a kindle right now actually, but I'm not too fussed about Japanese if there isn't a decent selection of books available. It would be amazingly convenient considering how painful and expensive it is to order J-books from overseas though.

Edit: I just ordered one. Hopefully they aren't already sold out and I don't have to wait.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - TheVinster - 2011-10-02

So let me ask another question. We've established you can load PDF and text files onto it, but can you load it on in the correct Japanese format? For example I have a text file of キノの旅, if I throw it on a Kindle can I make it read vertically and correctly?

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - rinkuhero - 2011-10-02

i've heard that credit cards and buying things online is uncommon in japan (relative to europe and the US), so perhaps that's the reason e-books haven't taken off there?

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - JimmySeal - 2011-10-02

Online shopping has been slow to catch on in Japan, and while America's brick and mortar bookstores are crumbling into so many piles of rubble, Japanese bookstores are thriving. I think it's quite nice, actually. Japanese e-books can take their time for all I care, though I do feel for you folks overseas.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-10-02

TheVinster Wrote:So let me ask another question. We've established you can load PDF and text files onto it, but can you load it on in the correct Japanese format? For example I have a text file of キノの旅, if I throw it on a Kindle can I make it read vertically and correctly?

I've only found a way to load Aozora Bunko texts vertically, but not other text files. Other text files are shown horizontally.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - six8ten - 2011-10-03

I haven't looked closely, but there are Sony E-readers on display at the electronics stores, so I assume they must have some selection of e-books for them, though that doesn't carry over to Kindle as I believe they use different formats. The Kindle is great for getting the English language books I want, though; much cheaper than paying the import book prices, taking up less space in my apartment, and much less weight to carry around. And if you set your Amazon account to the US region, there's no international delivery fee, if you're able to set that up.

Would be nice to get Japanese books on it, though.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - caivano - 2011-10-03

the Sony thing has http://ebookstore.sony.jp/

Would have though Amazon would be pushing the kindle in Japan...

There is a new dictionary feature in iOS5, but from the info on the web I can't work out if using it rikaichan style will be possible.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - thurd - 2011-12-01

Did anyone from US get one of the newest Kindle models? I still can't find any information about a lookup dictionary working from Japanese to English.

But it seems Chinese works correctly, so Japanese should be fine too.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-157742.html

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-12-01

There are a few kindle versions of EDICT out there, and then there's this: http://junbungaku.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/amazon-demands-right-to-decide-price-for-japanese-e-books/

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Splatted - 2011-12-01

Bokusenou Wrote:There are a few kindle versions of EDICT out there, and then there's this: http://junbungaku.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/amazon-demands-right-to-decide-price-for-japanese-e-books/

So instead of being against the law, price fixing IS the law in Japan! :O I guess since I've just started studying economics in Japanese, this would be a good thing to read up on.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-12-01

Splatted Wrote:
Bokusenou Wrote:There are a few kindle versions of EDICT out there, and then there's this: http://junbungaku.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/amazon-demands-right-to-decide-price-for-japanese-e-books/
So instead of being against the law, price fixing IS the law in Japan! :O I guess since I've just started studying economics in Japanese, this would be a good thing to read up on.

Yeah, seems that way. It looks like Amazon is going to have it tough negotiating with Japanese publishing companies...Though I kind of see why the companies don't want to get ripped off by losing control of setting the prices (i.e iTunes). It would be nice if they really did manage to make a Amazon Japan ebook store by the end of the year though...It would be even nicer if it didn't cost anything extra to buy the ebooks internationally too. XD

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - IceCream - 2011-12-01

it would be incredibly awesome!!!!!

i really hope they sort it out soon. I guess edict wouldn't work on it when they do it though, as it'll be vertical text... hope the dictionary they make it with will be good...

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Oniichan - 2011-12-01

TheVinster Wrote:So let me ask another question. We've established you can load PDF and text files onto it, but can you load it on in the correct Japanese format? For example I have a text file of キノの旅, if I throw it on a Kindle can I make it read vertically and correctly?

Short answer: If you can save it as a pdf file, then yes.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - six8ten - 2011-12-02

Bokusenou Wrote:It would be nice if they really did manage to make a Amazon Japan ebook store by the end of the year though...It would be even nicer if it didn't cost anything extra to buy the ebooks internationally too. XD

As an American living in Japan, I get around the international delivery fee for purchasing e-books by the fact that I never changed my region or billing address to Japan, despite the fact that my delivery address is in Japan. Apparently it only matters which region your kindle is set to for the delivery fee.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - IceCream - 2011-12-02

huh? how can they possibly justify a delivery fee to a kindle...?!?

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - chamcham - 2011-12-02

So amazon might release the kindle by the end of the year in japan.
Personally, I do not care which publishers go with amazon and which don't.

Just having access to ANY modern Japanese novels would be enough for me.

Much of the j-music I listen to includes artists that my Japanese friends have never heard of.
I do not really go by what is popular.
I just download random music and keep what I like.

So even if Amazon goes along with unknown independent authors and have few established publishers, it would be enough for me.

Also, if you've read recently, the Japanese book publishers put their support behind EPUB3 as the standard ebook format. This is big news because EPUB3 is an international standard (i.e. it is made by gaijin). Japanese publishers really don't want to open their market to the outside world. Japan tried to support Sharp's homegrown XMDF format, but it failed.

So this might be a golden opportunity for amazon.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-12-02

chamcham Wrote:So amazon might release the kindle by the end of the year in japan.
Personally, I do not care which publishers go with amazon and which don't.

Just having access to ANY modern Japanese novels would be enough for me.

Much of the j-music I listen to includes artists that my Japanese friends have never heard of.
I do not really go by what is popular.
I just download random music and keep what I like.

So even if Amazon goes along with unknown independent authors and have few established publishers, it would be enough for me.

Also, if you've read recently, the Japanese book publishers put their support behind EPUB3 as the standard ebook format. This is big news because EPUB3 is an international standard (i.e. it is made by gaijin). Japanese publishers really don't want to open their market to the outside world. Japan tried to support Sharp's homegrown XMDF format, but it failed.

So this might be a golden opportunity for amazon.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

You know, if you don't mind indie authors, you might want to check out Smashwords.
There are surprisingly a lot of Japanese books there, e.g
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kulemai
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/helloken1
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/masahikokimoto

I don't know how good any of them are, but I found a lot of Japanese novels when I searched for "Japanese".

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - Bokusenou - 2011-12-27

Amazon JP ebook store update: Negotiations with Japanese publishers taking longer than predicted, Amazon pushes back ebooks release date.

Why did I know something like this would happen...Grr.

Kindle 4 & Japanese dictionary - IceCream - 2011-12-28

ugh. i'm bored of waiting.

so... if i buy a kindle from the UK, can i buy books from the sony ebook jp store?? i don't really understand how these things work.

if i can buy books from the sony ebook store & they work on the kindle, and there's a version of edict on the kindle (would it also work on sony ebooks??), that's all i need really...