The Game of the Life
I read an article that the Japanese version of "The Game of the Life" is celebrating its 40th anniversary. "The Game of the Life" was developed in the States in 1960. At that time, the Japanese admired the States as a rich and strong country. The game became a big hit as it represented symbols of the American dream. The catch phrase of TV advertisements, "Jinsei, yama ari tani ari", was quite sensational for its day (loosely translated as, "life has its ups and downs").
Today the game is translated into 21 languages and is sold in 30 countries worldwide. I too enjoyed playing it when I was young. I remember a little car shaped piece and roulette wheel being used instead of dice as being very fresh ideas. The first and the second editions were translations of the original, but after the third edition, it started to reflect social conditions in Japan. The sixth edition, which was released in June, includes phrases like "Going to a three-stars restaurant with a sweetheart" and "Your blog was published and became a best seller".
Japanese Translation
?????
"?????"??????４０?????????????????"?????"?１９６０?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"?????????"??????????????????????????????２１??????????３０???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????２?????????????????３????????????????????????????６???????６?????"??????????????"?"?????????????！"??????????????
Romaji Translation
"Jinsei Geemu" ga nihon de hatsubai 40-nen o mukaeta to iu kiji o yomimashita.
"Jinsei Geemu" wa 1960-nen ni amerika de kaihatsu saremashita. Touji, nihon-jin wa yutakade tsuyoi kuni to shite, amerika ni akogare o idaite imashita. Geemu wa amerikan doriimu no shouchou to shite, daihitto shouhin to narimashita. "Jinsei, yama ari tani ari" to iu kopii de hajimaru terebi komaasharu mo wadai deshita. Ima dewa, 21 gengo ni hon'yakusare, sekai 30 kakoku de hanbai sarete imasu. Watashi mo kodomo no koro, tanoshinde asonda mono desu. Jidousha no katachi o shita koma to, saikoro no kawari ni ruuretto o tsukau no ga totemo shinsen deshita. Shodai to nidaime wa genban o hon'yaku shita mono deshita ga, sandaime kara nihon no sesou o han'ei shita mono to narimashita. Kotoshi roku-gatsu ni hatsubai sareta rokudaime niwa, "koibito to mitsuboshi resutoran ni iku" ya "burogu ga shoseki ni nari daihitto!" nado no kotoba mo fukumarete imasu.
Note: The translation is not always literal.
Beginner's Phrases
The Japanese admired the States as a rich and strong country.
Learn More
Click here to learn how to write U.S.A. in katakana.
I read an article that the Japanese version of "The Game of the Life" is celebrating its 40th anniversary. "The Game of the Life" was developed in the States in 1960. At that time, the Japanese admired the States as a rich and strong country. The game became a big hit as it represented symbols of the American dream. The catch phrase of TV advertisements, "Jinsei, yama ari tani ari", was quite sensational for its day (loosely translated as, "life has its ups and downs").
Today the game is translated into 21 languages and is sold in 30 countries worldwide. I too enjoyed playing it when I was young. I remember a little car shaped piece and roulette wheel being used instead of dice as being very fresh ideas. The first and the second editions were translations of the original, but after the third edition, it started to reflect social conditions in Japan. The sixth edition, which was released in June, includes phrases like "Going to a three-stars restaurant with a sweetheart" and "Your blog was published and became a best seller".
Japanese Translation
?????
"?????"??????４０?????????????????"?????"?１９６０?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"?????????"??????????????????????????????２１??????????３０???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????２?????????????????３????????????????????????????６???????６?????"??????????????"?"?????????????！"??????????????
Romaji Translation
"Jinsei Geemu" ga nihon de hatsubai 40-nen o mukaeta to iu kiji o yomimashita.
"Jinsei Geemu" wa 1960-nen ni amerika de kaihatsu saremashita. Touji, nihon-jin wa yutakade tsuyoi kuni to shite, amerika ni akogare o idaite imashita. Geemu wa amerikan doriimu no shouchou to shite, daihitto shouhin to narimashita. "Jinsei, yama ari tani ari" to iu kopii de hajimaru terebi komaasharu mo wadai deshita. Ima dewa, 21 gengo ni hon'yakusare, sekai 30 kakoku de hanbai sarete imasu. Watashi mo kodomo no koro, tanoshinde asonda mono desu. Jidousha no katachi o shita koma to, saikoro no kawari ni ruuretto o tsukau no ga totemo shinsen deshita. Shodai to nidaime wa genban o hon'yaku shita mono deshita ga, sandaime kara nihon no sesou o han'ei shita mono to narimashita. Kotoshi roku-gatsu ni hatsubai sareta rokudaime niwa, "koibito to mitsuboshi resutoran ni iku" ya "burogu ga shoseki ni nari daihitto!" nado no kotoba mo fukumarete imasu.
Note: The translation is not always literal.
Beginner's Phrases
The Japanese admired the States as a rich and strong country.
- Nihon-jin wa yutakade tsuyoi kuni to shite, amerika ni akogare o idaite imashita.
- ?????? ???? ?????????????? ????? ?????????
- ??????????????????????????????
Learn More
Click here to learn how to write U.S.A. in katakana.