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NEWS: Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs Opens Web Database for Manga, Anime, Games


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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:26 pm Reply with quote
Having a website that organize that various media-related products (namely manga, anime, games and events) is always nice. I fiddled around a bit and saw they have entries for High School DxD; I'm impressed. They even have New's episode titles, Production Committee members, Cast & Staff, a short bio on the main characters and more. Quite nice. (Because if they have series of that nature in their database, then you know it tries to be as comprehensive as possible, and not "we include 'proper & dignified' material only")
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Hoppy800



Joined: 09 Aug 2013
Posts: 3331
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:25 pm Reply with quote
This will be good for finding retro games I haven't played yet and then I can find some way to try them out.
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6361
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:29 pm Reply with quote
ANN wrote:
The website is Japanese only.


Which is not going to help non-Japanese fan if they want to look up something. Well good luck to whoever use the new database.
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Hoppy800



Joined: 09 Aug 2013
Posts: 3331
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:37 pm Reply with quote
Ok, I just gave it a little test and the first thing I did was start from where I began my journey into import gaming.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:46 pm Reply with quote
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Sariachan



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1507
Location: Italy
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:11 pm Reply with quote
Maybe they'll make an English version later. Smile
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FlamingFirewire



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 467
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:17 pm Reply with quote
Pretty damn cool if you ask me - glad to see such a comprehensive list of this kind of stuff, especially since it seems like old shows that were released in Japan before a certain period are incredibly hard to find out about unless you stumble upon them. Hopefully some entity can get an English version going.

Also, they have every release of Ever17 listed... I like this database Smile
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6361
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:37 pm Reply with quote
Sariachan wrote:
Maybe they'll make an English version later. Smile


FlamingFirewire wrote:
Hopefully some entity can get an English version going.


I highly doubt that. I just read on NHK World news today that Japan's high school English is below govt standard:


NHK World wrote:
High school English ability below govt. standards

Mar. 17, 2015 - Updated 02:54 UTC-4

An education ministry survey shows that the English writing and speaking skills of nearly 90 percent of Japanese high school seniors failed to meet government standards.

The ministry recently tested about 70,000 high school seniors across Japan, to determine their listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities in English.

It found that 27.3 percent met the proficiency standard in reading and 24.1 percent in listening comprehension. However, only 13.5 percent reached the level in writing and 12.8 percent in speaking skills. The survey also showed that lower test results were associated with students who were not enthusiastic about learning English or had little opportunity to speak the language in class.

Ministry officials say the results highlight the fact that Japanese students are not acquiring practical English skills. They say they will review the education guidelines and university entrance exam methods to promote English learning.


and it's been dropping like crazy according to Japan Times.

Japan Times wrote:


English for third graders lagging

JUL 9, 2014

Since the education ministry announced its plan in October 2013 to start English education from the third grade of elementary school, more than half a year has passed and the ministry still has not decided when to start. Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Japan faces the problem of how to improve and enrich English education. I think English education at an earlier age is key to globalizing Japan.

Japan is putting the English-from-the-third-grade plan into practice too slowly compared with other countries. According to the ministry, other countries including South Korea, France and Thailand have already implemented English education programs from the lower grades. And in South Korea, TOEFL scores have improved rapidly. In Japan, fifth-grade students started in 2011, but TOEFL scores have not improved. This shows how ineffective English education is at present. Japan should start English education at an earlier age.

Furthermore, communication skills for Japanese people are low in general. English is how we communicate with people from other countries, so it’s important that younger elementary school students begin learning how to communicate with others, and that schools help them understand how important and fun English education is. English education is not just about words and grammar.

To show results in improving English skills before the Tokyo Olympics, Japan should start English education from the lower grades in school as soon as possible.
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Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9970
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:51 pm Reply with quote
@mdo7
I assume that if an official Agency arranged for an English translation, they would hire professional translators. The skill or lack of skill of Japanese high school students has nothing to do with this article.

You seem to search out every negative thing you can find about Japan and just look for a chance to post it. It gets a bit tiring to read your constant negativity.
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lys



Joined: 24 Jun 2004
Posts: 1014
Location: mitten-state
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:54 pm Reply with quote
mdo7 wrote:
ANN wrote:
The website is Japanese only.

Which is not going to help non-Japanese fan if they want to look up something. Well good luck to whoever use the new database.

There are plenty of us non-Japanese fans who have sufficient understanding of the language to browse around the site. I'm just trying to think of information I'd want to know that the site can offer...
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13597
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:58 pm Reply with quote
So, it's like a Japanese ANN Encyclopedia.
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6361
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:59 pm Reply with quote
Alan45 wrote:

I assume that if an official Agency arranged for an English translation, they would hire professional translators.


If they're willing to do it.


Quote:
The skill or lack of skill of Japanese high school students has nothing to do with this article.

You seem to search out every negative thing you can find about Japan and just look for a chance to post it. It gets a bit tiring to read your constant negativity.


No, but the lack of High school English in Japan concern me because Japan is going to host the olympic and not taking English seriously is a big issue. Also if Japanese anime/manga industry are going to take the global market seriously (like the US), they have to take the English language seriously.

I might be negative about Japan, but if you keep up with what's going on in Japan (economically, political, and other stuff in Japan) then you would probably share the same concern as I did. Beside Japan, I do look at the whole Asian market and trend to see how much forward they're going.

lys wrote:

There are plenty of us non-Japanese fans who have sufficient understanding of the language to browse around the site. I'm just trying to think of information I'd want to know that the site can offer...


Well I don't have any complain if some of the fans can understand and read Japanese, that's a huge benefit. But not many of us can speak or understand Japanese. That's why English, and other language work. Also beside English, they got to have Chinese, Spanish, and others because there are anime fans around the world that probably want to access this site too.
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Hoppy800



Joined: 09 Aug 2013
Posts: 3331
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:09 pm Reply with quote
Kadmos1 wrote:
So, it's like a Japanese ANN Encyclopedia.


More like the Library of Congress of anime, manga, LN, and gaming culture.
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13597
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:12 pm Reply with quote
Then, it'd be nice for the English-speakers if they had an English version.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:22 pm Reply with quote
Kadmos1 wrote:
Then, it'd be nice for the English-speakers if they had an English version.

I get your point, but between this very site and MAL, I think the English-speaking community is pretty set.
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