searching the web in Japanese for non-Japanese speakers

[miyakoji]

Here's something interesting I just found: if you type letters into Google's Japanese site www.google.co.jp, or Goo search www.goo.ne.jp, or Yahoo Japan www.yahoo.co.jp, it will show kanji equivalents below as if it's a real input method editor.  This could be very useful for JNS members who don't have Japanese input on their systems.  Keep in mind, however, you must 'spell correctly,' that is, Osaka is actually Oosaka, tetsudo is tetsudou, Sendai will be Senndai, Tokyo is Toukyou, Kyoto is Kyouto, etc.

[westfalen]

It really works. Try typing 'Kintetsu' into an English Google search page and clicking on images, the do the same on the Japanese Google page and see the difference.

[bikkuri bahn]

It really works. Try typing 'Kintetsu' into an English Google search page and clicking on images, the do the same on the Japanese Google page and see the difference.

 

Haha.  Piqued my interest and tried.  The difference in quality is stunning.  The English search page really starts badly as the first image is of that horrid cat (?) thing on the Ikoma funicular (Kansai taste at its worse...).

[cteno4]

ill actually use google translate to translate english search terms into japanese characters then pop that into the us google search and you get images predominantly from japanese sources. works well

 

jeff