From: aoki@risk.stanford.edu (ikuro aoki)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Subject: Re: INTERNATIONALIZATION: JAPAN, FAR EAST
Date: 16 Dec 92 00:00:03
Organization: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
NNTP-Posting-Host: risk.stanford.edu
In-reply-to: terry@cs.weber.edu's message of Mon, 14 Dec 92 18:50:28 GMT
nReferences: <dosburn.723844277@cwis> <2485@specgw.spec.co.jp>
	<1992Dec14.185028.9757@fcom.cc.utah.edu>

Hello terry and netter,

I am not an authority for an internationalization of computer systems,
however, this discussion is very interesting for me as a Japanese 
386bsd user who lives in CA.

  >>What kind of internationalization would best enable you to use 386BSD?
  >>	o	Kanji support?
  >>	o	Kana (Katakan/Hirugana) support?

We, Japanese, need both of Kanji and Kana to make sentences.

  >>What is currently used on PCs (with their limited character sets) 
  >>in Japan?

Almost all commands are in English. Only Japanese word processing programs 
can handle Kanji, kana and alphabet. Japanese worning/error messages became 
popular in Japanese domestic computers which have Kanji/Kana character ROMs.

  >>Assuming a full Kanji implementation, what type of keyboard encoding 
  >>needs to be done to comply with what Japaneese users are used to?

English keyboards are fine. We cannot make a huge Japanese Kanji keyboard
which has 6000 kanji character keys on it. :-) 
We use phonic(romanized) reading -> Kanji/Kana input leaders to input 
Japanese usually. To display Kanji/Kana, Japanese character ROMs, or a 
software emulation of it, will be necessary.

  >>Are there Kana keyboards?

Some (English) keyboards have a Kana extension (50 characters + alpha),
as similar as chapital lock key. They have Kana extension keys and special
Kana/Kanji conversion keys for the input leader which discribed above.

  >>Is a Kana internationalization usable?  Desirable?

I don't understand this meaning. If this means Kana only extension,
it may not be useful.

  >>How frequently is Romanji used in place of Kana/Kanji in the business
  >>community?  The computer community?

Not often for both.

  >>Does the technical advantage of a Kana implementation (the fact that the
  >>full character set may be downloaded to a VGA card, and 8 bit storage
  >>of files) influence your decision one way or the other?

I think it doesn't. If minimum Kanji character set(2000) can be downloaded
to graphic devices, it may be useful. But, it need 16 bit strage, and is not 
a rearistic idea.

  >>Are most Japaneese users using X to display full Kanji?  
  >>Are they mostly using X or "text mode"?

I think so. I know some Kanji text drivers which display Kanji/Kana on
a graphic plane of VGA.(for example, KanjiHand for Toshiba J-3100 series).
They are machine dependent programs often.

  >>Are there any PD Kanji X character sets?  Any in the 10x20 to 12x24 range?

Yes, there are. MIT X11 distribution contains a Kanji font (k14), 
a Romaji/Kana font (rk14). 
A project group for public domain fonts produced 16(16x16),18,24,26 Kana 
font sets. 

  >>Are there any PD Unicode X character sets?  Any in the 10x20 to 12x24 
  >>range?

I don't know this, sorry.

  >>Given that a Unicode X font in the 10x20 to 12x14 range is ROMable in
  >>less than 1M, are there any X manufactures in Japan (or elsewhere) who 
  >>have provided one embedded in their terminals?

Japanese X terminal have Kanji character ROMs or a special display drivers 
which can display Kanji/Kana. This means that all programs are full 8 bit 
trough designed.

  >>Are there Kanji or Kana fonts embedded in any X terminals?

Yes.

Generally, Japanese imprimentation/localization is so popular in Japan
that a lot of famous programs, rn, emacs, terminal emulators ... were
ported already.

I have hard that Japanese GNU activities are working on a multi-lungage
GNU emacs (Mule) which can handle Japanese, chinese and Hangle. 
They are also working on semi-automatic Japanese input leaders. Wnn and 
Canna Kanji-Kana conversion programs are the most popular one.

  >>Individuals fluent in technical terms in all non-English languages will be
  >>needed to provide target language translation for base internationalization
  >>of standard informational and error messages for UNIX commands.  Since this
  >>will pretty much be an ongoing work, email access and FTP access across
  >>international boundries are a plus for volunteers.

Yes, indeed. I hope that more Japanese people join to these discussions
and contribute to them. 
--
Ikuro Aoki
aoki@risk.Stanford.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd,alt.suit.att-bsdi,misc.legal.computing,misc.int-property