Ghost Hunt:Volume6 Translator's Notes

Prologue

Virgo Personality

乙女座 - Otomeza: Virgo, the sixth astrological sign of the zodiac. They're often made fun of for being picky and critical, but they have other good traits. Naru has most of the Virgo personality traits (except for modesty).

Lin-san's Real Name

林興徐 - Lin Koujo: In Volume 5, Lin reveals his full name, but Mai and the others are unsure if it's just an alias like Naru used (Narumi Kazuo). This is why they discuss if it's his real name or not. Mai seems to think it is his real name.

Out Blooms Even a Flower

花も恥じらう - hana mo hajirau: This is an expression meaning either "(girl) who out blooms even a flower" or "even the flower will blush (before her beauty)." It's an expression used in reference to a young beautiful girl. Mai seems to have some confidence in her looks.

Chapter 3

Ghost Cat/ Changing Cat

化け猫 - Bakeneko: Made of the words 化け(bake - to change form) and 猫(neko - cat), the most accurate translation might be "Changing Cat", but it's sometimes referred to as "Ghost Cat." A Bakeneko is a cat that has transformed into a yōkai (a Japanese supernatural creature). They have various abilities, one of which is shape-shifting into humans. The fish version might be called a Bakesakana.

Main Household

本家 - Honke: The main household of a Japanese family. This is the family line descended through the eldest male. The head of a household and his successor reside in the honke.

Ansei Era

安政年間 - Ansei nenkan: A Japanese Era that spanned from November 1854 through March 1860. Took place during the Edo Period (1603 – 1868).

Edo Period

江戸時代 - Edo jidai: The period in Japanese history between 1603 and 1868. Also known as the Tokugawa period.

Genji and Heike war

源氏と平家 - Genji to Heike: The Genji and Heike War (also know as the Genpai War) was a conflict between the Taira(Heike) and Minamoto(Genji) clans during the Heian Period(794 - 1185) from 1180 to 1185. The alternate names result from alternate readings of the kanji for both clans.

Hakama

ハカマ - Hakama: A traditional Japanese garment that is worn over a kimono. They have the appearance of loose trousers with many pleats in the front and are tied around the waist and extend down to the ankles. A common image of hakama are the bright red trousers worn by miko.

Young Master

若旦那 - Wakadanna: This is the title give to the heir of a household by the hired help. Since Akifumi-san is the youngest son, he would not usually succeed as the head of the Yoshimi main household.

Okobu and Mekobu

雄瘤と雌瘤 - Okobu to Mekobu: The kanji for Okobu is 雄(male) and 瘤(lump;protuberance). The kanji for Mekobu is 雌(female) and 瘤(lump;protuberance). So basically, the naming scheme is similar to calling them Male Lump and Female Lump.

Torii Gate

鳥居 - Torii: A traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred.

Tohachi aka Sanroku Mounds

十八塚 - Tohachi tsuka: The kanji for ten(十) can be pronounced as both To and Juu. The kanji for eight(八) is pronounced as Hachi. So while eighteen is pronounced as juuhachi an alternative could also be tohachi.

三六塚 - Sanroku tsuka: The kanji for three(三) is pronounced as san. The kanji for six(六) is pronounced as roku. The mounds would be called the three-six mounds and not the thirty-six(三十六 - sanjuuroku).

Mound Pun: 3(san)x6(roku) = 18(juuhachi i.e. tohachi)

Chapter 4

Exorcist

拝み屋 - Ogamiya: An Ogamiya is categorized under Japanese Shaman, which is divided between Priests and Priestesses. Ogamiya appears to be a type of travelling priestess that performs exorcisms.

Exorcism by John Brown

I found the words from John's exorcism in the book Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages by Jeffrey Burton Russell (pg 126). The author cites it as being from the Gallican liturgy (Gallican Rite), which is a historical version of Christian liturgy and other ritual practices in Western Christianity. The book was written in 1986 and is the closest version that I could find to the one Ono Fuyumi uses for John's exorcism.

Zaisu

座イス - Zaisu: A zaisu is a type of legless chair used for sitting on tatami mat floors at low tables. It has a back rest for a more relaxed sitting position.

Heart Sutra

般若波羅密多心經 - Heart Sutra: Masako is chanting a famous sutra known as the Heart Sutra. She is speaking quietly, so Mai can only hear the words every now and then. The full line that Masako chants is approximately thus: "Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, while practicing deeply the Perfection of Wisdom, perceived that all five skandhas are empty..."

Chapter 5

Judas

ユダ - Yuda: In the context of this chapter, this would translate as judas. It's a term used to refer to someone who betrays someone else. It's a reference to Judas Iscariot, one of the original twelve apostles. He is known for betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Tainai-meguri

胎内めぐり - Tainai meguri: This is a dark tunnel usually found at temples. Passing through it is considered as passing through the womb of a female Bodhisattva and is a spiritual journey of renewal. The kanji 胎内 (tainai) means interior of womb and めぐり (meguri) means tour or pilgrimage. So, this would translate as Womb Tour or Tour of the Womb. I couldn't find a lot of information on this, but there's a Tainai-meguri located at Kiyomizu temple.

Bellboy

ボーイ - booi: This can mean boy, bellboy, porter, or waiter. I felt that bellboy was most likely though the manga has Mai imagine him as a waiter.

Shōnen

少年 - Shōnen: This is Bou-san's nickname for Yasuhara-san. It means boys, but I believe it's in reference to 少年探偵団 (Shōnen Tantei-dan - boys detective group) which is from Case Closed.

Ansei Purge

安政の大獄 - Ansei no taigoku: This was a multi-year event in Japanese history of the Edo period. In 1858-1860, the Tokugawa shogunate got rid of those who did not support its foreign trade policies.

Double Suicide

心中 - Shinjū - This is used to refer to any group suicide of persons bound by love, typically lovers, parents and children, and even whole families. It can translate as double suicide or lovers suicide.

Goma

護摩 - Goma: Buddhist rite of cedar-stick burning used to invoke divine help.

Ijin

異人 / 偉人 - Ijin: Yasuhara uses the kanji 異人 (ijin) which is foreigner/outlander. Mai uses the kanji 偉人 (ijin) which is great man. Apparently, from the 1850s to the early 1900s, the word 異人 (ijin) was used to refer to someone from a foreign country, which is now 外国人 (gaikokujin). The kanji for 外国人 (gaikokujin) means outside-country person. Mai also uses the word 外人さん (gaijin-san). 外人 (gaijin) is another term for foreigner and the kanji means outside-person. Some feel the word has come to be a derogatory term and that it possess a negative connotation.

Red Shoes

赤い靴 - Akai Kutsu: Japanese nursery rhyme in which a girl in red shoes is kidnapped by a foreigner. This was written in 1922 by Japanese poet Ujō Noguchi and uses the word 異人 (ijin) to refer to a foreigner. Lyrics:

A young girl with red shoes
was taken away by a foreigner.

She rode on a ship from Yokohama pier
taken away by a foreigner

I imagine right now she has become blue-eyed
living in that foreigner’s land.

Every time I see red shoes, I think of her
And every time I meet a foreigner, I think of her.

Orikuchi Shinobu

折口信夫 - Orikuchi Shinobu: He was a Japanese ethnologist, linguist, folklorist, novelist, and poet.

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe

どちらにしようかな - dochira ni shiyou kana: The Japanese equivalent to the English 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe'. It's the first part of a children's rhyme for selecting objects or people. Different parts of Japan have different versions.

Tokkosho

独鈷杵 - Tokkosho: A type of ritual weapon found in Buddhism and related religions.

Epilogue

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