Hiroko Yoda | |
---|---|
Born | Tokyo, Japan |
Alma mater | University of Maryland |
Occupation(s) | Writer, Translator |
Hiroko Yoda is a Japanese entrepreneur, translator, writer, folklorist, and president of the localization company AltJapan Co., Ltd. She was also a Tokyo city editor for the CNN travel website CNNGo. She is a translator of video games and the author of numerous books about Japanese history and culture. She is particularly known for her pioneering work contextualizing yokai culture for English-speaking audiences.
Education
Born in Tokyo, she studied at the University of Maryland, then earned a Master's degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, D.C.
Personal life
In 2005, she played the role of a yokai frog in the Takashi Miike film The Great Yokai War. She also had a cameo in the 2010 Tomoo Haraguchi film Death Kappa.
In 2008, she was denied a Facebook account. She was told that "Facebook blocks the registration of a number of names that are frequently abused on the site. The name Yoda, also being the name of a popular Star Wars character, is on this list of blocked names." The company only relented after her plight gained international mass media attention alongside other cases of banned names.
She is married to the writer and television personality Matt Alt.
Works
Games
As scriptwriter
As translator
As localization producer
Books
- Hello Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters From Japan. Chronicle. 2006. ISBN 978-0811856744.
- Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. Kodansha International. 2008. ISBN 978-4770030702.
- Ninja Attack! True Tales of Samurai, Assassins, and Outlaws. Kodansha International. 2010. ISBN 9784770031198.
- Yurei Attack! The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide. Tuttle Publishing. 2011. ISBN 9784805312148.
Translations
Books
- Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. Dover Publications. 2016. ISBN 9780486800356.
- An Introduction to Yokai Culture. Japan Library. 2017. ASIN B071HTQRMT.
Manga
- The Young Magician. CMX. 2005. ISBN 1401207375.
- Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. Viz Media. 2011. ISBN 9781421538914.
- Doraemon. Shogakukan. 2014. ASIN B00GTG4776.
- Dorohedoro. Viz Media. 2010–2019. ISBN 9781421533636.
References
- "Ghostwire Tokyo Brings Japanese Folklore to the Masses". Wired. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "CNNGo". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- "Hiroko Yoda Video Game Credits". Mobygames. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "The Yokai Art of the Master". October 6, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "Godzilla's Older, Creepier Cousins". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "Anime Sway: How Japan Came to Dominate the Global Pop Culture Landscape Speakers". Japan-America Society of Dallas Fort Worth. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "On Halloween, Japan fears home-grown spooks". NBC News. October 31, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- Yoda, Hiroko; Alt, Matt (2012). Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. Tuttle. p. 200. ISBN 9784805312193.
- >"Yokai a Go Go". AltJapan. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- >"Death Kappa (2010)". Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- "Japanese with common last name Yoda denied Facebook account". Boing Boing. August 26, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "Woman called Yoda blocked from Facebook". The Telegraph. August 27, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "Sorry Mr. And Mrs. Batman, Facebook Isn't Gotham". The Herald-Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "Interview: Matt Alt". Japan House LA. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- "PlatinumGames Talks World of Demons and Bringing White Knuckle Action to Mobile". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- "CRN Interview: Matt Alt Ain't Afraid of No Japanese Ghosts". Crunchyroll News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- "Doraemon, the robot cat, gets your tongue". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- Japanese women chief executives
- 21st-century Japanese businesspeople
- 21st-century Japanese businesswomen
- Japanese video game businesspeople
- 21st-century Japanese translators
- Living people
- Japanese women folklorists
- 21st-century Japanese women writers
- Japanese folklorists
- CNN people
- Japanologists
- Video game localization
- Japanese women journalists
- Businesspeople from Tokyo
- American University School of International Service alumni