Loek van Kooten, MA
@loekalization.bsky.social
Loekalizing your games from and to Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English and Dutch. Portfolio: Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, F1® 2023, Syberia: The World Before, Arma 3. Owner of www.loekalization.com Developer of www.c4ttitude.com (a CAT tool).
When Ear‑Grabbing Meets Yarn Architecture: The Many Lives of 取り組み
Some Japanese words politely choose one meaning and stay there. 取り組み is not one of them. 取り組み shows up wearing three entirely different hats and insists they all fit perfectly.
Some Japanese words politely choose one meaning and stay there. 取り組み is not one of them. 取り組み shows up wearing three entirely different hats and insists they all fit perfectly.
January 4, 2026 at 1:25 PM
When Ear‑Grabbing Meets Yarn Architecture: The Many Lives of 取り組み
Some Japanese words politely choose one meaning and stay there. 取り組み is not one of them. 取り組み shows up wearing three entirely different hats and insists they all fit perfectly.
Some Japanese words politely choose one meaning and stay there. 取り組み is not one of them. 取り組み shows up wearing three entirely different hats and insists they all fit perfectly.
Chilled on a Hill: Why 涼 Is the Kanji That Shows Up With a Cool Breeze and Zero Apologies
涼 is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who always looks fresh, unbothered and faintly windswept, even in tropical humidity. Its structure says it all: water on the left, a lofty hilltop on the right.
涼 is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who always looks fresh, unbothered and faintly windswept, even in tropical humidity. Its structure says it all: water on the left, a lofty hilltop on the right.
January 3, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Chilled on a Hill: Why 涼 Is the Kanji That Shows Up With a Cool Breeze and Zero Apologies
涼 is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who always looks fresh, unbothered and faintly windswept, even in tropical humidity. Its structure says it all: water on the left, a lofty hilltop on the right.
涼 is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who always looks fresh, unbothered and faintly windswept, even in tropical humidity. Its structure says it all: water on the left, a lofty hilltop on the right.
Where Feelings Go to Scream: 胸腹部 and the Drama of the Thoraco‑Abdominal Zone
Some Japanese words are polite. 胸腹部 (kyōfukubu) is not one of them. 胸腹部 marches in wearing a lab coat, points directly at your torso and declares: this entire metropolitan region of organs is now my jurisdiction.
Some Japanese words are polite. 胸腹部 (kyōfukubu) is not one of them. 胸腹部 marches in wearing a lab coat, points directly at your torso and declares: this entire metropolitan region of organs is now my jurisdiction.
January 2, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Where Feelings Go to Scream: 胸腹部 and the Drama of the Thoraco‑Abdominal Zone
Some Japanese words are polite. 胸腹部 (kyōfukubu) is not one of them. 胸腹部 marches in wearing a lab coat, points directly at your torso and declares: this entire metropolitan region of organs is now my jurisdiction.
Some Japanese words are polite. 胸腹部 (kyōfukubu) is not one of them. 胸腹部 marches in wearing a lab coat, points directly at your torso and declares: this entire metropolitan region of organs is now my jurisdiction.
The Zen of Getting Things Done: 便 and the Surprisingly Relaxed Origins of Convenience
Some kanji radiate tension. 便 is not one of them. 便 is the kanji equivalent of a person sinking into a comfy chair after a long day, sighing deeply, and declaring: let's make life easier, shall we?
Some kanji radiate tension. 便 is not one of them. 便 is the kanji equivalent of a person sinking into a comfy chair after a long day, sighing deeply, and declaring: let's make life easier, shall we?
January 1, 2026 at 8:59 AM
The Zen of Getting Things Done: 便 and the Surprisingly Relaxed Origins of Convenience
Some kanji radiate tension. 便 is not one of them. 便 is the kanji equivalent of a person sinking into a comfy chair after a long day, sighing deeply, and declaring: let's make life easier, shall we?
Some kanji radiate tension. 便 is not one of them. 便 is the kanji equivalent of a person sinking into a comfy chair after a long day, sighing deeply, and declaring: let's make life easier, shall we?
Happy New Year, everyone! As I wrapped up the year's books, one thing became very clear: while many in the industry spent 2025 whispering about downturns, we were too busy working to notice.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNl...
EA SPORTS F1 25 - Translated to Dutch by Loekalization
YouTube video by Cattitude
www.youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Happy New Year, everyone! As I wrapped up the year's books, one thing became very clear: while many in the industry spent 2025 whispering about downturns, we were too busy working to notice.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyNl...
The Baby Drops In: 育 and the Miracle of Raising, Growing and Not Panicking
Some kanji whisper their meaning. 育 does not. 育 makes an entrance by dangling an upside‑down child from the ceiling like it is about to parachute into the world headfirst, calm as a cucumber.
Some kanji whisper their meaning. 育 does not. 育 makes an entrance by dangling an upside‑down child from the ceiling like it is about to parachute into the world headfirst, calm as a cucumber.
December 31, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The Baby Drops In: 育 and the Miracle of Raising, Growing and Not Panicking
Some kanji whisper their meaning. 育 does not. 育 makes an entrance by dangling an upside‑down child from the ceiling like it is about to parachute into the world headfirst, calm as a cucumber.
Some kanji whisper their meaning. 育 does not. 育 makes an entrance by dangling an upside‑down child from the ceiling like it is about to parachute into the world headfirst, calm as a cucumber.
The Scroll That Rolls Back: 卷 and Its Remarkably Athletic Career
Some kanji have a simple life. 卷 is not one of them. 卷 is the linguistic embodiment of someone frantically gathering their scattered belongings with both hands while muttering: this is fine, everything is fine.
Some kanji have a simple life. 卷 is not one of them. 卷 is the linguistic embodiment of someone frantically gathering their scattered belongings with both hands while muttering: this is fine, everything is fine.
December 30, 2025 at 9:10 AM
The Scroll That Rolls Back: 卷 and Its Remarkably Athletic Career
Some kanji have a simple life. 卷 is not one of them. 卷 is the linguistic embodiment of someone frantically gathering their scattered belongings with both hands while muttering: this is fine, everything is fine.
Some kanji have a simple life. 卷 is not one of them. 卷 is the linguistic embodiment of someone frantically gathering their scattered belongings with both hands while muttering: this is fine, everything is fine.
The Art of Strategic Low‑Profile Living: 伏 and Its Talent for Hitting the Deck
Some kanji stand tall. 伏 is not one of them. 伏 is the linguistic embodiment of crouching behind a bush with the dignity of a soaked spaniel.
Some kanji stand tall. 伏 is not one of them. 伏 is the linguistic embodiment of crouching behind a bush with the dignity of a soaked spaniel.
December 29, 2025 at 5:59 AM
The Art of Strategic Low‑Profile Living: 伏 and Its Talent for Hitting the Deck
Some kanji stand tall. 伏 is not one of them. 伏 is the linguistic embodiment of crouching behind a bush with the dignity of a soaked spaniel.
Some kanji stand tall. 伏 is not one of them. 伏 is the linguistic embodiment of crouching behind a bush with the dignity of a soaked spaniel.
The Granary With Aggressive Opinions: 蔵 and the Extremely Questionable Origins of "Storage"
Some kanji just want a quiet life. 蔵 does not.
Some kanji just want a quiet life. 蔵 does not.
December 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
The Granary With Aggressive Opinions: 蔵 and the Extremely Questionable Origins of "Storage"
Some kanji just want a quiet life. 蔵 does not.
Some kanji just want a quiet life. 蔵 does not.
The Domestic Goddess With a Hairpin: The Wild Social Life of 妻
If kanji had their own reality show, 妻 would be the elegant contestant who arrives with perfect hair, a confident smile and, apparently, an entire household balanced on one hand.
If kanji had their own reality show, 妻 would be the elegant contestant who arrives with perfect hair, a confident smile and, apparently, an entire household balanced on one hand.
December 27, 2025 at 2:23 AM
The Domestic Goddess With a Hairpin: The Wild Social Life of 妻
If kanji had their own reality show, 妻 would be the elegant contestant who arrives with perfect hair, a confident smile and, apparently, an entire household balanced on one hand.
If kanji had their own reality show, 妻 would be the elegant contestant who arrives with perfect hair, a confident smile and, apparently, an entire household balanced on one hand.
The Sake Barrel, the Stubborn Human and the Art of Perfect Pairing
If you have ever wondered how a kanji can look harmless while secretly teaching an entire philosophy of compatibility, 配 is your case study.
If you have ever wondered how a kanji can look harmless while secretly teaching an entire philosophy of compatibility, 配 is your case study.
December 26, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The Sake Barrel, the Stubborn Human and the Art of Perfect Pairing
If you have ever wondered how a kanji can look harmless while secretly teaching an entire philosophy of compatibility, 配 is your case study.
If you have ever wondered how a kanji can look harmless while secretly teaching an entire philosophy of compatibility, 配 is your case study.
The Salt Flat That Refuses To Be Normal
When you first meet the kanji 鹵, you expect something peaceful. Maybe a quiet mineral symbol, something that smells faintly of chemistry class and mild disappointment.
When you first meet the kanji 鹵, you expect something peaceful. Maybe a quiet mineral symbol, something that smells faintly of chemistry class and mild disappointment.
December 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The Salt Flat That Refuses To Be Normal
When you first meet the kanji 鹵, you expect something peaceful. Maybe a quiet mineral symbol, something that smells faintly of chemistry class and mild disappointment.
When you first meet the kanji 鹵, you expect something peaceful. Maybe a quiet mineral symbol, something that smells faintly of chemistry class and mild disappointment.
The Secret Life of 裏: Your Clothing's Shady Side Hustle
The kanji 裏 looks polite enough, but it's basically a fashion conspiracy. You take 衣, a kimono's back collar rising modestly, then you stuff 里 under it, a neat grid of partitioned fields.
The kanji 裏 looks polite enough, but it's basically a fashion conspiracy. You take 衣, a kimono's back collar rising modestly, then you stuff 里 under it, a neat grid of partitioned fields.
December 23, 2025 at 12:34 PM
The Secret Life of 裏: Your Clothing's Shady Side Hustle
The kanji 裏 looks polite enough, but it's basically a fashion conspiracy. You take 衣, a kimono's back collar rising modestly, then you stuff 里 under it, a neat grid of partitioned fields.
The kanji 裏 looks polite enough, but it's basically a fashion conspiracy. You take 衣, a kimono's back collar rising modestly, then you stuff 里 under it, a neat grid of partitioned fields.
The Day Yellow Showed Up with a Rocket and an Attitude
The kanji 黄 pretends to be a calm little square, but actually it is a firework rocket in disguise: simplified 炗 for light at the top, an oiled, swollen rocket body below, all of it ignited and ready to launch.
The kanji 黄 pretends to be a calm little square, but actually it is a firework rocket in disguise: simplified 炗 for light at the top, an oiled, swollen rocket body below, all of it ignited and ready to launch.
December 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
The Day Yellow Showed Up with a Rocket and an Attitude
The kanji 黄 pretends to be a calm little square, but actually it is a firework rocket in disguise: simplified 炗 for light at the top, an oiled, swollen rocket body below, all of it ignited and ready to launch.
The kanji 黄 pretends to be a calm little square, but actually it is a firework rocket in disguise: simplified 炗 for light at the top, an oiled, swollen rocket body below, all of it ignited and ready to launch.
When the Road Says No: The Quiet Drama of 碍
Meet 碍, the kanji for blocking, hindering, throwing a metaphorical stone in your well-planned path. Its left side is the literal 石, while the right side traces back to a phonetic element once written like 疑 in the old form 礙.
Meet 碍, the kanji for blocking, hindering, throwing a metaphorical stone in your well-planned path. Its left side is the literal 石, while the right side traces back to a phonetic element once written like 疑 in the old form 礙.
December 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM
When the Road Says No: The Quiet Drama of 碍
Meet 碍, the kanji for blocking, hindering, throwing a metaphorical stone in your well-planned path. Its left side is the literal 石, while the right side traces back to a phonetic element once written like 疑 in the old form 礙.
Meet 碍, the kanji for blocking, hindering, throwing a metaphorical stone in your well-planned path. Its left side is the literal 石, while the right side traces back to a phonetic element once written like 疑 in the old form 礙.
Compare and Despair: The Side‑by‑Side Comedy of 比
The kanji 比 began life as two figures standing so uncomfortably close you wonder if ancient scribes invented personal space or immediately compared theirs to someone else's and realized they came up short.
The kanji 比 began life as two figures standing so uncomfortably close you wonder if ancient scribes invented personal space or immediately compared theirs to someone else's and realized they came up short.
December 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Compare and Despair: The Side‑by‑Side Comedy of 比
The kanji 比 began life as two figures standing so uncomfortably close you wonder if ancient scribes invented personal space or immediately compared theirs to someone else's and realized they came up short.
The kanji 比 began life as two figures standing so uncomfortably close you wonder if ancient scribes invented personal space or immediately compared theirs to someone else's and realized they came up short.
Cattitude just received a long overdue visual update, and I am happy to say it now looks far more 2025 than eighties.
December 18, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Cattitude just received a long overdue visual update, and I am happy to say it now looks far more 2025 than eighties.
Fear With A Hole Punched Through Your Heart: The Strange Bravery Of 恐
If terror had a logo, 恐 would be a minimalist masterpiece: neat lines, a hollow center, and the unsettling suggestion that someone has politely but firmly drilled a hole straight through your chest.
If terror had a logo, 恐 would be a minimalist masterpiece: neat lines, a hollow center, and the unsettling suggestion that someone has politely but firmly drilled a hole straight through your chest.
December 17, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Fear With A Hole Punched Through Your Heart: The Strange Bravery Of 恐
If terror had a logo, 恐 would be a minimalist masterpiece: neat lines, a hollow center, and the unsettling suggestion that someone has politely but firmly drilled a hole straight through your chest.
If terror had a logo, 恐 would be a minimalist masterpiece: neat lines, a hollow center, and the unsettling suggestion that someone has politely but firmly drilled a hole straight through your chest.
Mind the Gap: The Many Faces of 隙 (suki)
隙 (suki) is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who shows up uninvited and finds the only crack in your plans, your wall, or your emotional defenses. It means "gap," "opening," or "lapse": basically, anything that lets in cold air or crushing defeat.
隙 (suki) is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who shows up uninvited and finds the only crack in your plans, your wall, or your emotional defenses. It means "gap," "opening," or "lapse": basically, anything that lets in cold air or crushing defeat.
December 16, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Mind the Gap: The Many Faces of 隙 (suki)
隙 (suki) is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who shows up uninvited and finds the only crack in your plans, your wall, or your emotional defenses. It means "gap," "opening," or "lapse": basically, anything that lets in cold air or crushing defeat.
隙 (suki) is the kanji equivalent of that one friend who shows up uninvited and finds the only crack in your plans, your wall, or your emotional defenses. It means "gap," "opening," or "lapse": basically, anything that lets in cold air or crushing defeat.
A Slice of Action: The Kanji That Gets Things Done
Let's talk about 作 (tsukuru): the kanji that practically rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
Let's talk about 作 (tsukuru): the kanji that practically rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
December 15, 2025 at 3:18 AM
A Slice of Action: The Kanji That Gets Things Done
Let's talk about 作 (tsukuru): the kanji that practically rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
Let's talk about 作 (tsukuru): the kanji that practically rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
「荒稼ぎ」って、合法？ギリギリ？
一瞬で大金を手に入れるって、夢ありますよね？でも、それって…グレーじゃない？今回の主役は「荒稼ぎ」。漢字を分解していくと、草もない、川も干上がった、豚が屋根の下で眠ってる…？なんじゃそりゃ。でも見終わるころには、あなたも合法的に稼げそうな気がしてくるかも？
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
#漢字の世界 #言葉の裏側 #日常に潜む哲学 #稼ぐって何 #ワードにツッコミ
一瞬で大金を手に入れるって、夢ありますよね？でも、それって…グレーじゃない？今回の主役は「荒稼ぎ」。漢字を分解していくと、草もない、川も干上がった、豚が屋根の下で眠ってる…？なんじゃそりゃ。でも見終わるころには、あなたも合法的に稼げそうな気がしてくるかも？
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
#漢字の世界 #言葉の裏側 #日常に潜む哲学 #稼ぐって何 #ワードにツッコミ
How to Rob Wall Street with One Kanji
YouTube video by Japanology
www.youtube.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
How to Rob Wall Street with One Kanji
Ever wanted to get rich without jail time? Meet 荒稼ぎ (arakasegi): a Japanese word so powerful, it could've been Jordan Belfort's battle cry.
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
Ever wanted to get rich without jail time? Meet 荒稼ぎ (arakasegi): a Japanese word so powerful, it could've been Jordan Belfort's battle cry.
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
How to Rob Wall Street with One Kanji
YouTube video by Japanology
www.youtube.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
How to Rob Wall Street with One Kanji
Ever wanted to get rich without jail time? Meet 荒稼ぎ (arakasegi): a Japanese word so powerful, it could've been Jordan Belfort's battle cry.
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
Ever wanted to get rich without jail time? Meet 荒稼ぎ (arakasegi): a Japanese word so powerful, it could've been Jordan Belfort's battle cry.
www.youtube.com/shorts/P4lis...
Pain That Drills Through the Soul (and Your Sinuses)
Today's kanji is 痛. Tsū or itai, meaning pain, sorrow, or just a good old-fashioned "ow." And this one doesn't just mean pain: it looks like it hurts.
Today's kanji is 痛. Tsū or itai, meaning pain, sorrow, or just a good old-fashioned "ow." And this one doesn't just mean pain: it looks like it hurts.
December 13, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Pain That Drills Through the Soul (and Your Sinuses)
Today's kanji is 痛. Tsū or itai, meaning pain, sorrow, or just a good old-fashioned "ow." And this one doesn't just mean pain: it looks like it hurts.
Today's kanji is 痛. Tsū or itai, meaning pain, sorrow, or just a good old-fashioned "ow." And this one doesn't just mean pain: it looks like it hurts.
快: The Joy of Cutting Emotional Baggage with One Finger
快 (kai) is the kanji equivalent of that feeling when your phone battery jumps from 1% to 80% in five minutes. Relief. Lightness. A breezy "I got this" energy. And all of it, believe it or not, thanks to a tiny radical with slicing ambitions.
快 (kai) is the kanji equivalent of that feeling when your phone battery jumps from 1% to 80% in five minutes. Relief. Lightness. A breezy "I got this" energy. And all of it, believe it or not, thanks to a tiny radical with slicing ambitions.
December 12, 2025 at 8:03 AM
快: The Joy of Cutting Emotional Baggage with One Finger
快 (kai) is the kanji equivalent of that feeling when your phone battery jumps from 1% to 80% in five minutes. Relief. Lightness. A breezy "I got this" energy. And all of it, believe it or not, thanks to a tiny radical with slicing ambitions.
快 (kai) is the kanji equivalent of that feeling when your phone battery jumps from 1% to 80% in five minutes. Relief. Lightness. A breezy "I got this" energy. And all of it, believe it or not, thanks to a tiny radical with slicing ambitions.
When Your Tongue Becomes a Talk Show Host
Say hello to 話 (hanashi or wa), the kanji for speech, conversation, language: or as I like to call it, "when your tongue refuses to shut up." Let's dissect this chatty character. First up: 言, the radical for "to speak."
Say hello to 話 (hanashi or wa), the kanji for speech, conversation, language: or as I like to call it, "when your tongue refuses to shut up." Let's dissect this chatty character. First up: 言, the radical for "to speak."
December 11, 2025 at 5:26 AM
When Your Tongue Becomes a Talk Show Host
Say hello to 話 (hanashi or wa), the kanji for speech, conversation, language: or as I like to call it, "when your tongue refuses to shut up." Let's dissect this chatty character. First up: 言, the radical for "to speak."
Say hello to 話 (hanashi or wa), the kanji for speech, conversation, language: or as I like to call it, "when your tongue refuses to shut up." Let's dissect this chatty character. First up: 言, the radical for "to speak."