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).
And so it begins... slowly moving from American Windows (right) to European Linux (left: openSUSE Tumbleweed). Goodbye America.
January 11, 2026 at 10:17 AM
And so it begins... slowly moving from American Windows (right) to European Linux (left: openSUSE Tumbleweed). Goodbye America.
Today, I completed the transition from Microsoft Word to LibreOffice Writer. My first Japanese lesson using Writer proceeded without issue, confirming what I already suspected: European software delivers performance without compromise.
January 9, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Today, I completed the transition from Microsoft Word to LibreOffice Writer. My first Japanese lesson using Writer proceeded without issue, confirming what I already suspected: European software delivers performance without compromise.
Liberating Japanese Typography: The Day I Broke Silicon Valley’s Monopoly
Automated furigana support for LibreOffice Writer
The screen flickered as the final command executed. In that instant, the last shackle fell away.
Automated furigana support for LibreOffice Writer
The screen flickered as the final command executed. In that instant, the last shackle fell away.
January 9, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Liberating Japanese Typography: The Day I Broke Silicon Valley’s Monopoly
Automated furigana support for LibreOffice Writer
The screen flickered as the final command executed. In that instant, the last shackle fell away.
Automated furigana support for LibreOffice Writer
The screen flickered as the final command executed. In that instant, the last shackle fell away.
"Ganbatte" and the Art of Pouring Salt on Emotional Wounds
If there is one word that proves the Japanese language has a dark sense of humor, it is もっと: the linguistic equivalent of someone cheerfully handing you a shovel while you are already knee-deep in a hole.
If there is one word that proves the Japanese language has a dark sense of humor, it is もっと: the linguistic equivalent of someone cheerfully handing you a shovel while you are already knee-deep in a hole.
January 9, 2026 at 11:30 AM
"Ganbatte" and the Art of Pouring Salt on Emotional Wounds
If there is one word that proves the Japanese language has a dark sense of humor, it is もっと: the linguistic equivalent of someone cheerfully handing you a shovel while you are already knee-deep in a hole.
If there is one word that proves the Japanese language has a dark sense of humor, it is もっと: the linguistic equivalent of someone cheerfully handing you a shovel while you are already knee-deep in a hole.
Purple Haze and the Case of the Wobbly Thread
If you have ever tried to mix red and blue paint and ended up with something that looks like a bruise after a questionable karaoke night, congratulations: you have just recreated the birth of 紫.
If you have ever tried to mix red and blue paint and ended up with something that looks like a bruise after a questionable karaoke night, congratulations: you have just recreated the birth of 紫.
January 8, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Purple Haze and the Case of the Wobbly Thread
If you have ever tried to mix red and blue paint and ended up with something that looks like a bruise after a questionable karaoke night, congratulations: you have just recreated the birth of 紫.
If you have ever tried to mix red and blue paint and ended up with something that looks like a bruise after a questionable karaoke night, congratulations: you have just recreated the birth of 紫.
All contracts with American Adobe canceled with immediate effect.
January 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM
All contracts with American Adobe canceled with immediate effect.
Cattitude Announces Strategic Shift Away from U.S.-Based AI Dependencies: Embracing Mistral AI as Primary Translation Engine in a Principled Stand for European Digital Sovereignty
January 7, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Cattitude Announces Strategic Shift Away from U.S.-Based AI Dependencies: Embracing Mistral AI as Primary Translation Engine in a Principled Stand for European Digital Sovereignty
This European is moving away from proprietary U.S. tools and standardizing on open, EU‑centric solutions wherever I can, and for FTP that means FileZilla.
January 7, 2026 at 9:32 AM
This European is moving away from proprietary U.S. tools and standardizing on open, EU‑centric solutions wherever I can, and for FTP that means FileZilla.
The Floating Schelling Point of Trust
If there is one kanji that knows exactly how fragile the human soul can be, it is 頼. It stands there with that slightly guilty expression, as if it just borrowed your bike, promised to return it tomorrow, and then forgot which bike shed it parked it in.
If there is one kanji that knows exactly how fragile the human soul can be, it is 頼. It stands there with that slightly guilty expression, as if it just borrowed your bike, promised to return it tomorrow, and then forgot which bike shed it parked it in.
January 7, 2026 at 8:22 AM
The Floating Schelling Point of Trust
If there is one kanji that knows exactly how fragile the human soul can be, it is 頼. It stands there with that slightly guilty expression, as if it just borrowed your bike, promised to return it tomorrow, and then forgot which bike shed it parked it in.
If there is one kanji that knows exactly how fragile the human soul can be, it is 頼. It stands there with that slightly guilty expression, as if it just borrowed your bike, promised to return it tomorrow, and then forgot which bike shed it parked it in.
I was not kidding when I said that as a European company, we no longer do business with the United States.
January 7, 2026 at 7:08 AM
I was not kidding when I said that as a European company, we no longer do business with the United States.
American Adobe Acrobat ditched in favor of European PDF-XChange.
www.pdf-xchange.com
I'm ditching American products one by one until I have broken completely free from the United States of Shitware.
www.pdf-xchange.com
I'm ditching American products one by one until I have broken completely free from the United States of Shitware.
January 6, 2026 at 1:17 PM
American Adobe Acrobat ditched in favor of European PDF-XChange.
www.pdf-xchange.com
I'm ditching American products one by one until I have broken completely free from the United States of Shitware.
www.pdf-xchange.com
I'm ditching American products one by one until I have broken completely free from the United States of Shitware.
When Your Kanji Shows Up With a Clipboard
Some characters stroll into the room like they own the place. Others drift in wearing a lab coat. But 科? This one marches in holding a bundle of grain in one hand and a measuring scoop in the other, ready to categorize everything in sight.
Some characters stroll into the room like they own the place. Others drift in wearing a lab coat. But 科? This one marches in holding a bundle of grain in one hand and a measuring scoop in the other, ready to categorize everything in sight.
January 6, 2026 at 6:37 AM
When Your Kanji Shows Up With a Clipboard
Some characters stroll into the room like they own the place. Others drift in wearing a lab coat. But 科? This one marches in holding a bundle of grain in one hand and a measuring scoop in the other, ready to categorize everything in sight.
Some characters stroll into the room like they own the place. Others drift in wearing a lab coat. But 科? This one marches in holding a bundle of grain in one hand and a measuring scoop in the other, ready to categorize everything in sight.
The Art of Keeping Life Flat: A Love Letter to 編
Some kanji greet you like old friends; 編 greets you like a librarian who has woven your entire life into a perfectly indexed catalog and will not hesitate to shush you into submission.
Some kanji greet you like old friends; 編 greets you like a librarian who has woven your entire life into a perfectly indexed catalog and will not hesitate to shush you into submission.
January 5, 2026 at 12:52 PM
The Art of Keeping Life Flat: A Love Letter to 編
Some kanji greet you like old friends; 編 greets you like a librarian who has woven your entire life into a perfectly indexed catalog and will not hesitate to shush you into submission.
Some kanji greet you like old friends; 編 greets you like a librarian who has woven your entire life into a perfectly indexed catalog and will not hesitate to shush you into submission.
And slowly and surely this European is moving away from American software. First victim: @adobe.com Photoshop. Ditched in favor of the British Affinity, which is more than enough for my needs. Next candidate: Adobe Acrobat and then it will be forever goodbye to Adobe.
January 5, 2026 at 10:02 AM
And slowly and surely this European is moving away from American software. First victim: @adobe.com Photoshop. Ditched in favor of the British Affinity, which is more than enough for my needs. Next candidate: Adobe Acrobat and then it will be forever goodbye to Adobe.
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.