Japanese-language Christian/Catholic Bible?

[Kouyate42]

Does anyone know of anywhere online I could purchase or view a Bible in Japanese?

And does anyone know of any good Christian websites which have Japanese language articles?

どもありがと！　（thank you!) in advance!

 

[patrick457]

Does anyone know of anywhere online I could purchase or view a Bible in Japanese?

And does anyone know of any good Christian websites which have Japanese language articles?

どもありがと！　（thank you!) in advance!

This website has both the Colloquial Version (Kōgo-yaku) and the New Interconfessional Translation. Also see here for some others (including the Raguet NT and the classical Japanese versions such as the Taishō Revised Version).

 

[Russ_of_Tokyo]

Finally a question I can answer. The Catholic Church here in Japan uses the SHIN KYODO YAKU version. It is called the Japanese New Interconfessional Translation Bible when referred to in English (and yes, it’s on Wikipedia). It’s the most popular Japanese translation, used by both Catholics and mainline Protestant Churches.

Amazon.co.jp has the SHIN KYODO YAKU as does several other vendors.

I’m not sure if I can post a vendor link, so I’ll just give the kanji for the Bible itself so you can do a search: 新共同訳

Here’s a link to the Japan Bible Society who publishes this Bible:

bible.or.jp/e/index.html

I’m grinning as I type this because my Christmas present this year will be this very Bible in a portable zipper version. Can’t wait! Just a few more days.

There is a new translation that has come out this year after 50 years of work, but I’m sure its use will be mainly for private study rather than in the liturgy since there is no good reason to overhaul all the existing printed works including the mass readings.

The evangelical Protestant Churches use a version called the SHIN KAYAKU. They apparently would not embrace the SHIN KYODO because it is associated with Catholics.

Oh, I just noticed the poster’s ID above my own. Hi Patrick! Hey, I’m Catholic now, and enjoying life at that parish in Motoyawata we talked about. Come to think of it, I know a Patrick there. I wonder if he is you?

 

[Kouyate42]

Thank you both!

 

[patrick457]

Finally a question I can answer. The Catholic Church here in Japan uses the SHIN KYODO YAKU version. It is called the Japanese New Interconfessional Translation Bible when referred to in English (and yes, it’s on Wikipedia). It’s the most popular Japanese translation, used by both Catholics and mainline Protestant Churches.

Amazon.co.jp has the SHIN KYODO YAKU as does several other vendors.

I’m not sure if I can post a vendor link, so I’ll just give the kanji for the Bible itself so you can do a search: 新共同訳

Here’s a link to the Japan Bible Society who publishes this Bible:

bible.or.jp/e/index.html

I’m grinning as I type this because my Christmas present this year will be this very Bible in a portable zipper version. Can’t wait! Just a few more days.

There is a new translation that has come out this year after 50 years of work, but I’m sure its use will be mainly for private study rather than in the liturgy since there is no good reason to overhaul all the existing printed works including the mass readings.

The evangelical Protestant Churches use a version called the SHIN KAYAKU. They apparently would not embrace the SHIN KYODO because it is associated with Catholics.

The Shin-kaiyaku (‘New Revised Translation’) aka the New Japanese Bible, originally released in 1965 (NT)-1970 (OT) is a joint effort between The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) and the Lockman Foundation (of NASB fame). The 1987 New Interconfessional Translation is a revision of the 1978 Interconfessional NT. The problem with the Interconfessional Version which necessitated its overhaul apparently was the ‘unconventional’ way proper names are rendered (such as イエスス ‘Iesusu’ instead of イエス ‘Iesu’ for “Jesus” and パウロス ‘Paurosu’ instead of パウロ ‘Pauro’ for “Paul” - both closer to the Greek Iesous and Paulos): consistency with how proper names are rendered is really a recent matter for Japanese Christians though. Before the 60s-70s Catholics transliterated “Jesus” as イエズス ‘Iesuzu’ from Latin (the Jesuits still use this form today in their name: イエズス会), Protestants used イエス ‘Iesu’, and the Orthodox used イイスス ‘Iisusu’ from Slavonic. Since then Catholics and Protestants have started to use similar naming conventions, leaving only the Japanese Orthodox.

Oh, I just noticed the poster’s ID above my own. Hi Patrick! Hey, I’m Catholic now, and enjoying life at that parish in Motoyawata we talked about. Come to think of it, I know a Patrick there. I wonder if he is you?

Congratulations! Oh, me he is not.

 

[Russ_of_Tokyo]

I remember when the SHINKYODOYAKU first came out in 1987. I was in Japanese language school at the time, and our teacher was talking about how the Japanese was much more natural in it than the SHINKAIYAKU which had been the main Bible for evangelical Protestants, and how the Japanese in the SHINKAYAKU was downright strange. Being an evangelical Protestant myself, I used that one for many years, and got to know some of the people who produced that Bible.

Now I’m a Catholic so I’m using a new Bible.

Yeah, the names are a bit different. One glaring difference is that the “F” sound is correctly pronounced in the SHINKYODOYAKU rather than a “P” for example, I used to say EPESO and PARISAIBITO for Ephesians and Pharisees and now I say EFESO and FARISAIBITO. And as you pointed out, IEZUSU has become IESU which is what the Protestants are accustomed to calling Jesus, and I imagine it was quite a big deal when Catholics had to start using that form of the name as well and I bet a lot of folks were not happy (I wasn’t in the Church yet). Of course in the liturgy He is still IEZUSU in some places and IESU in the Bible readings, and some priests still prefer that version for all situations. There are a few former Protestants at my parish, and sometimes we talk about the different terms we use now compared to our past lives.