Japanese terms have been romanized according to the modified Hepburn system:
a is pronounced ah;
e is pronounced eh, as in “get”;
i is pronounced ee;
u is similar to oo;
ch is pronounced tch, as in “church”;
s is always unvoiced, as in “said”;
w and y are semi-vowels;
h is always aspirated, as in “house”;
r is pronounced between r and l;
g is hard, as in “garden,” regardless of the vowel that follows;
j is pronounced as in “John”;
each vowel is pronounced separately: ai = ah-ee;
a macron indicates a long vowel: ō = oo; ū = uu.
Personal names are transcribed in the traditional Japanese order, with surname preceding given name.
Where possible, sources and reference material in English or French have been provided rather than Japanese in order to allow non-Japanese-speakers to delve further into the subject themselves.