One of the more useful features of the Internet is the ability to search for information, and this works the same way in Japanese, though it can be a bit more complex. First of all, names are written in kanji, and you generally need to know the correct kanji when searching for character songs from your favorite YuruYuri voice actresses, or you might end up with very different results. (If you aren’t sure what the correct kanji is, here’s a trick I use often: bring up the English Wikipedia page on the person you’re looking for then hit the “Japanese” language link along the left side, and you’ll be taken to the Japanese Wiki page which will have the kanji you need.) I’ve learned that, depending on what I’m searching for, I might be better off searching in English (or Romanized Japanese) than kanji: foreigners would be more likely to post images or write blog posts about, say, the awesome torii arch on top of Mt. Fuji than Japanese people, who think it boring and mundane since they don’t have our outsiders’ point of view. By the way, if you’d like to see your own name in kanji, you can get your very own Japanese hanko (name stamp) with your name in kanji characters, chosen by our native Japanese staff according to your specifications (so it won’t say anything embarrassing).
Searching for information in Japanese can be a very nuanced activity.
