I also was able to request a piece that meant a lot to me, as I'm so fascinated by language, especially Japanese. So I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did.
The Language of Shadow of the Fox
Language was very important to me while writing Shadow of the Fox, especially the specific meaning of certain names. For example, Yumeko, the kitsune protagonist of the story, has a very specific name. Yume is 'dream' in Japanese, so her name translates to dream child or child of dreams. Tatsumi's demon possessed sword Kamigoroshi literally means 'godslayer,' and his family name Kage (pronounced 'kah geh' not 'cage') is Japanese for 'shadow.'
Similarly, the families of Iwagoto are all named after the elements. The four Great Clans are the Hino, Mizu, Kaze and Tsuchi: Fire, Water, Wind and Earth. The minor clans make up the Tsuki, Sora and Kage: Moon, Sky and Shadow, while the Imperial family is the Taiyo, the Sun clan. The clans often reflect their families' element, with members of the Fire clan being seen as impulsive and hot tempered, the Earth clan as stubborn and immovable, and the Shadow clan as secretive and mysterious.
Even the names of the cities and buildings are important. Chochin Machi, a small town that Yumeko and Tatsumi come across in their travels, means 'Lantern Town,' and is strung with thousands of red paper lanterns that light up the night. The Shadow clan's home castle is Hakumei-jo, which means Twilight castle. The Hayate shrine in the Wind district of the Imperial city means 'gale.' From the people to the towns to the forests and buildings, almost every named thing has a hidden meaning. And while most of them are not in the glossary at the back of the book, I took great care in all the names that went into Shadow of the Fox.
Shadow of the Fox is available from any good book shop or online retailers. For my review of the book, go here.
