Happosai wrote:

I'm curious to hear some thoughts by other authors on using Japanese
language in fanfics, and what the best way to let the reader know
what the words mean, if (s)he doesn't know them already.

When I first started writing fanfics, I used (what I now think is) far too
much Japanese.

I now use it only for things that don't translate well:  Concepts such as "wa",
relationship terms (oneechan, okusan), and the like.

Is it better to try to let the reader figure out unknown words and
phrases from context, or is putting in some kind of translation note
preferable? And is it generally OK to use some of the really common
ones, such as "tadaima" or "gomen nasai" or "itadakimasu", and just
assume the average fan knows what they mean?

I like to provide a glossary at the end of my stories.  New readers are
arriving all the time; we can't assume that the reader has *any* knowledge
of Japanese... not if we want the widest-possible audience.

"Motto hayaku, Tenchiiii! Motto hayaku! Iki-soo-daaaaaaaaaaa!" :)

Long passages of untranslated Japanese (like this) have their own
delight.  (Look at Narrunbundah 1/2, for example.)  That doesn't mean
that I'd use them, though, unless I was writing a parody 'fic.

--
David Eddy -- Senior Consultant, Progress Software Melbourne
dje@progress.com
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/8341