Stories fly at night, from a window in Roma all the way to the moon.
Stories are the most tireless travellers. A Chinese tale reaches Japan, a Korean comic becomes a Japanese cartoon, a Florentine poet ends up in a manga, a little monster from Beijing has people queuing in Milano at dawn. Here are the stories that Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and Italians have told one another.
This is the last of five episodes: words, names, faces, flavors, stories. At the end, the voice game.
Once upon a time
Every language has its own way to open a fairy tale. In Japan they say むかしむかし (mukashi mukashi), in China 从前 (cóngqián), in Korea 옛날 옛적에 (yennal yetjeoge), but Korean grandparents sometimes begin like this: 호랑이 담배 피우던 시절 (horangi dambae piudeon sijeol), “back when tigers smoked”. And the word for “fairy tale” is the same in the three countries, written with the same characters: 童話 (dōwa), 동화 (donghwa), 童话 (tónghuà), “story for children”. To finish, the Japanese say めでたしめでたし (medetashi medetashi), “how happy, how happy”, and we Italians say e vissero felici e contenti (eh VEES-seh-roh feh-LEE-chee eh kohn-TEHN-tee), “and they lived happily ever after”.
The rabbit in the moon
Look at the full moon. In Japan and Korea people see a rabbit pounding rice to make rice cakes, 餅 (mochi) and 떡 (tteok). In China the rabbit is made of jade, 玉兔 (yùtù), and prepares the elixir of life for the moon goddess, 嫦娥 (Cháng’é). China has given their names to its lunar missions: the probes are called Chang’e and the rovers Yutu. In Italia, we usually see a face in the moon.
The full moon: a rabbit or a face? Photo: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Dante, from Firenze to manga
“La Divina Commedia” has the same title in the three countries: 神曲 (Shinkyoku) in Japan, 신곡 (Singok) in Korea, 神曲 (Shénqǔ) in China, “the divine song”. And Dante entered manga through the front door: Go Nagai, the father of Mazinger, drew the Divine Comedy as a manga, and his Devilman was born from an earlier manga called “Maō Dante”, “Dante the Demon Lord”.
Dante Alighieri in Sandro Botticelli’s portrait (public domain).
Doraemon, from the future
The blue robot cat comes from the 22nd century, and has won over four countries in the present. In Korea he is 도라에몽 (Doraemong); in China his name, 哆啦A梦 (Duōlā A Mèng), even has a Latin letter in the middle, the A. In Italia whole generations of children grew up with his magic pocket. Who, as a child, didn’t wish for the door that goes anywhere?
Labubu
A furry little monster with nine sharp teeth and a mischievous grin: Labubu, in Chinese 拉布布 (Lābùbù). It was created by the artist Kasing Lung, in Chinese 龙家升 (Lóng Jiāshēng), born in Hong Kong and raised in the Netherlands, for his picture books; the Beijing company Pop Mart, 泡泡玛特 (Pàopào Mǎtè), turned it into a worldwide phenomenon. In Milano some people queued outside the shop from five in the morning to get one.
Thermae Romae
An architect of baths in ancient Roma, Lucius, slips in the tub and resurfaces in a modern Japanese public bath. It is テルマエ・ロマエ (Terumae Romae), the manga by Mari Yamazaki, who studied painting in Firenze and married an Italian. The 2012 film was shot at Cinecittà, on the ancient Roma set, with about a thousand Italian extras. In China it is called 罗马浴场 (Luómǎ Yùchǎng), in Korea 테르마이 로마이 (Tereumai Romai). Roma and Japan, united by a shared passion: a hot bath.
The Terme di Caracalla, in Roma: Lucius would have loved working here. Photo: Pascal Reusch, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Webtoon: written in Korea, animated in Japan
The webtoon, the comic you read by scrolling down your phone, was born in Korea. The most famous one is 나 혼자만 레벨업 (Na honjaman rebeorep): a monster hunter, the weakest of all, who becomes the strongest. The Korean webtoon became a Japanese anime, and the whole world watched it. In China it is called 我独自升级 (Wǒ dúzì shēngjí), in Japan 俺だけレベルアップな件 (Ore dake reberu appu na ken).
This is how you read a webtoon: scrolling, one panel under the other.
Wukong and Ne Zha
Chinese myths are back in a big way. In 2024 the video game 黑神话：悟空 (Hēi shénhuà: Wùkōng), with the Monkey King of “Journey to the West”, sold ten million copies in three days. In 2025 the film 哪吒之魔童闹海 (Nézhā zhī mótóng nàohǎi), with the boy god Nezha, became the highest-grossing animated film in history. We in Italia know the Monkey King as Goku, thanks to Japan; Nezha is ナタ (Nata) in Japanese and 나타 (Nata) in Korean.
Gangnam Style and Baby Shark
On 21 December 2012 PSY’s “Gangnam Style” became the first video in history to pass a billion views. 강남 (Gangnam) means “south of the river”, and is written with the same characters as the Chinese region of 江南 (Jiāngnán). Then came another Korean: 아기상어 (agisangeo), the baby shark of the company Pinkfong, which became the most-watched video ever on YouTube. Italian, Japanese and Chinese children sing it, often without knowing it is Korean.
Romeo and Giulietta, and the butterfly lovers
Romeo and Giulietta were Italian before they were English: their story, set in Verona, was told by Luigi Da Porto around 1530, decades before Shakespeare. China has a twin story: 梁祝 (Liáng Zhù), the “butterfly lovers”, two sweethearts separated by their families who, after death, fly away together, turned into butterflies. In 1959 it became a much-loved violin concerto. In Japan and Korea it is known as 梁山伯と祝英台 (Ryō Sanpaku to Shuku Eidai) and 양산백과 축영대 (Yangsanbaekgwa Chugyeongdae).
Verona, Giulietta’s balcony. Photo: José Luiz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Books that travel
Umberto Eco’s “Il nome della rosa” is 薔薇の名前 (Bara no namae) in Japan, 장미의 이름 (Jangmiui ireum) in Korea, 玫瑰的名字 (Méiguī de míngzi) in China. Italo Calvino’s “Le città invisibili”, where Marco Polo tells Kublai Khan about cities that may not exist, is 看不见的城市 (Kànbujiàn de chéngshì) in China. Titles travel too, and change: Elena Ferrante’s “L’amica geniale” became 나의 눈부신 친구 (Naui nunbusin chingu) in Korea, “my dazzling friend”, and リラとわたし (Rira to watashi) in Japan, “Lila and me”. And the journalist mouse Geronimo Stilton, born in Italia, is simply 老鼠记者 (Lǎoshǔ jìzhě) in China, “the mouse journalist”.
The Three-Body Problem
In 2015 China’s Liu Cixin, 刘慈欣 (Liú Cíxīn), became the first Asian writer to win the Hugo Award for best novel, with 三体 (Sāntǐ), “The Three-Body Problem”: three suns, a planet gone mad, humanity facing another civilization. In Japan the title is the same, 三体 (Santai), and it was a bestseller; in Korea it is 삼체 (Samche).
Hatsune Miku, a face that doesn’t exist
She is sixteen forever, with turquoise pigtails and a computer-made voice: 初音ミク (Hatsune Miku) is a virtual singer born in 2007 who fills concert halls as a hologram. Her name means “the first sound of the future”, and the Chinese translated it literally: 初音未来 (Chūyīn Wèilái). In Korea she is 하쓰네 미쿠 (Hasseune Miku).
K-pop, K-drama and C-drama
K-pop, Korean pop by idol groups, has fans all over Asia and the world, Italia included, and many learn Korean by singing along. K-dramas are watched from Tokyo to Milano, and Chinese dramas, C-dramas, are winning viewers well beyond China, from grand costume epics to stories of today. Valentina has written about them with passion: The universal appeal of dramas, the Chinese drama Meet Yourself by Ding Ziguang and the Japanese Silent by Hiroki Kazama.
Idols without borders
K-pop is also where Asia sings together. TWICE were born in 2015 from a Korean talent show: nine girls, and three of them, Momo, Sana and Mina, are Japanese; since 2023 the three also sing as a trio of their own in Japan, MISAMO. In “SCIENTIST” they become scientists in a love laboratory, only to find out that love is not a science: you just live it.
And in Kep1er, Asia sings in three voices. The group was born in 2021 from Girls Planet 999, a competition that brought together 99 girls from China, Japan and Korea, and today it unites Yujin, Chaehyun, Dayeon and Bahiyyih from Korea, Hikaru from Japan and Xiaoting from China. Their debut single, “WA DA DA”, passed a hundred million views in three months.
Winter Sonata
Everything, or almost, began with a drama: 겨울연가 (Gyeoul yeonga), “Winter Sonata”, from 2002. Broadcast in Japan as 冬のソナタ (Fuyu no sonata), it made a whole country fall in love with its leading man and opened the way for the Korean wave. In China it is called 冬季恋歌 (Dōngjì liàngē). Twenty episodes of snow, piano and first love: the soundtrack of a generation.
The game: comment with your voice
Below is a list of words, each one written in Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Open the comments, tap the microphone and read a word out loud, or even ten.
If you are Japanese, Korean or Chinese, read the Italian words: the Italians will tell you how it went.
If you are Italian, try the Japanese, Korean and Chinese words: this time they will correct you.
And if you like, try your neighbours’ words too: a Japanese reading Korean, a Korean reading Chinese, a Chinese reading Japanese.
Making mistakes is the fun part: you can delete and try again as many times as you like. Here we comment with our voice only. To join in you just need to sign up to Yuujou, and it’s free.
How to read the foreign words
Next to each foreign word you’ll find how to say it. Italian is read exactly as it is written, so a handful of rules is enough to read any word, even one you have never seen. Italian words come with an easy pronunciation guide, the stressed syllable in capitals: cappuccino, kahp-pooch-CHEE-noh.
Japanese (Hepburn system): consonants as in English, vowels short and clear as in Italian. A line over a vowel (ā, ū, ō) means it is long: hold it twice as long. A u between two consonants is barely heard.
Korean (Revised Romanization, official in Korea since 2000): eo is an open “aw”, eu is an “oo” said with spread lips, ae is like the “e” in “bed”; kk, tt, pp, ss, jj are tense consonants: strong, with no puff of air.
Chinese (pinyin, China’s official system): x is close to “sh”, q to “ch” with a puff of air, j to a light “j”; zh, ch, sh are said with the tongue curled back; z sounds like “dz”, c like “ts” with a puff of air. The marks over the vowels are the tones: in Chinese the same syllable changes meaning with the melody of the voice. ā high and level, á rising, ǎ falling then rising, à sharply falling.
The list
🇮🇹 From Italia
C’era una volta… CHEH-rah OO-nah VOHL-tah · むかしむかし…… mukashi mukashi… · 옛날 옛적에… yennal yetjeoge… · 从前…… cóngqián…
…e vissero felici e contenti eh VEES-seh-roh feh-LEE-chee eh kohn-TEHN-tee · めでたしめでたし medetashi medetashi · 행복하게 살았답니다 haengbokage saratdamnida · 从此过上了幸福的生活 cóngcǐ guòshàng le xìngfú de shēnghuó
Divina Commedia dee-VEE-nah kohm-MEH-dyah · 神曲 Shinkyoku · 신곡 Singok · 神曲 Shénqǔ
Romeo e Giulietta roh-MEH-oh eh joo-LYEHT-tah · ロミオとジュリエット Romio to Jurietto · 로미오와 줄리엣 Romiowa Julliet · 罗密欧与朱丽叶 Luómì’ōu yǔ Zhūlìyè
Il nome della rosa eel NOH-meh DEHL-lah ROH-sah · 薔薇の名前 Bara no Namae · 장미의 이름 Jangmiui Ireum · 玫瑰的名字 Méiguī de Míngzi
Umberto Eco oom-BEHR-toh EH-koh · ウンベルト・エーコ Unberuto Ēko · 움베르토 에코 Umbereuto Eko · 翁贝托·埃科 Wēngbèituō Āikē
Le città invisibili leh cheet-TAH een-vee-SEE-bee-lee · 見えない都市 Mienai Toshi · 보이지 않는 도시들 Boiji anneun dosideul · 看不见的城市 Kànbujiàn de Chéngshì
Italo Calvino EE-tah-loh kahl-VEE-noh · イタロ・カルヴィーノ Itaro Karuvīno · 이탈로 칼비노 Itallo Kalbino · 伊塔洛·卡尔维诺 Yītǎluò Kǎ’ěrwéinuò
L’amica geniale lah-MEE-kah jeh-NYAH-leh · リラとわたし Rira to Watashi · 나의 눈부신 친구 Naui Nunbusin Chingu · 我的天才女友 Wǒ de Tiāncái Nǚyǒu
Geronimo Stilton jeh-ROH-nee-moh STEEL-tohn · ジェロニモ・スティルトン Jeronimo Sutiruton · 제로니모 스틸턴 Jeronimo Seutilteon · 老鼠记者 Lǎoshǔ Jìzhě
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso NWOH-voh CHEE-neh-mah pah-rah-DEE-soh · ニュー・シネマ・パラダイス Nyū Shinema Paradaisu · 시네마 천국 Sinema Cheonguk · 天堂电影院 Tiāntáng Diànyǐngyuàn
Malèna mah-LEH-nah · マレーナ Marēna · 말레나 Mallena · 西西里的美丽传说 Xīxīlǐ de Měilì Chuánshuō
favola FAH-voh-lah · 童話 dōwa · 동화 donghwa · 童话 tónghuà
opera OH-peh-rah · オペラ opera · 오페라 opera · 歌剧 gējù
🇯🇵 From Japan
ドラえもん Doraemon · 도라에몽 Doraemong · 哆啦A梦 Duōlā A Mèng
千と千尋の神隠し Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi · La città incantata lah cheet-TAH een-kahn-TAH-tah · 센과 치히로의 행방불명 Sen-gwa Chihiroui Haengbangbulmyeong · 千与千寻 Qiān yǔ Qiānxún
君の名は。 Kimi no Na wa · Your Name · 너의 이름은 Neoui Ireumeun · 你的名字 Nǐ de Míngzi
テルマエ・ロマエ Terumae Romae · Thermae Romae · 테르마이 로마이 Tereumai Romai · 罗马浴场 Luómǎ Yùchǎng
初音ミク Hatsune Miku · 하쓰네 미쿠 Hasseune Miku · 初音未来 Chūyīn Wèilái
デビルマン Debiruman · Devilman · 데빌맨 Debilmaen · 恶魔人 Èmórén
月のうさぎ tsuki no usagi · 달토끼 daltokki · 玉兔 yùtù — the rabbit in the moon
🇰🇷 From Korea
나 혼자만 레벨업 Na Honjaman Rebeorep · Solo Leveling · 俺だけレベルアップな件 Ore dake Reberu Appu na Ken · 我独自升级 Wǒ Dúzì Shēngjí
강남스타일 Gangnam Seutail · Gangnam Style · 江南スタイル Kannamu Sutairu · 江南Style Jiāngnán Style
아기상어 Agisangeo · Baby Shark · ベイビーシャーク Beibī Shāku · 鲨鱼宝宝 Shāyú Bǎobǎo
뽀로로 Pporoeo · Pororo · ポロロ Pororo · 啵乐乐 Bōlèlè
겨울연가 Gyeoul Yeonga · Sonata d’inverno soh-NAH-tah deen-VEHR-noh · 冬のソナタ Fuyu no Sonata · 冬季恋歌 Dōngjì Liàngē
채식주의자 Chaesikjuuija · La vegetariana lah veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-nah · 菜食主義者 Saishoku Shugisha · 素食者 Sùshízhě
엄마 찾아 삼만리 Eomma Chaja Sammalli · Marco, dagli Appennini alle Ande MAHR-koh DAH-lyee ahp-pehn-NEE-nee AHL-leh AHN-deh · 母をたずねて三千里 Haha o Tazunete Sanzenri · 寻母三千里 Xún Mǔ Sānqiān Lǐ
🇨🇳 From China
西游记 Xīyóujì · Il viaggio in Occidente eel VYAHJ-joh een ohch-chee-DEHN-teh · 西遊記 Saiyūki · 서유기 Seoyugi
哪吒 Nézhā · Ne Zha · ナタ Nata · 나타 Nata
黑神话：悟空 Hēi Shénhuà: Wùkōng · Black Myth: Wukong · 黒神話：悟空 Kuro Shinwa: Gokū · 검은 신화: 오공 Geomeun Sinhwa: Ogong
拉布布 Lābùbù · Labubu · ラブブ Rabubu · 라부부 Rabubu
三体 Sāntǐ · Il problema dei tre corpi eel proh-BLEH-mah DEH-ee treh KOHR-pee · 三体 Santai · 삼체 Samche
梁祝 Liáng Zhù · Gli amanti farfalla lyee ah-MAHN-tee fahr-FAHL-lah · 梁山伯と祝英台 Ryō Sanpaku to Shuku Eidai · 양산백과 축영대 Yangsanbaekgwa Chugyeongdae
武侠 wǔxiá · wuxia · 武侠 bukyō · 무협 muhyeop
嫦娥 Cháng’é · 嫦娥 Jōga · 항아 Hang-a — the moon goddess, and China’s lunar probes
The same list, as a sheet to print or keep on your phone:
In this series you will only find words and names that bring us together. A few famous names are missing, and that is on purpose: for us, respect comes first.
The five episodes: Words on the Move · Names on the Move · Faces on the Move · Flavors on the Move · Stories on the Move
Sources. Go Nagai, “Maō Dante” (1971) and the manga “Divine Comedy” · Mari Yamazaki, “Thermae Romae”, and the 2012 film · Pop Mart and Kasing Lung · Game Science, “Black Myth: Wukong” (2024) · “Ne Zha 2” (2025), box-office data · Guinness World Records and YouTube on “Gangnam Style” and “Baby Shark” · Luigi Da Porto, “Historia novellamente ritrovata di due nobili amanti” (around 1530) · World Science Fiction Society, Hugo Award 2015 · Crypton Future Media on Hatsune Miku · JYP Entertainment on TWICE; Mnet and WAKEONE on Kep1er and Girls Planet 999 · KBS, “Winter Sonata” (2002) · AI images: cover and webtoon; photos from Wikimedia Commons with the licences shown in the captions; videos from the official channels. The trademarks mentioned belong to their rightful owners: nobody sponsors us.
Written by AI, in collaboration with Alain.
