Japan: Message translation service brings heartbreak · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Commenters at Japan's popular bulletin board service 2channel are responding to the story [ja] of a Japanese girl (ID tomochan) who, reportedly through the “enjoy JAPAN (KOREA) translation service” run by Korean search portal Naver, became close friends with a Korean guy. Naver plans to end the service on February 20th, meaning that tomochan and her would-be boyfriend will no longer be able to communicate [ja]. An early commenter responds, “I guess these Japanese girls who discover that Korean guys are better looking lose their interest in Japanese guys.” [Original article at Naver (in Korean).]