ใใใใใใโป, ็ฑณๅฐใ
โ The symbol โป, called ็ฑณๅฐ๏ผใใใใใ๏ผ, literally "rice symbol," is used in Japanese texts to introduce comments and remarks. Unlike the asterisk (*) in English, โป is usually not used to link an item in the body of the text to a footnote. Rather, the purpose of โป is to draw the reader's attention to an instruction or precaution or to indicate that some information is subsidiary or parenthetical to the main text. For this reason, it is usually not appropriate to replace โป with an asterisk in texts translated from Japanese to English (and it is almost never appropriate to leave โป intact in English texts).
When they do link body text to footnotes, โปs are often used with Arabic numerals, such as โป1, โป2, etc. In translations, these, too, should be replaced with suitable English footnote markers.
The name ็ฑณๅฐ comes from the resemblance of โป to the kanji ็ฑณ๏ผใใ๏ผ, "uncooked dried rice," and in fact โป often appears on rice shop signs and rice products.
The asterisk is called ใขในใใชในใฏ or ๆๅฐ๏ผใปใใใใ๏ผ, literally "star symbol." While traditionally the asterisk was rare in Japanese text, the widespread use of computers has made it more common, and โป and ๏ผ are now often used interchangeably.
โป็ปๅใใฏใชใใฏใใใจ่ๆฏใตใณใใซใ่กจ็คบใใใพใ
(This note appeared at the top of a Web site offering free background patterns, including the one used behind this jeKai entry. The page is located here. June 2000.)
โปๅฎๆๅๅฎถใซใใใฆใฏ๏ผๆดๆฐๆใฏใใใพใใใ
(This appeared beneath a table listing various rental fees. The entry for ๆดๆฐๆ in the table did not have a โป to direct the reader to this note. Web, June 2000.)
โปใใฎใปใใใๅ จๅฝ้ๅฎณๅ ๅญฆๆ กใใผใฟใใผในใๅถไฝใซใฏๅ้ฝ้ๅบ็ใฎๅ ็ๆนใฎใๅๅใใใใ ใใฆใใใพใใ (This appeared under a list of names. Again, the โป indicates appended information, not a footnoted reference to a particular item listed above. Web, June 2000)
This entry was created by Tom Gally, with additional contributions by Benjamin Barrett.