I figured it would be fun to do some textual analysis for Japanese learners. Particularly because the game has the original calling cards in-game (just like a lot of other items throughout the game). To avoid spoiling plot points in the title, it just contains the number and not the name of the person it is addressed to.
*Calling card -* *予告状 – (Yokokujou)*: For those wondering what it is, In the game, Persona 5, these cards were sent by the Phantom Thieves to the persons they target, indicating an imminent attack on their psyche to “change their heart”, i.e. to make them confess what they have done and change their ways. Basically the card outlines their particular crime, why they’re being targeted, and informs them that the attack is coming the following day.
(The Japanese word for “calling card” which is 予告状 (Yokokujou). Oddly enough, in the soundtrack, the lyrics of the battle song “Take Over” make reference to a “prior notice card” which is a direct translation of the word.)
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*Original text:*
暴利を貪る強欲の大罪人。
奥村邦和殿。
お前の利益と世界的な名声は
従業員への非道で成り立っている。
ゆえに我々は全ての罪を
お前の口から告白させることにした。
**心の怪盗団より。**
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*English (my translation, not necessarily the English translation of the game):*
(To) the great criminal of greed coveting massive profits,
Mister Okumura Kunikazu.
Your profits and worldwide reputation
are built on the unjust treatment of your employees.
Therefore we have decided to make you confess all of your crimes from your own mouth.
**From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts**
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*Romaji:*
Bouri wo musaboru gouyoku no daizainin,
Okumura Kunikazu-dono.
Omae no ri\`eki to seikaiteki na meisei ha
jugyouin he no hidou de naritatteiru.
yue ni ware ware ha subete no tsumi wo
omae no kuchi kara kokuhaku saseru koto ni shita.
**kokoro no kaitoudan yori**
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***Notes:***
奥村邦和殿: Okumura Kunikazu-dono. Welcome back to the wonderful rabbit hole of Japanese names. I can only think of something on his first name which includes the kanji 和 (which in mathematics is the sign for “sum” in Japanese textbooks). Furthermore the reading “kazu” is like 数, meaning to count, numbers, sums, i.e. at least sort of related to the idea of money, greed. Or to sum it up more like: he only cares about the bottom line.
Again, note the final title “dono” which I translated with “Mister” (different from Mr.). “Dono” is different from what the kanji, meaning “lord” implies. “dono” at the end of a name is, depending on the context, pejorative, as it implies the one addressing the other with that title is in a higher position. Like a teacher towards a student, or a superior at work vs. a junior colleague. A central theme of the game is rebellion against a world of uncaring, evil adults, therefore this inversion of teenagers addressing adults with this fits well.
強欲 (gouyoku): greed. note the pattern with the other calling cards
強欲 (gouyoku) + elsewhere in the text 非道 (hidou meaning wrong, unjust): concepts that are elsewhere put together in the yonjijukugo (4-character expression) 強欲非道 (gouyokuhidou) meaning basically, so bloody greedy the person would sell his own grandmother
ことにした (Koto ni shita): part of the “koto ni suru” grammatical construction, i.e. to be decided, to decide on
怪盗団 (kaitoudan): The Phantom Thieves, or literally, “ghostly thief band”. all 1 word with 3 characters.
より (yori): It’s a special “yori” here, not the comparative one, used to say less than/more than. Rather here it is similar to “kara” meaning from.
*Spoiler note* (don’t read if you haven’t finished this part yet): >!Notice that the sentence その歪んだ欲望を頂戴する (“We will take your distorted desires”) is not in this one, unlike the others, which is possibly a hint of what happens.!<
I hope this post on Persona 5 hermeneutics has been beneficial.
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Previous posts:
[First Calling Card (Kamoshida)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/10usyu7/persona_5_first_calling_card_kamoshida/)
[Second Calling Card (Madarame)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/114xbyo/persona_5_second_calling_card_madarame/)
[Third Calling Card (Kaneshiro)](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/1197pw4/persona_5_third_calling_card_kaneshiro/)
[Fourth Calling Card](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/11avlbd/persona_5_fourth_calling_card_japaneseenglish/)