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# Free Software and GNU in Japan

ICOT (Institute for Next Generation Computer Technology) is distributing the fifth-generation software produced by their research efforts as free software. This includes over 70 megabytes of programs for symbol processing, knowledge representation, problem solving and inference, and natural language processing. For more information, contact `irpr@icot.or.jp`.

Mieko, `h-mieko@sra.co.jp`, and Nobuyuki Hikichi, `hikichi@sra.co.jp`, continue to work on the GNU Project in Japan. They have translated the FSF Order Form and GNU's Bulletin into Japanese and are distributing them widely. They ask for donations and also offer GNU software consulting. Recently they began redistributing their Japanese translation of the GNU General Public License Version 2. This translation is authorized by the FSF and is available by anonymous FTP from `srawgw.sra.co.jp` in ``/pub/gnu/local-fix/GPL2-j'`. Yukitoshi Fujimura from Addison--Wesley Publishers in Japan greatly contributed to this translation. Work is underway on a formal translation of the Library General Public License.

Japanese versions of GNU Emacs (`nemacs`), Epoch (`nepoch`) and MULE are available and widely used in Japan. MULE (the MULtilingual Enhancement of GNU Emacs) can handle many character sets at once. Eventually its features will be merged into FSF's version of Emacs. Ken'ichi Handa, `handa@etl.go.jp`, is beta testing MULE; you can FTP sources from `sh.wide.ad.jp` in ``/JAPAN/mule'` or `etlport.etl.go.jp` in ``/pub/mule'`.

The Village Center, Inc. has printed a Japanese translation of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual and uploaded the Texinfo source to various bulletin boards. Recently, they also published a copylefted book, Mieko's Think GNU. This appears to be the first copylefted publication in Japan, apart from those by the FSF. Part of the revenue generated is donated to the FSF. The address is:
Kanda Amerex Bldg. 2F 1-16, 3-Chome, Misaki-Cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101

A group connected with the commercial personal computer network in Japan is writing and distributing a copylefted hardware (circuit diagram) design system that runs on a MIPS-architecture CPU. The `t2` OS, which runs on this machine, is a subset of Unix that uses GCC and GDB as the system's compiler and debugger. They are also running Mach and MIPS-BSD.

Many groups in Japan distribute GNU software, including JUG (a PC user group), ASCII (publishers), and the Fujitsu FM Towns users group. Anonymous UUCP is also now available in Japan; for more information contact `toku@dit.co.jp`. Publishers in Japan are steadily releasing more articles and books about GNU software and FSF.

You can order GNU software directly from the FSF. For Japan, we provide an FSF Order Form written in Japanese, as well as a toll--free facsimile number; ask `japan-fsf-orders@prep.ai.mit.edu` for a copy of the order form. We encourage you to buy tapes: every 150 tape orders allows FSF to hire a programmer for a year to write more free software.

The FSF does not distribute `nemacs`, `nepoch`, or MULE on tape; however MULE is available on the GNU Source CD-ROM.

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