Original Japanese Name for 'The Surface'

It puzzles me to what exactly the Surface was referred to in the original Japanese text for Doukutsu Monogatari.
The literal Japanese word for 'surface' is 表面 (hyomen) but that can't be right, considering the context the word is used in.
I was initially thinking it could be 外観 (gaikan) because the Surface is, more or less, the exterior to the island, but it would still be nice to have the original name used in Pixel's translation.

 

why not just like
play the unpatched game

 

Because this

Don't quite know the problem though. Happens with all Japanese games on my computer.

 

you need to set your system locale to japanese

 

Specifically you need to set your computer to run non-Unicode programs in Japanese. Once you do that, it should run fine.

 

So this, basically

It's set, but the game is still in gibberish...

 

So this, basically

It's set, but the game is still in gibberish...

Go to the administrative tab and change the system locale there, you dolt.

 

Yep, the system's switched Japanese now, thanks.

 

for me I could just load CS+ and switch the text to Jap(ense) in a snap.

 

やがてドクターはこの島を拠点として地上への攻撃を開始するだろう。

 

So it turns out it was 地上 (chijou) huh?
Hmm...
Well thanks, got to the point in the egg corridor where Cthulhu said it anyway.
I find it rather amusing in the Japanese version that everyone speaks in a Kyoto accent.

 

I find it rather amusing in the Japanese version that everyone speaks in a Kyoto accent.

It makes enough sense though, given that Pixel lives (and maybe is from?) Kyoto.

Also technically it's not a Kyoto accent, but a Kyoto dialect (I think). Not 100% confident in that, but pretty sure.

 

Excuse my ignorance of Japanese (and slight distrust of Google Translate)...but just for the record, what exactly does 地上 mean? I'm guessing it doesn't really make a difference in English, but is there a significant reason that's used over the other two?

 

Excuse my ignorance of Japanese (and slight distrust of Google Translate)...but just for the record, what exactly does 地上 mean? I'm guessing it doesn't really make a difference in English, but is there a significant reason that's used over the other two?

It means the surface. A more literal translation of it would be "above ground". Like not in a cave/in the earth.

 

Darn I wish I could read Japanese

 

We all wish we could read Japanese Parkraft. Trust me i'm still searching for someone who will teach me it.