Japanese Translation Agency Arc Communications – Blog

In this era of globalization, a growing number of Japanese corporate websites have pages in other languages, mainly English and Chinese. Depending on their circumstances, some also have pages in Korean, French or other languages. Having nothing but a Japanese-language website may even give the impression that a company is behind the times.

So, is it enough to simply translate the existing Japanese website? Let's take a closer look at the importance of website translation, which can have an impact on corporate and product image.

A multilingual website is a must for businesses tapping into overseas markets. Consider the example of a long-established Japanese ryokan (Japanese style inn). To attract overseas guests, in addition to Japanese it needs an English-language website, with room information as a bare minimum. A reservations page and information about the ryokan's history and the house specialties would make it even better. It doesn't matter how popular the place is: having a website only in Japanese suggests that foreign guests aren't welcome.

Thanks to the Visit Japan campaign aimed at increasing international visitors to Japan and the COOL JAPAN strategy, the inflow of non-business foreign visitors is growing. While business persons can usually rely on interpreters to assist them with their communication needs, tourists are left to their own devices. Yet getting around in a country where you do not speak the language can be more challenging than you may think.

To help visitors in need of support, an increasing number of popular international tourist sites and attractions in Japan have started to provide "community interpreters." Let's take a close look at the work of community interpreters, who are quite literally saviors for the non-Japanese speaking visitors.

Unlike business interpreters, community interpreters provide support to foreign visitors in all aspects of life, including everyday issues. When the visitor gets sick, for instance, or needs information on Japanese culture or is unable to eat certain types of food for religious reasons, the community interpreter is there to help. With long-term visitors, they may assist with the paperwork at public offices and provide support with housing, employment, and education . As you can see, community interpreting is a work encompassing a very broad range of fields.

The government's COOL JAPAN strategy and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are helping to promote the wonderful aspects of Japanese culture and technology to the rest of the world. The spotlight isn't just on industrial products but everything from Japanese food, lifestyle and fashion to traditional artifacts.

Localizing Japanese culture or Japanese media contents for international markets takes much money and know-how. This article will focus on the program that offers a solution to such needs: the Government Subsidy for the Localization & Promotion of Japanese Visual Media (J-LOP).

The Government Subsidy for the Localization & Promotion of Japanese Visual Media (J-LOP) is a program that aims to raise international awareness about Japanese media contents by helping to fund localization and promotion activities. The subsidy supports the localization projects of, among others, videos, films, anime, TV programs, and digital comics produced for the Japanese market. Specifically, it will cover up to 50% of the approved expenses for activities that include subtitling, dubbing and translation; research on various rights in the target markets; and legal expenses associated with international agreements.

Overseas tourist arrivals to Japan have been growing. The number of travelers from Malaysia, in particular, is rising sharply, with 120 thousand Malaysians having visited Japan in 2013, up 30 percent from a year earlier. The country boasts one of the largest English-speaking populations in Asia, but its national language is Malay. It is not a familiar language to most Japanese, but in fact Malay is one of the easier languages to learn for Japanese people. The demand for the language is likely to go up, so why not take this opportunity to study some Malay?

The year 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan. The Japanese government announced on the occasion to waive visa requirements for short-term visitors from Malaysia, a change that took effect in July 2014. The relaxed visa program is likely to have a profound impact, triggering an upsurge in the number of Malaysians visiting Japan for sightseeing and for business.