Japanese Translation Agency Arc Communications – Blog

Hello, I'm Yosshi. I entered the translating business two years ago, dreaming of an international career. Since then, every day I keep discovering more about the ever-fascinating world of translation.

The other day on television, I saw a woman allegedly from Georgia, recount her experience of a recent internal conflict. I was puzzled, because for me, Georgia was a state in the U.S., so her Russian-like features and narrative of internal conflict seemed out of context. So I looked it up, and discovered that "Georgia" was the new name for the country referred to as "Gruziya" in Japanese. Upon doing some more research, I found that Georgia was a relay point between Asia and Europe, and is in the top ten of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index. With my interest piqued, I decided to search more about Georgia and its language.

Georgia is situated next to Russia, and also shares borders with Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, with its west coast facing the Black Sea. Making use of its advantageous location between Europe and Asia, it is developing as a relay point for cargo trade. It seems that in ancient times, silk from China passed through Georgia while being traded on the Silk Road, and was taken to various regions around the world.

Hello again, Naho here. Sometimes when I get tired from working, I'd just like to sink into an ocean of relaxation. Lavender essence oil comes very handy in this kind of situation, a few drops in the bathtub, or on a steamed towel for facial care , it makes the best cure for stress and fatigue.

Lavender is the floral emblem of Portugal, and, in fact, my personal favorite method of using lavender oil in the bath has been practiced in Portugal for a very long time.

The first encounter between lavender and the Portuguese traces back to Ancient Rome. Lavender was known as a type of medicinal herb at the time, and roman people, who enjoyed going to the thermae, loved to add lavenders to their baths to enjoy their pleasant, relaxing aroma. It is also said that the academic name for lavender, "lavandula," comes from "lavare" - Latin for "to wash."

Despite being tolerant of cold weather, lavenders are susceptible to high temperature and humidity. During the rainy season in Japan, constant ventilating is required. Compared to Japan, it is warmer in Portugal throughout the year, and therefore extra care has to be taken. I heard that particularly during the rainy season of March through May, lavenders are carefully cultivated in greenhouses in Portugal.

Hello. I am Yucchi, a fledgling translator who transferred last autumn from a different field. I've only just started in translation so I have much to learn, but I'm studying hard with the help of my seniors.

A movie titled "Persona Non Grata" ("Sugihara Chiune" in Japanese) was released in Japan in December 2015. Perhaps due to this, I feel that I hear this diplomat's name quite often recently. Looking him up, I found that he was a deputy consul in the Embassy of Japan in Lithuania during the Second World War. He is known for having issued visas for many Jewish people fleeing the Nazis, and is therefore also known as "Japan's Schindler." I found this relationship between the two countries interesting and did a little research on Lithuania.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania is situated to the east of the Baltic Sea, and is the southernmost of the Baltic states. Around it are countries like Russia, Belarus, and Poland. The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius, the population is around 2.939 million, and the language spoken is Lithuanian. It was under occupation by countries such as Poland and Russia, but declared its independence in 1990. Lithuania has membership in the WTO, NATO, and the EU. It also caught the public eye when it adopted the Euro currency in 2015.

Hello. I am Yucchi, a fledgling translator who transferred last autumn from a different field. I've only just started in translation so I have much to learn, but I'm studying hard with the help of my seniors.

On a trip to a tropical botanic garden, a plant called Neomarica northiana immediately caught my attention. It has a unique feature of petals curling back towards the inside of the flower, and its shape reminded me of the Japanese Iris Sanguinea (ayame), even though the mere difference in color makes for a completely different impression. According to the plant label, there is a wide variety of iris flowers across the world. After some research, I also learned that the origin of its name traces back to Greek mythology and even the Bible. In today's blog post, I would like to write about irises - the floral emblem of France.

The Floral Emblem of France

Iris is a genus in the family of Iridaceae. It includes more than 200 species around the world, among which about a dozen are found in Japan. The six-lobed flower, with three spreading sepals embracing the three petals in the centre, appears to be a common feature among irises, although they vary in color and shape.

Hello. I am Yucchi, a fledgling translator who transferred last autumn from a different field. I've only just started in translation so I have much to learn, but I'm studying hard with the help of my seniors.

In 2015, Japan and Turkey celebrated 125 years of friendship, and in December, the movie "125 Years Memory" ("Kainan 1890" in Japanese) was released, depicting the amicable relationship built up between the two countries since the Ertugrul shipwreck.

Having had little contact with Turkish before, I chose this occasion to do a little research on the Turkish language and Turkish translation.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Turkey is called the bridge between Asia and Europe, and is situated east of the Mediterranean Sea. To the north is the Black Sea, to the west Greece and Romania, and to the south Syria, Iraq and Iran. Next to Iran is Afghanistan and Russia. Therefore, on the map, one can easily see Turkey as a center connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. In the descriptions provided by MOFA, Turkey was categorized under Middle East.