Japan - a Growing Software Market

The computer revolution has hit Japan, with more and more people purchasing personal computers running Microsoft Windows XP-J. With a population of over 150 million, this creates a large potential market for new software. In addition, more and more Japanese are gaining access to the internet, which has caught the attention of internet vendors.

Japanese is a very different language from English. Differences in sentence structure, vocabulary, expressions, and cultural reference often require that English statements be completely re-worded to make sense in Japanese. The problem is much greater than that encountered with translation into related, Latin-based languages such as Spanish or French. To further complicate matters, computer terminology is not as standardized in Japanese as it is in English, permitting multiple translations for the same English term. Lastly, the process of data entry - typing English characters using a phonetic alphabet, which are then converted to Japanese characters - creates potential variation in character representation requiring constant editing of inputed data.

While use of multiple free-lance translators might create a document with different translation styles and mismatched terminology, a translation company can overcome these problems with glossaries for computer terms (which can be tailored to your preferences on a given project) and editing for consistent style. Translators with experience in translating software and computer documentation will better understand the meaning of the English text, helping to insure that the same meaning is preserved in the Japanese text.

The Japanese Translation Network uses only quality translators with experience in translating computer documentation. Each project is assigned a glossary to standardize terms. Constant communication during the translation process helps insure that terms not covered in the glossary are also translated consistently. Lastly, each project is assigned a single final-editor who is responsible for insuring consistency of style and terminology. We hope to serve your translation needs in the future.