Japanese and Italian Translation

Introduction to our Japanese and Italian translation service

Aliseo Japan® is the trade name of a dynamic duo of freelance translators, consisting of a native Japanese translator and a native Italian translator with extensive experience in international working environments where foreign languages were regularly used for written and oral communication.

We are not a translation company.

We also offer technical/specialized translations, website translation and subtitle translation and audio/video transcription.

Proofreading and editing of existing translations (sorry, we don’t do MTPE, unless it's paid at our normal translation rates) is an additional service we offer to clients who desire to have their translations checked by a third party. For further information on our work please also see the questions and answers (FAQ) on our linguistic services page.

Our CAT tools are CafeTran Espresso, Déjà Vu X3, Memsource for Desktop (only offline) and SDL Studio, which besides assisting us to maintain where necessary both term uniformity and the original layout allow us to work directly with the source files in their original format—DOC, Excel, InDesign, FrameMaker, etc. to make post-translation DTP activities easier for the client.

Our strongest asset in Italian and Japanese translation is teamwork

Our Italian and Japanese translations are absolutely mother tongue in both directions and always virtually correct. Since we have permanent access to each other's native language proficiency, we are guaranteed to understand every nuance of the source language (Japanese, Italian and English in our case).

Mario CERUTTI
Japanese/English to Italian translator

This is how we ensure the production of translations that are not only accurate but also written at a 100% native level, even when confronted with the most challenging source texts. Our greatest asset lies in our teamwork, which enables us to promptly seek the assistance of the partner whenever the need arises. In practical terms, this implies that with the support of his partner (the Japanese translator), the Italian translator can comprehend any form of Japanese text. When faced with time constraints, he will not spend excessive time researching the readings of rare logograms (kanji) or less common names of places or individuals, and will quickly grasp the meanings of the countless and sometimes obscure Japanese slang expressions which may appear.

Taeko KANI
Italian/English to Japanese translator

Likewise, the Japanese translator can enhance her understanding of highly specialized Italian texts with the assistance of her Italian partner, even those that native speakers of the language might find challenging to decipher, such as legal texts. Having a native speaker of the source language on hand also speeds up any required research which could otherwise turn into a long and arduous ordeal.

Our translation quality control procedure explains how we tackle together the most difficult Italian-Japanese translation jobs.

Translating into or from Japanese: The importance of experience

Genuine translation expertise in a specific field cannot be attained by merely translating 'a few' technical manuals, contracts, court orders, or other relevant materials. The level of experience necessary to produce professional translations within a specific domain demands continuous and sustained effort in translating various forms and variations of that subject matter, as well as dedicating time to translating texts from other domains.

Umberto Eco

Writer, semiotician, and occasional translator

Translation is the art of failure.

In practice, numerous translations necessitate a robust, multidisciplinary skill set that spans areas only tangentially related, such as mechanics, electronics, physics, chemistry, legal concepts, and more. Developing such expertise, especially for translators with a purely linguistic background, takes a considerable number of years. We have personally undergone this process, as we have been professionally translating in these fields since 1997.

Although linguistic skill is the most basic requirement for any translator, translation experience is also very important and is something which can only be acquired through time and constant practice.

In addition to mastering the target language, translation experience plays a crucial role in avoiding overly literal translations, which can be the bane of good translation. This is particularly relevant when translating from Japanese, as its structure differs significantly from Italian and English, necessitating a unique skill in stylistic reworking.

Drawing on our multidisciplinary experiences in the high-tech industry, in 1997 we began offering translations in an array of domains, and over the years we have translated millions of words/characters.

However, we've never found it useful to try to maintain a list of our completed translation projects. Not only the confidentiality agreements we sign preclude the creation of such a record, but it would require constant updating, too—and in the end, the list would still fail to provide any real proof of our overall knowledge in those subject areas or our capabilities in similar or related fields, should it be assessed only through a simple list of titles.

On this page we have listed only the primary translation fields we have worked in thus far (the list may not be comprehensive):

Please note: as a general rule, we do not translate librettos, song lyrics, poetry, religious texts, or highly specialized texts in the fields of chemistry, biology, or medicine.

A few words on the Japanese language

At present, almost 120 million people worldwide speak Japanese. Most of them live in Japan, although there is a small number in other countries that speak Japanese at least as a second language. According to the latest UN estimates, the Japanese language ranks ninth in number of native speakers.

On its own, this number may not carry significant meaning. However, from the perspective of economic and international relations, it is undeniably commendable. It should serve as a motivation for those interested in collaborating with Japanese companies or institutions to make the necessary investments in language communication.

When it comes to translation, it's important to acknowledge that the Japanese population, as a whole, has limited exposure to foreign languages, including English, due to historical and cultural factors. This is particularly evident in professional and institutional contexts. Consequently, there is often a strong reliance on translation services, even for the most fundamental requirements.

Japan's status as a major importer of diverse goods highlights the importance of catering to the preferences of the average Japanese consumer. Unfortunately, many websites belonging to large corporations, government agencies, tourism associations, and other organizations heavily rely on instant machine translation as a means to assist foreign visitors. However, when it comes to the Japanese language, this technology proves to be virtually ineffective and can even be misleading. Even in cases where a human-translated version of the website exists, it often lacks comprehensive content and is limited in scope. Similarly, only a small number of companies and government entities publish documents in English or other foreign languages. This poses a challenge for foreign businesses aiming to penetrate the Japanese market and gain an understanding of its culture.

This suggests that there will consistently be a substantial demand for professional translators who specialize in Japanese and Italian. However, as English continues to gain prominence as an international language and Japan undergoes a gradual process of industrial de-localization, there will be a gradual transition towards translations to and from English.