People always ask me if Japanese is a hard language to learn. My answer is no. Every language involves memorization, and learning the Japanese language is not "hard." The most important thing is not the WORDS, though, but the ideas that the words convey and the cultural nuances behind the words. My experience living with host families, attending high school in Hida-Takayama, studying at Doshisha University in Kyoto, working for major Japanese corporations in Tokyo and NY, and continuing to maintain ties and relationships through regular visits to Japan has provided me with the opportunity to gain this necessary in-depth cultural understanding.

I have been translating freelance since 2004, and I bring over ten years of Japanese corporate experience to my professional career as a translator – time spent reporting and making presentations in Japanese as well as translating and interpreting for executives and others in business meetings. But speaking and understanding the language are not always enough. Real-world experience and communication skills are also important assets that a translator draws on to produce accurate and accessible text.

I managed the human resources function at a Japanese corporation in New York and acquired my Human Resources Certificate from Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations. My background in this field makes me uniquely qualified to translate topics related to human resource management, and many of my satisfied clients are human resource consultants, "shakai hoken roumushi" (licensed social insurance and labor consultants), "gyousei shoshi" (licensed administrative consultants), and immigration lawyers.

I also have extensive experience translating and creating copy for advertisements and marketing materials as well as corporate communications such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reports. My translations have appeared on the internet, in corporate publications, in show rooms and at trade shows and expositions.

I offer excellent Japanese to English translations in the following areas:

• Human Resources ("Work Rules" and other employment policies, employment agreements, compensation and benefits, job descriptions, evaluations, training, surveys, etc.)
• Marketing (advertisements and marketing materials, business and marketing plans, press releases, etc.)
• Contracts (outsourcing, joint ventures, etc.)
• Company information (CSR, sustainability and other reports, company pamphlets, corporate philosophy, shareholder information, etc.)
• Trade shows and exhibits
• News / business articles
• Culture (dance, tourism, etc.)

Working together with a native Spanish speaking partner, I also am able to provide you with quality Japanese to Spanish, Spanish to English and English to Spanish translations.

Please see my resume for more information.