Action and Reaction: The Changing face of Localization (vs. Translation) in Japan

Localization and Translation don’t always agree with each other. As the translation industry changes and adapts to new innovations and environments, their disagreement highlights potential flaws that will need to be addressed.

Join Alan Evans (Meehan Group) on a crash course on how the handling of Japanese media over the last two decades (or so) highlights this push and pull between localization and translation. Starting with the most famous of examples, Pokemon, and ending with a very recent incident Alan will discuss the extent to which the relationship between the two has become exacerbated.

Part and parcel with this will be an illustration of how the traditionally conservative and risk averse Japan can be pushed to extremes that show how the consequences of one person’s actions can affect us all.

This session is intended to be part presentation and part discussion to give some insights into Japan, as well as translation and localization here, for anyone that has an interest in the Asian market.

Takeaways:

• How the dynamic between localization and translation highlights their differences.
• What has and hasn’t changed in Japan vis a vis translation/localization of its media.
• When individual values can supersede the ethics of a translator, and consequences thereof.