Translating and Translating and Writing Writing in Japan:in Japan:

A Foreign Reporter’s A Foreign Reporter’s ExperienceExperience

By Eric Johnston Kansai Gaidai University

April 16th, 2008

Getting Started: Getting Started: Tools of the TradeTools of the Trade

Nelson　Japanese-English　Character　Nelson　Japanese-English　Character　Dictionary　(Classic　Edition)Dictionary　(Classic　Edition)

The　New　Nelson　Japanese-English　The　New　Nelson　Japanese-English　Character　DictionaryCharacter　Dictionary

Kenkyusha　Japanese-English　DictionaryKenkyusha　Japanese-English　DictionaryA　15　year　old,　many-times-photocopied　A　15　year　old,　many-times-photocopied　selection　from　the　‘selection　from　the　‘ 和漢ローマ字代’和漢ローマ字代’

The　InternetThe　Internet --No,　I　don’t　have　an　electronic　--No,　I　don’t　have　an　electronic　dictionarydictionary

My JobMy Job

To report, when possible, on major news events in the Kansai region and west Japan (to Okinawa).

To do on-location reporting and write feature stories on a range of social and political issues affecting Japan.

To work with Tokyo reporters on the Political, Social, and Business desks on stories of interest.

The Japan Times: Basic FactsThe Japan Times: Basic Facts Celebrating our 110th anniversary this year. Owned by NIFCO Co., a Japanese manufacturer of auto parts. President: Ms. Yukiko Ogasawara, a 44 year old Japanese-American

woman. Circulation: 50,000 copies daily. No. of people in Editorial Dept: About 30 full-time, plus a number of

part-timers.

Member of Nihon Shimbun Kyokai: Have reporters stationed at press clubs with: the Prime Minister’s office and the Diet, as well as the Foreign, Finance, Justice, Trade, Health, Welfare and Labor, and Defense Ministries, as well as the Tokyo District and High Courts, the Tokyo Government, among others.

OSAKA OFFICE: Staff Reporter: Yours Truly. I cover Osaka city hall, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka District and High Court, as well as the Kansai Economic Press Club and the Kansai Energy Club (nuclear power). Have a separate part-time translator for events listings, plus an intern.

The Top Ten Most Difficult Things About Translating The Top Ten Most Difficult Things About Translating and Writing for the English News Media in Japan:and Writing for the English News Media in Japan:

10. Translating and shortening official titles. 9. Translating and quickly summarizing court cases. 　8. Translating the direct quotes of politicians. 7.Determing the sex of the person just by reading a newspaper

account. (Do I use he’’ or ``she’’ for second reference?) 　6. Ensuring that titles on the business card match the officially

approved translation. 5. Ensuring large numbers have been transposed and

translated correctly. 4. Ensuring Japanese personal names, especially surnames, are

translated correctly. (Is 俊一、 ``Shunichi’’ or ``Toshikazu’’? Is 正一 pronounced ``Shouichi’’ or ``Masakazu’’?)

3. Getting the correct English spelling for the name of a foreigner.

(Um, what’s the spelling of the Romanian panelist カトクヌブイス・リヴェンスキャネーフー ?) 。

2. Ensuring that kanji names for Koreans or Chinese are rendered into the correct English spelling.

1. Listening　to　a　speech　in　a　third　foreign　language　with　simultaneous　Japanese,　but　no　English,　interpretation,　and　then　turning　that　into　English.

The Top Five Most Difficult Kinds of The Top Five Most Difficult Kinds of People To Interpret into EnglishPeople To Interpret into English

5. Senior politicians from the ruling parties4. Local politicians and bureaucrats 3. Certain NGO types who don’t know how to

deal with the media2. Lawyers and academics who use specialized

language and speak very vaguely1. Anybody who has something to hide!

From Idea to Story:From Idea to Story:

1) Straight News Stories (Official-type `just-the-facts’’ reporting of news events that I cover directly.)

2) Feature Stories (Ideas for feature stories come from:)

A) The Japanese Mass Media –stories that have already appeared in Japanese newspapers, magazines. Initial work involves translation and confirmation of basic facts, doing additional research.

B) The Press Clubs: Official announcements, statistics, surveys, notices of upcoming symposiums, conferences, or meetings. Work involves translation and interpretation.

C) Personal Contacts

The Japan Times Editorial Process The Japan Times Editorial Process For the News Dept.For the News Dept.

STEP I:　Agreed　upon　story　is　written　by　the　reporter　and　sent　to　the　editor-in-charge　of　politics,　society,　or　business. Length of stories is usually worked out with desk editors before we file. Usual length is between 400 and 1,000 words.

STEP II: Japanese　editor　fact　checks　story　and　cuts,　or　adds,　for　space. Questions about the facts presented, necessity of additional information or background, or the meaning of unclear sentences are then raised by the Japanese editor with the reporter by telephone, and, sometimes, e-mail.

STEP III: Once　those　questions　have　been　answered　and　the　Japanese　editors　have　finished　making　initial　changes,　the　article　is　passed　off　to　a　Native　Speaker　Editor,　who　checks　for　grammar　and　overall　comprehension.

STEP IV: If　Native　Speaker　Editor　has　questions,　they　either　raise　the　question　with　the　Japanese　desk　editor,　who　may　then　call　the　reporter.　Or,　they　may　call　the　reporter　themselves.

STEP V: Once　the　final　version　has　been　agreed　upon　by　the　desk　editors　in　Tokyo,　it’s　usually　FAXed　to　the　reporter　for　a　final　fact　and　grammar　check. Depending on the deadline, the editors will or will not agree to changes in style.

ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM:ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM:

It allows a very thorough process for fact-checking by Japanese editors when translation from Japanese to English has been made (as is usually the case).

It minimizes the risk of miscommunication and lengthy clarification time by phone between foreign editors and Japanese reporters.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM:DISADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM:

The end product can sometimes appear similar to what free news web sites on Japan are offering. (Do readers buy newspapers for ``just the facts’’, or for background, analysis, and sharp and witty prose that can’t be found elsewhere?)

It can mean sentence structures appear strange or stilted because deadline pressures meant editorial concentration was on basic grammatical structure and fact-checking, not on style or sentence structure.

PARTICULAR CHALLENGES PARTICULAR CHALLENGES OF WRITING FOR AN ENGLISH NEWSPAPER OF WRITING FOR AN ENGLISH NEWSPAPER

IN JAPANIN JAPAN

Writing For Two Basically Different Sets of Readers, Japanese and Non-Japanese.

Japanese: Often See an English paper as, first and

foremost, a study tool. Often want an English newspaper that

focuses less on Japan and more on the outside world (they get their Japan news from vernacular papers).

Non-Japanese See a newspaper as a source of news and as

a good read. Non-Japanese residents often want more

news on Japan than Japanese readers.

Foreign Media in JapanForeign Media in Japan

No.　of　Japan-based　foreign　journalists　registered　with　the　Foreign　Ministry:　approx.　400　(down from over 1,000 in 1991) (Foreign Press Center Japan)

Estimated　number　of　foreigners　working　at　least　part-time　for　overseas　media:　1,000　nationwide (includes all print and broadcast media, Westerners and Asians, but not Internet bloggers) (unofficial FCCJ estimate)

No.　of　foreign　journalists　currently　working　full-time　for　a　major　foreign　news　media　organization　who　are　highly　fluent　in　Japanese:　between　50　and　100 (my estimate)

THE GREAT DEBATE: THE GREAT DEBATE: Is Japanese Fluency Necessary For Working Is Japanese Fluency Necessary For Working

as a Foreign Journalist in Japan?as a Foreign Journalist in Japan?

YES: How can you possibly report and understand what Japanese people are saying and thinking if you don’t speak and read Japanese? Fluency in Japanese allows a foreign reporter to not only understand the country better, but also to work more easily, efficiently, and accurately.

NO: A foreign journalist is an outside observer of the particular country he or she is stationed in for a few years, during which there is not enough time to become highly fluent in Japanese. Of course, it’s important to get the main facts right, or, rather, the facts most interest editors back home. But a minimal amount of Japanese is sufficient for that.

Those Who Say ``YES’’. . .Those Who Say ``YES’’. . .

. . .Point out that one cannot possibly understand what one is reporting on without fluency.

. . . Note that although all Japanese study English, relatively few speak it well.

. . .Argue that basic common sense dictates one has both a practical and a moral obligation to become as fluent as possible.

Those who say ``NO’’. . .Those who say ``NO’’. . . . . . Point out that fluency in Japanese takes years of

study that make attaining it financially, and logistically, impossible.

. . .Note that, given English is Japan’s second language, one can cover the country (i.e. Tokyo) sufficiently in English, and that most official government agencies and major corporations have sufficient English materials, and English-speaking representatives.

. . .Fear spending too much time becoming fluent will raise concerns in the head office that the reporter has gone native or has lost his or her ability to explain things ``to the folks back home’’.

And One More Excuse…And One More Excuse…

``Many Japanese, especially those in positions of power, don’t like foreigners, especially nosy foreign journalists, speaking their language.

The most important thing for a journalist is to get information, and you can’t get information

if top sources don’t like you.’’

How The Foreign Media in Japan How The Foreign Media in Japan Deals with Deals with

Translation/Interpretation IssuesTranslation/Interpretation Issues Wire Services (Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg Business News,

AFP) have ``local hires’’, bilingual people who live in Japan who serve as reporters and, often, editors.

Major Newspapers: (New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, Times of London, Financial Times) often, but not always, have Japanese assistants for their expatriate correspondents, whose levels of fluency vary.

Other correspondents (full-time and freelance, newspaper and magazine) have no assistants and various levels of fluency, ranging from basic conversational Japanese only, to close-to-native speaker ability in speaking and reading.

Television (ABC, CBS, BBC, CNN) has some correspondents who are bilingual, but many have Japanese assistants.

EAST ASIAN MEDIA BY AND LARGE HAVE BILINGUAL

CHINESE-JAPANESE, OR KOREAN-JAPANESE REPORTERS STATIONED IN JAPAN.

In Conclusion . . .In Conclusion . . .Emerging Trends

1) From Print Only To Print, Blogs and Podcasts –Technology is changing the way journalists worldwide do their jobs. Traditional print journalists must now find time for on-line articles as well as stories for their print editions. What will this mean for accuracy in J-E translations?

2) ``Punditocracy’’ vs. ``Reporting’’ -- How can traditional journalism compete economically if

everybody gets their information from Website or TV pundits who tell you what you need, or want, to know for free? Will people still care enough about the checks and balances, both in reporting and translation/interpreting, that newspapers like The Japan Times have in place? Will they care enough to either subscribe or take out advertising?

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!