Articles
November 7, 2024
The History of SWET
The late 1970s were years of growth and ferment in English-language book and periodical publishing in Japan. Book publishers Charles E. Tuttle, Inc., John Weatherhill, Kodansha International, and the University of Tokyo Press released dozens of new volumes in English annually. Japan Echo, the Japan Interpreter, and Japan Quarterly published high-quality Japanese journalism and writing in English translation. Four daily... more
May 31, 2014
SWET Style Sheet
SWET Style Sheet and Submission Guidelines These guidelines are intended for articles published in SWET online and print publications (revised May 2025).
MATTERS OF STYLE In general, follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition (CMS18). For spelling and hyphenation, follow Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition or Webster’s... more
May 7, 2026
The “Chances” That Start It All
In February 2019, a few months before Juliet Winters Carpenter was to leave Japan after a long teaching and translating career beginning in 1969, she agreed to an interview with SWET members Emily Balistrieri, Lynne Riggs, and Lisa Wilcut during a visit to Tokyo. The following is part of that more than two-hour conversation, as we enjoyed a multi-course nouveau... more
May 6, 2026
Translating from Japanese to English: Jumping Into the Pond
Juliet Winters Carpenter
Juliet W. Carpenter, translator and professor of literature at Doshisha Women’s University spoke to SWET Kansai members and others on May 20, 2007 in Osaka and headed a workshop-type discussion of points relating to translation of a passage handed out in advance to those attending. The following article is based on a transcript of the main lecture reflecting... more
April 17, 2026
What’s in a Page?
by Lynne E. Riggs
FAQ corner Setting Your Units of Charge
What’s in a page? 250 English words, 350 words, 200 words, 25 lines, 2000 characters, 400 characters, 200 characters, 1200 characters . . .
All of these, and others, are commonly encountered “standard” pages, by one measure or other. Translators, editors, proofreaders, rewriters, book designers, typists/keyboarders—wordsmiths of all kinds—consort with several of these... more
September 4, 2022
Editing in Japan: Three Perspectives
by Damon Shulenberger
The June 25, 2005 SWET on Saturdays featured three veteran editors of English in Japan presenting the perspectives of freelance editing, editing of translations, and book editing to 23 working and aspiring editors. The presentations by Phil Ouellet, Lynne E. Riggs, and Ginny Tapley included stories from their experiences, general advice about editing in Japan, and specific pointers... more