Articles
January 7, 2022
Writing from Japan: English-Language Newspaper Columnists in the 1980s and 1990s—Janet Ashby
As part of SWET’s 40th anniversary celebrations, we are chronicling the memories and experiences of some of the many columnists of that era. We have asked these writers to reflect on how they wrote and communicated back in the pre-digital days, a time when Japan boasted four English-language newspapers and plenty of magazines looking for English-language contributors. It was... more
January 7, 2022
Six Simple Rules for No-Fail Texts and Signage
Wordsmiths in Japan are often concerned when the English texts they produce are ready for layout and design and want to explain to their clients the pitfalls involved. To support efforts to educate clients tackling English-language layout and design, SWET has prepared this article in conjunction with a Japanese-language companion article. These articles explain six best-practice rules for formatting English... more
January 7, 2022
英文表記、忘れてはならない「6つのルール」
英文を案内版やウェブページで表示する際に、編集やデザイン、その業務の担当者が忘れてはならない「英文表記のルール」があります。それを外れた英文を読んだ人は、見た目の不自然さや拙さに気が向いてしまい、肝心の伝えるべき内容がスムースに頭に入ってこない場合があります。そうならないために、ここで特に重要な６つの基本的ルールを紹介します。
これらのルールは、Chicago Manual of Style、Japan Style Sheet、JTA Writing and Style Manual等に共通している標準的なフォーマットです。
１）英文には和文フォントを用いない
英文テキストは、すべて1バイトの単位で作成されています。一方、和文フォントは2バイト単位で作成され、欧文フォントとは構造が異なります。
そのため、1バイトの英文を和文フォントで表示したときに、見栄えが悪くなったりするばかりか、表記上の間違いが生じたり、文として意味をなさなくなることすらあるのです。
特に注意したいのは、欧文フォントで書かれた英文テキストを和文フォントのテキスト内にコピー&ペーストするケースです。その際、引用符（“ ”）、アポストロフィー（’）、ダッシュ（—）等が全角記号に誤変換されることがしばしば起きます。読み手は、誤った記号の使われ方をした文を目にして、内容以前に大きな違和感を抱くことでしょう。
欧文フォントの正しい句読記号 (例: Times New Roman)
“For if it is rash to walk into a lion’s den unarmed, rash to navigate the Atlantic in a rowing boat, rash to stand on one foot on top of St. Paul’s, it is still more rash to go home alone with... more
November 29, 2021
Writing from Japan: English-Language Newspaper Columnists in the 1980s and 1990s—Angela Jeffs
As part of SWET’s 40th anniversary celebrations, we are chronicling the memories and experiences of some of the many columnists of that era. We have asked these writers to reflect on how they wrote and communicated back in the pre-digital days, a time when Japan boasted four English-language newspapers and plenty of magazines looking for English-language contributors. It was a... more
November 6, 2021
Writing from Japan: English-Language Newspaper Columnists in the 1980s and 1990s—Mark Schreiber
As part of SWET’s 40th anniversary celebrations, we are chronicling the memories and experiences of some of the many columnists of that era. We have asked these writers to reflect on how they wrote and communicated back in the pre-digital days, a time when Japan boasted four English-language newspapers and plenty of magazines looking for English-language contributors. It was a... more
October 19, 2021
Writing from Japan: English-Language Newspaper Columnists in the 1980s and 1990s—Mark Schilling
As part of SWET’s 40th anniversary celebrations, we are chronicling the memories and experiences of some of the many columnists of that era. We have asked these writers to reflect on how they wrote and communicated back in the pre-digital days, a time when Japan boasted four English-language newspapers and plenty of magazines looking for English-language contributors. It was a... more
