Articles
July 28, 2006
The Fan Quest for Authenticity
by Jessi Nuss, Meghan Strong, and Amanda Te
The fan translation done by fans of anime, manga, and video games for their own satisfaction and desire to share seeks to render the originals “authentically.” Trends and approaches from fan translation can influence “official” published translations and afford ideas for professional translators.
The word “translation” usually brings to mind the vast world of... more
March 31, 2006
Editorial Addendum
by Kim Schuefftan
SWET asked Kim Schuefftan, editor at Kodansha International from 1966 to 1989, subsequently working as a freelance editor from his base in the countryside north of Tokyo, to comment on his experience as editor working with Amy Katoh on Otafuku: The Joy of Japan. In November 1999, Schuefftan spoke to SWET, and a report of his talk may... more
March 31, 2006
Otafuku Encounters
by Damon Shulenberger
Author of Otafuku: Joy of Japan (Tuttle, June 2005), Amy Katoh is known for her shop Blue & White, a fixture of Tokyo’s Azabu Juban area for more than 30 years, and three previous books. SWET pried into the profession and persona of one of Japan’' greatest champions of traditional crafts and culture.
Once you... more
May 23, 2004
My Sort of Translating
by Edward G. Seidensticker
My kind of translation is literary translation of works that I like and admire.
My subject today is “My Sort of Translating.” By this I mean a kind of translating which I think probably not very many of you are much involved in. I’m an amateur. I have always been very much an amateur. An... more
March 8, 2004
An A-Un Editorial Team
by Pamela J.Noda
Can native speakers and non-native speakers work together as equals? They can on an a-un editorial team. Pamela J. Noda shows us how.
Many of us working in English-language publishing in Japan are in jobs that pair us with editorial assistants whose native language is Japanese. Those of us who are freelance editors interact with the Japanese tantōsha, person... more
March 1, 2004
A Post-Industrial SWETer at Work
by Hugh Ashton
Hugh Ashton originally came to Japan to write audio equipment manuals. Fifteen years later, after a few detours, he's still doing the same thing, aided and abetted by his wife and more technology than is healthy for two people.
Most of my work is done from my home office. Although I can set my own... more