News

Happy New Year: Our 2024 Album

SWET members are scattered around Japan and the globe, everywhere that Japan-related wordsmithing is part of their lives and work. We are pleased to mark the 44th year since our founding as a community for mutual networking and support. Through more than four decades, members have supported each other in the challenges of bridging cultural divides, learning new technologies, and... more

SWET’s Manga Special Interest Group Going Strong

By Emma Hanashiro

Among the members of SWET, the number of those working in the manga localization industry has steadily increased. With manga sales remaining high and increasing avenues for digital manga distribution, work opportunities and the number of people active in the industry will also likely grow. 

Given these circumstances and the specific working conditions and, at times, specialized knowledge needed to... more

Japan Writers Conference 2023 Upcoming October 13-14

More than 30 published English language writers will share professional insights on how to turn words into art and art into a career at the 17th annual Japan Writers Conference on October 14–15 at Sugiyama Jogakuen University in Nagoya. Admission is free. Registration is recommended but not required. For more details, visit the JWC website.   

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SWET’s Much Awaited Website Enhancement

Visitors to the SWET website will now find it legible on a smartphone or other mobile device. SWET invested a healthy chunk of its savings in updating the site, thanks to the generous annual support of dues-paying members—a complete rebuild launched quietly on July 5 at 5:55 p.m., JST.

Unbeknownst to some, Google has moved towards mobile-first indexing, which means it predominantly... more

EVENT REPORT: A Nostalgic and Productive 31st IJET

by Marian Kinoshita

On June 24 and 25, the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) hosted its first International Japanese-English Translation Conference (IJET) since 2019. The event was held at Tokyo Big Sight and welcomed some 230 translators and interpreters from all over the world. With nearly all sessions focused on the conference theme, “On Stage or Backstage—翻訳通訳の可視性,” participants discovered myriad ways... more

SWET Hanami Online

"Hanami" conjures possibly homogenous images, but is quite different depending on where you live along the length of Japan or whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere. The timing of "spring" differs as well. From where you are we invite you to add to the special “Hanami” album above. Be sure to click the arrows at the sides... more