Welcome! The IJET-34 Organising Committee is currently preparing for the conference in Melbourne over the weekend of 5–6 September 2026.
As we begin sharing information on the official website, we would like to introduce the members of the Organising Committee and outline our respective roles.
We look forward to meeting you in Melbourne!
Julian Kitchen (Chair)
Julian previously served as Chair of the IJET-30 (Cairns) Organising Committee. He has over 20 years’ experience as a Japanese–English translator and has been a member of JAT for around the same number of years.
Born and raised in Melbourne, he is currently based in Tokyo. He first came to Japan in 1990 at the age of 16, spending a year studying at a high school in Nagoya. Since then, he has lived in Japan on and off for a total of approximately 12 years.
He currently works full-time as an in-house legal translator at a major international law firm. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Monash University, where he studied Japanese, Mandarin and law, as well as an Advanced Diploma of Translating and Interpreting from RMIT University. He is also a NAATI-certified Japanese–English professional translator.
Ken Nagato (Treasurer)
Ken is a Melbourne-based interpreter and translator. Born and bred in Fukuoka, he followed his heart to migrate to Australia in 2002 to be with the woman he loved after completing postgraduate studies in Japan. Although he initially considered a career in interpreting and translation, he spent many years working as a structural engineer, drawing on his academic background. In late 2021, he decided to change direction and went on to complete a Master of Translating and Interpreting at RMIT University in 2023. He now works as a freelance interpreter and translator and also teaches the Translation and Technology course at RMIT University. While balancing freelance work with family life as a stay-at-home dad, he also values meaningful connections with others through his volunteer work with JAT and AUSIT (the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators).
Yuka Chow (Registrar)
Yuka is a Melbourne-based interpreter and translator, a university tutor, and the mother of an energetic primary schooler. After completing a Master of Arts in Japanese Interpreting and Translation at the University of Queensland, she moved to Melbourne, where she has since worked with a wide range of clients across both the public and private sectors.
She enjoys the craft of translation in all its forms, with a particular interest in legal and marketing translation. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she believes Melbourne serves the best lattes in the world. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, reading mystery fiction, and watching light-hearted films from the 1980s to the 2000s - especially those featuring Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, and Will Ferrell.
Heather Glass (Program Coordinator)
Heather’s career has spanned over 40 years, working in business and diplomatic domains for diverse Asia-Pacific clients. Heather is a translator, interpreter, technical writer and instructional designer and is pursuing PhD research into interpreter training. She manages interpreting teams and quality assured production of high-quality bilingual material. Heather has interpreted for Prime Ministers and politicians generally, conferences, courts and bilateral negotiations, on oil rigs, in abattoirs and in shipyards. She is a trainer and assessor in Australia’s vocational education and training system and an occasional university tutor and lecturer. Her students come from commercial, migrant and Aboriginal language backgrounds. Heather is also a teacher of language service users, including clinicians, lawyers, police and judicial officers. She led development of competency-based nationally endorsed qualifications for translators and interpreters and serves on the Australian ISO mirror committee and on international working groups developing standards for language services and interpreter education.
Dr Sara Kitaoji AE (Venue Coordinator/Program Coordinator)
Sara is a linguist, academic editor, and Japanese–English translator. She has also taught Japanese and English in Australia and Japan. A lifelong language learner, Sara has (so far) studied German, Mandarin, Italian, Russian, French, Spanish, and Ancient Greek. She draws on her language skills, language-teaching background, and lived experience to help writers develop their unique voice in English. She was previously co-chair of the Standing Committee on Professional Development for the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. For several years, she has coordinated an international online networking group for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) in the Asia Pacific. Sara is now leveraging her love of languages to train her nose and palate with the Wine Spirits Education Trust (WSET). She also enjoys learning to communicate with the wild animals who visit her outdoor office (garden) in Melbourne.
linkedin.com/in/sarakitaoji
Cathy Eberst (Program Coordinator/PR Coordinator)
Cathy is a UK-born translator who has lived in Japan since 1998 (Oita, Ishigaki, Osaka, Tokyo). She has been freelancing since 2001, specializing in legal translation and investor relations. A long-time JAT member, Cathy is no stranger to organising JAT events. She has served on numerous JAT committees and chaired the organising committee for IJET-25 in 2014, JAT’s largest ever IJET. For IJET-34, she is happy to take on a supporting role, focusing mainly on PR and the program, ensuring plenty of time to enjoy her hobby, nihonshu.
Emily Molinaro (PR Coordinator/Volunteer Coordinator)
Emily was born and raised in Yokohama and Tokyo, where she spent six years at an all-girls Japanese high school, obsessively consuming お笑い media — because being funny was the coolest thing you could be. She studied English Studies at Sophia University while gaining experience in the fashion industry, then moved to Melbourne and completed a Master’s degree in Interpreting and Translation Studies at Monash University. Emily now works full-time as a translator and interpreter across arts, engineering, and science, starting her T&I career at Chris Poole Translation. In her downtime, she enjoys painting abstract art, elaborate cooking at home and attending music shows.
Rychelle Brittain (Program Coordinator)
Rychelle is an Adelaide-based Japanese to English translator specializing in entertainment and subtitling since 2022. She has a particular passion for lyrics, poetry, and character-driven dialogue. Beyond translation, she provides global transcription and subtitle creation services.
As a JATENT committee member, Rychelle is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, global community where translation professionals and enthusiasts, regardless of location or experience, can connect and grow. She is a staunch advocate for the #TranslatorsInTheCredits movement, pushing for greater visibility and public recognition of translators’ work.
When not working, she enjoys playing DnD with friends, discovering new lunch spots, and relaxing with her very spoilt cat.
Stu Ayre (Artwork)
Kyoto-based Stu has been a full-time translator for nearly 20 years, spending eight years in-house and the rest flying solo. He started as a technical translator/interpreter at Toyota and transitioned to legal translation after working on some Fukushima-related litigation. Stu has sat on several JAT event committees in various roles. For IJET-34 he’s responsible for the art.
Sakigake Kamimura (Sponsorship Coordinator)
Tokyo-based interpreter and translator. After a decade in the U.S., I returned to Japan with sharpened language skills and 30kg of pure bulk. Worked in corporate sales, marketing, and business planning at IT companies before taking over a translation and interpreting company as CEO. Now juggling three roles—running the business, interpreting, and translating. My specialties include IT, intellectual property, marketing, and gaming.
At JAT, I volunteer on the Advocacy Committee and TAC. Following IJET-32 and IJET-33, I'm back as Sponsorship Coordinator for IJET-34, bridging industry partners and our community. Off the clock, the gym and grilling large cuts of meat are my ultimate rewards!
Charles Aschmann (Webmaster)
Charlie is the IJET-34 Webmaster (web slave?). He has served as webmaster for various IJETs and is a former JAT board member. He was JAT Webmaster for many years.
Charlie was born and raised in Virginia, USA and currently resides on a farm in the mountains of that state. He spent ten years in Japan, mostly in the Tohoku region as a college teacher, before discovering the world of translation. Though mostly retired now except for some interpreting, he specialized in patents, chemistry and pharmaceuticals.
His time is now largely spent in volunteer activities like being the administrator for a local preschool, local community center president, president of a small company that runs the local store, teaching Japanese to interested students, and doing community work for the local Ruritan Club. He enjoys music (playing period and modern trumpets) and working the farm (producing hay, etc.).
Yuri Ito (Assistant)
Yuri is currently studying at the Graduate School of Aichi Prefectural University. While working as a court clerk and contributing to the administration of justice, she began postgraduate studies in community interpreting, with a particular focus on court interpreting. She is now conducting research for her master’s thesis and developing the knowledge and skills required to work as an interpreting coordinator. As part of her community interpreting practicum, Yuri joined the IJET-34 organising committee, where she is gaining hands-on experience in the planning and operation of an international conference.
Chris Poole (Sponsorship Coordinator/Volunteer Coordinator)
Chris
was an exchange student in 1977 then a carpenter in 1982-83 in Saitama.
He has never studied Japanese or translation. He has owned and operated
Chris Poole Translation since 1996 and will provide translation and
interpreting services in any industry, mode, setting or languages,
anywhere in the world. NAATI Certified, previously serving as National
President of AUSIT and presented at IJET Brisbane 1993, Sydney 2009 and
Hawaii 2013. But that’s all just to pay bills and raise a family. His
real interest is philosophy.
Phil Robertson (JAT Board Liaison)
Phil is a co-founder and co-owner of the translation and interpreting services company YK Honyaku Plus, and is also a JAT Director.
He founded Honyaku Plus with business partner Paul Flint in Tokyo in 2003. IJET-34 in Melbourne will be the 19th IJET conference that he has attended, and the tenth that he has helped to organize.