IJET-31 (June 24-25, 2023)

The International Japanese-English Translation Conference (IJET) is one of the largest international conferences dedicated to Japanese language specialists. This summer, join us in Tokyo on June 24 and 25, as we shine a light on the translation industry with IJET-31 “On Stage or Backstage—翻訳通訳の可視性”.

For more than thirty years, IJET, the flagship event of the Japan Association of Translators (JAT), has provided a unique opportunity for people in the translation industry to come together, to share, learn and communicate. And coming together once again after a gap of more than three years, makes this year’s conference all the more significant.

IJET-31 will be held over two days, on June 24 and 25, 2023, at Tokyo Big Sight, an accessible location that allows us to present the conference in a safe and comfortable environment. With multiple tracks offering a range of seminars, panel discussions, workshops and more, plus some much-needed in-person networking opportunities, IJET-31 is the not-to-be-missed event of the year for any professional involved with Japanese language.

Our theme this year is “On Stage or Backstage—翻訳通訳の可視性”. In many aspects of our work, we must, and should, remain invisible. Yet, if we do not improve understanding about what we do, or highlight the value we bring to business, education, politics, and all areas of society, how do we ensure that translation and interpretation do not become another faceless commodity?
How do we show the human behind without compromising the craft? When should we take the stage and when should we step back? IJET-31 will welcome speakers from the whole spectrum of the translation and interpretation industry, as we try to find an answer to these questions, and consider the crucial role we play in business development, economic growth, and better global communication.

Sessions

Adventures of an Accidental Interpreter to the Stars (JATINT)

Documentary maker Mary Corbett grew up on the Old Bluff in Yokohama with a passion for history. She enjoys envisioning the moments when people with no common language met and made history, such as the miracle and hilarity of Tokugawa's samurai and interpreters meeting with Commodore Perry for the first time in Yokohama. They spoke only Dutch, having been told by the Dutch representative it was...

The STAP-cell Storyteller: A Theatrical Role for the New-generation Translator?

Social media dominates modern communication, but what does it mean for translators and interpreters? To consider this question, we will look at social media portrayals of a major Japanese news story from the last decade, the case of Haruko Obokata’s STAP cell discovery. Participants will vote on questions for the translator, ranging from nitty-gritty word choices to editorial and ethical...

自分の可視性を求める中国新人翻訳者に対する質的研究

2022年の時点で、中国において翻訳専攻の卒業生人数はすでに60,000を超えた。この中、一部の卒業生はプロの翻訳者になろうという意欲を持ち、出版社や翻訳会社などのルートを経由して正式的に出版できる本の翻訳仕事の契約を締結し、最終的に本の表紙に自分の名前が表記されるのを目的とする。しかし、一般的には、このような契約によれば、翻訳の費用は極めて低い、日本語千字で500円以下の場合もある。それでも、新人翻訳者は低いのにかかわらず、署名権を追求するために翻訳契約を追いかけている。なぜですか?新人翻訳者は自分の翻訳者としての可視性を追求するからである。本研究は見落とされがちな新人翻訳者を研究対象とし、質的研究アプローチを利用し、新人翻訳者は自分の可視性をどう思うのか、なぜ可視性を重視して高めたいのか、また、翻訳者初期の可視性は今後のキャリアに何か繋がりがあるのかといった諸問題をめぐって研究し...

News

Survey for IJET-31 session “Stay Health and Grab Quality ZZZs”

Although various seminars and workshops to date have addressed health management in translators and interpreters, we still lack a comprehensive overview of how occupational hazards such as lengthy sit times, disrupted sleep health, and mind-body complaints affect linguist well-being. As part of the IJET-31 session presented by JATPHARMA, the speakers would like to conduct a survey of...

JAT Kansai (KAT) pre-IJET meeting and evening "Dine-and-Drink" event

The recently re-launched JAT Kansai (KAT) are organizing a pre-IJET get-together in Osaka. Date and location: Sunday, June 11th, Osaka, Umeda Time and place: 6:00 p.m. meeting start Meeting fee: None Meeting content: Mixed topics 1. General J-E short text translation small group workshop 2. Discussion on use of MT/AI tools to aid translation 3. IJET preview of talks, what to expect For more...

Museum tour and lunch with JATPHARMA

Museum Tour and Lunch with JATPHARMA Join JATPHARMA on Friday, June 23 (the day before IJET starts) for a tour of two pharma-related museums in Tokyo. Here's the schedule: - 10:00 a.m. Meet at Meguro Station (正面口) - 10:05 a.m. Walk to the Meguro Parasitological Museum - 10:15 a.m. Tour the museum. Admission is free. - 11:15 a.m. Leave museum, eat lunch (at location TBD) - 12:30 p.m. Walk (40...