Session

As streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus battle for market share, each company seeks to set itself apart by producing original content.

One example is the FX drama Shogun, which became perhaps the most talked about series of 2024 by winning an unprecedented 18 awards at the 76th Annual Emmy Awards. One commonly noted point was how some 70% of the dialog was in Japanese, despite it being an American production.

Sanada Hiroyuki, lead actor and producer on Shogun, has spoken at length about the production process for the series in various media pieces, so many are already aware of the great number of Japanese professionals involved in the production.

The original script for the series—a period drama set in 17th-century Japan—was written by series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. The Japanese translators tasked by the American production team with translating that English script faced trial after trial.

In this talk, we'll discuss business-related matters, such as the path leading to our translation team getting the job and how we built a relationship with the producers; our historical research and collaboration with period drama scriptwriters; and will also offer specific translation case studies from our process.

We look forward to sharing a look behind the scenes at translating the Shogun script from the perspective of a manager overseeing coordination, translation, and QC; and from that of working translator.

Note: The Keynote Speech will be given in Japanese.