We concluded a business contract with 8 new clients last year, and have frequently received interesting translation/interpreting projects and other linguistic services requests from them, while also keeping ourselves happily busy with existing clients. 😊
We hope to support their businesses & growth through our services, liaising closely with both existing and new clients.
My last year’s resolution in one Japanese character was 律 or discipline. Reflecting on lazy side of myself, I spent the year being strict with myself making progress toward achieving results. While being busy, I was happy that I was able to organize my surroundings and maintain good health throughout the year. Moreover, it was a year of revived motivation for learning in which I obtained a certificate of German exam that I had challenged for long. This year, I will promise “to read” a lot as my New Year’s resolution, and along with clearing my backlog of unread books 😂, I intend to diligently study toward getting a new qualification.
I wish you all a good start into the new year and a further leap forward ✨
“Kaigyo-todoke” or a notification form for opening of business is a document to submit to the tax office when you start a business as a sole proprietor in Japan (the timing of submission could vary depending on situations). I started freelancing in 2012 but I submitted this document in order to officially launch as a business in 2015, so it’s the 10th anniversary of my business!! 🙌
For the first few years, everything I tried ended in vein, and I was oppressed with anxieties also because of family reasons. However, I am now able to say I’ve settled down, finally. 😌
Translation was my only business at first. Interpreting was then added into the scope of my business afterwards. If a project is too large to accomplish alone, I have team members to share workloads or can find interpreter colleagues for my clients. Now we also provide not only translation & interpreting, but also DTP, printing & arranging to send printed materials, simple field research, Expo-related services, cultural consultancy, and more.
Following the emergence and development of AI technologies, so many people around me (especially Japanese people) say human translation and interpreting are outdated business approaches but the ultimate judge of those on quality still requires human beings, while the speedy delivery is also an important element of service quality in this rapidly changing world. With this in mind, I continue to rethink what I can do for my esteemed clients through trial & error and do my best to support them, and I hope to celebrate the 20th anniversary in another 10 years. ✨
Back February this year, I (finally) got 1st grade of a German language proficiency test organized in Japan 💮 (It’s something between C1 and C2 in CEFR)
Honestly it took long (13 years) as I checked when my first try was. I’ve taken it 8-9 times for those years. I should have studied hard and could have passed it at the first, or at the second try, but had a bad excuse (🤣): my everyday translation work might (indirectly) help improve my command of German? Indeed, it did but was not an ideal approach at all. A scope of the test in question and a scope of my work are totally different. But, the scope of the exam is sort of vast and not officially shared so I wasn’t really motivated to prepare for it.
I’m now preparing (really! 😂) for Goethe Zertifikat C2. This wouldn’t obviously be passed without studying hard, so I’m learning with a few dedicated textbooks for writing, reading, vocab & grammar; and Apps for listening and speaking.
German language is a lifelong learning for me📚💪 (just forget about my lacked motivation for this specific exam
😗).
Thank you all participants for joining us at IJET-33 in Fukuoka last weekend. As JAT official account announced after the registration closed, we had more than 200 registrations 👏 and the participants came from not only Fukuoka city but also all over Japan and even overseas. The event was thriving throughout the three days, with a variety of inspiring sessions 🗣️ and networking lunch and banquet 🥂.
It was very nice seeing lots of colleagues again and catching up on our “lost time” because of COVID. I participated in the event from Hiroshima and it was also great that I was able to connect with those who also came from Hiroshima and whom I hadn’t known yet. I also got to know people with whom I interact over social media but haven’t met in person before, and also got connected with new colleagues. Thank you for saying hello to me ✨, and sorry that we couldn’t talk that much as I was one of the organizing committee members and kind of busy for tasks on the days.
I also gave a talk together with Rie Sakaguchi (Thank you!) on the last day. It was very nice to have so many audience and receive questions. I hope our session was inspiring to develop business ideas 💡.
I also appreciate the all session speakers and sponsors who supported IJET-33.
I hereby also would like to thank the all of colleagues who join JAT events including this IJETs. It’s been a very fruitful time for me to serve as a JAT volunteer. At the IJET-33, what made me very happy was that many IJET first-timer, with whom I chatted, shared their wonderful experiences at the event and gave positive feedback. I was also happy to find colleagues for a variety of language pairs (DE, FR, CH, MY…) besides English.
I hope to see you again at next IJETs (and hopefully we have more time to enjoy chatting as I join most likely as a regular participant lol.
Now the event is over so I feel kind of void in my heart… 🙂
My last year’s resolution in one Japanese character was 勢 or momentum. With this in mind, I challenged a lot of things including something new like (trying) getting into businesses other than translation and interpreting; getting my business name as a trademark registered; making sure to show respects in terms of business behavior. Overall, I could make my 2024 fruitful, broadening my horizons. For the year 2025, I keep 律 or discipline as my new year’s resolution, and be strict with myself, or more precisely correct my slow and lazy manner, and lead to next developments of my own.
I wish you all the good start into the new year and a further leap forward ✨
This February, I submitted a trademark registration in Japan for my business name – Sprachgetriebe Consulting (+ Sprachgetriebe; and SGC). I received a completion of review in August but then I flew to China for a business trip right after I got it, which led me to make a payment only after the trip. Finally my trademarks have been registered!
(I had thought, I would be able to write Sprachgetriebe Consulting®︎ upon registration but it seems it’s not recommended by Japan Patent Office for a TM registered in Japan. Many things to learn and go through, though it’s not prohibited either. So complicated…)
It had taken me a year to decide my business name, and therefore I’m very happy with it.
I also learned a trademark registration in a foreign country from Japan would cost around 150,000-200,000 JPY for each application. Not a price for a solo proprietor running a small business…
I participated in the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024 on its Business Day.
For the visit on the business day, to make it short, I enjoyed. I visited as a vendor not just to discuss my own solution offerings but also participated to enjoy products and to explore services of exhibitors. It was nice to enjoy conversation on gaming and had chance to exchange business cards in a good atmosphere.
What amazed me most was that there were several student teams from overseas, exhibiting their original games. Some offered their games in trilingual: Korean, English and Japanese. Besides that, they said they had translated by themselves, and I found – for instance – their Japanese a very good quality! Of course, the contents of those games also incorporated full of unconventional ideas and sophisticated details. A game by one of those teams, of which I played their demo, was very intriguing with attractive characters and ingenious actions. Most indie games were / would be mainly available on PC (Steam?), while some were / would be offered on popular platforms.
Merchandise areas also attracted many visitors, though I only went through for window-shopping as I personally didn’t have space for goods. There were some nice merchandises (cups, bags…) of games I knew. It was also interesting to see an ergonomic, professional (?) setup for gaming proposed by well-known furniture brands – I’ve longed for their first shop in Hiroshima…😌
In the evening, I took part in a business card exchange opportunity and dinner, which some peer translators volunteered to arrange. It gave me chances to finally meet some peers, who I knew online but had never met in-person, and to get to know new peers. We had great time there. I would like to say thanks to those who organized such fantastic opportunities. 👏
Only had I regretted that I could visit TGS on just one of the four days, as I had previous engagements on the rest days. I’d like to visit at least two full days of the business day if I would be able to make it again next year.
Photo: in front of TGS billboard at Makuhari Messe 1-8 Halls
I get the feeling that I go on to a business trip every month recently (while actually not). Some of my colleagues believe that I’m just going on workcation every month (a business trip is with full of interesting experiences though). My destination of this September was China. I visited Beijing to meet my colleague together with another translator peer.
I had visited China back in 2009 last, so this second visit was for the first time in 15 years, and with full of amazing experiences! I had heard of the digitalized society of this country but it was beyond my understanding. It was interesting to spend time in a foreign country without any physical money – no bills, no coins. Any purchases, rides, entries are possible just with a QR code on app installed in your mobile phone. You are even required to book a ticket to enter a park (those of large parks as a sightseeing spot). Just occasionally, visitors from overseas can’t complete a transaction with local individuals, but it wouldn’t disturb you much (In Japan on the other hand, you might have a chance to use a taxi booking on your app in Tokyo but such a service is not available in Hiroshima yet).
Apparently you can do nothing if your phone runs out of battery but no worries. There’s tons of facilities where you can rent a mobile battery: in restaurants, in bars, in sightseeing spots 😂 just get a mobile battery at one of those places before it’s too late. We see very similar services in Tokyo but the coverage is way different. (and again, meanwhile in Hiroshima… 😭)
Such a far-advanced, digitalized society obviously have pros and cons but it was interesting to see not only young people but also elderly people make good use of a smartphone w/o problem.
Thanks to my friend, I was able to enjoy so many great experiences and learn a lot. I really hope to visit Beijing again sometime soon!😊
The most impressive expression I learned during my stay:
我喜欢吃小龙虾🦞
wǒ xǐhuan chī xiǎolóngxiā
“I like (to eat) crawfish.”
It tasted really good!🧏♂️
Photo: the Great Wall of China
It has been with full of fruitful businesses for the last 2-3 months incl. translation, interpreting, event interpreting coordinating projects (and several business trips). It’s not a proverb but Japanese has a saying like „being busy is good thing.” I’ll be slowly looking at the second quarter result during in August 🙂
It’s already the end of July: the first month of the second half of the year 2024 is coming to an end. Japan is now in the mood for summer vacation. (Well, I work through the O-bon holidays – in the mid of August – though. 💦). How’s the progress on your resolution of the year, looking back over the first half of the year? 😃
I do not quite remember when I made a resolution – last year or two years ago – but I’ve achieved the ratio 7:3 for translation/interpreting in terms of monthly occupancy of orders. (It used to be only translation, slowly go to 9:1 and it turns to 8:2 and now 7:3)
That said, retaining the ratio at this
pace would be the hardest part for me, so I’ll do my best to explore new opportunities as well as follow up existing clients, on not only these two services but also more wider solutions I can provide, while developing myself for better performance and quality 😊
Photo: 📸 taken on my way back from
Tokyo to Hiroshima 🛫
