Probably the simplest definition of transcreation is “translation + copywriting”. In other words, it’s a kind of translation with extra creativity… ideal for tasks such as marketing, branding, websites or content creation.
But since April 2022 I have been a content writer and translator for the J-Stories website, which covers start-ups and sustainable technologies. That work has involved transcreating over 70 news articles.
Yet, why transcreate a news article; aren’t they supposed to be factual anyway? Isn’t translation enough?
The answer is that Japanese articles, either print or online, are written quite differently to English ones. Translating them might get the basic information across, but they will be much harder and less interesting to read for English speakers than articles originally written in English.
So, transcreation is that process of taking a Japanese article and translating and rewriting it into an “English” journalism style.
For J-Stories, I have transcreated articles on everything from carbon-negative concrete to AI music for stressed dogs.
Interestingly, when I started translating J-Stories articles I would first do a straightforward translation. After that I’d edit the text, taking things out, adding things, including questions for the original writer.
But with more practice, the process is now more like reading the Japanese then writing an English article using the information in the original.
Rather than translation plus copywriting, you could probably call that translation + journalism. Anyway, here are a few thoughts on the process of transcreating Japanese articles into English.
1. Make the headline snappy
It’s a truism of journalism that only a small small of readers ever get past the headline of an article. So if the headline doesn’t stand out, the rest won’t count for much. Perhaps Japanese readers have longer concentration spans? Or perhaps Japanese is better at conveying information in a small space. But I generally find myself shortening headlines.
Also, since this is transcreation, not an attempt at literal translation, it’s fine to change the headline completely. “What aspect of this story are English readers most likely to be interested in?”
I often start with a “placeholder” headline translation then revisit it when the English article is done.
2. Didn’t you just say that?
In Japanese writing, it often seems that if something is worth saying, it is worth saying more than once! A little cynical perhaps. But there’s definitely a contrast with the emphasis on brevity in English-language journalism.
In practice, that means seeing the transcreation process as an opportunity to trim some of the fat from a Japanese article. A typical example is an interviewee saying something which is repeated soon afterwards in the main text of the article.
In that sense, a transcreation is a chance to do a little bit more copy-editing… of which you can never have enough!
3. Explain if necessary
This is something that comes up a lot in transcreation. (See this post on translating tourism content.) Articles written for Japanese people often assume knowledge about Japanese society and culture that non-Japanese people lack.
For example, many of the articles on the J-Stories website introduce technologies and initiatives to deal with Japan’s aging population and low birthrate. Japanese people are so familiar with those issues that only a brief mention is necessary. But for readers in the US and other countries, where the demographic situation is completely different, more explanation is required.
And of course, there are more obvious examples of Japanese topics that need a little extra explanation. Take these articles about bombastic tatami mats or sashimi parasites.
4. Watch out for “visions,” “missions” and “dreams”
This probably comes into the category of “cultural differences”.
Start-up CEOs in English speaker countries tend to stick to the facts, plugging their USP and their products’ benefits. But Japanese executives often talk about missions and dreams… from example, how their company was set up to change the world, or how they plan to expand across the world (even if they are still looking for their first Japanese clients).
Japanese people, I suspect, read that as a demonstration of the CEO’s sincerity, passion and ambition. English readers, however, might well see it all as pie in the sky! So, sometimes it’s a good idea to omit quotes or paraphrase in way that better fits an English article.
Interviewing the journalist…
By the way, on my most recent visit to Tokyo last summer I was interviewed by the J-Stories team. I talk mostly about copywriting for Japanese brands, but it may be interesting for those who read Japanese… if only to see how jet-lagged I look!
