Research and consulting
Language consulting
As a specialist Japanese translation agency we provide a number of other services that leverage our deep knowledge of both the UK and Japanese society, as well as our linguistic skills. Our language consulting (also called linguistic consulting) services include:
Bilingual research services
Cultural consulting, such as advice on cultural considerations in marketing and branding, Japanese business practices and etiquette etc
Facilitating cross-cultural business communications (translating emails etc)
Bilingual copywriting, content-creation, editing and proofreading
Research services
Our research services include desk-based online research and telephone or face-to-interviews. All our services are available in Japanese or English and over 20 years’ experience of working with Japanese companies provides a good understanding of their specific needs. For larger projects we can form and manage a team of Japanese-English bilingual researchers. Although we can handle a wide range of research projects, we have special expertise in the areas of tourism, culture and food & drink.
We provide the following services in Japanese and English:
- Desk research (online research and summarization, collation of publicly available data, identifying and contacting potential interviewees, etc)
- Telephone or face-to-face interviews with experts, businesspeople, consumers etc
- Transcripts or summaries of research interviews
- Case studies of specific companies, campaigns etc
- Benchmarking of competitor companies or counterpart organizations
- Final report writing
Examples of past research projects
A detailed report on the UK sake market for sake brewers’ association in Japan. The report covered alcohol consumption trends, sake promotion, sales channels, and market regulations. It featured interviews with sake educators, distributors, restaurateurs, and local brewers. The report was written in English and translated into Japanese.
Car branding case studies for a carmaker. We conducted interviews with automobile manufacturers in the UK regarding premium vs. mass market brands. We collected information on target consumers, sales channels, communication strategy, brand identity and guidelines etc.
Research into how museums can boost regional development. We conducted desk research and telephone interviews for case studies of three award-winning museums in the North of England and Scotland.
Interviews with ninja experts in the UK and Japan. The purpose of the research was to support a Japanese region that wanted to promote its local ninja heritage. The interviewees included teachers of ninja martial arts, a historian, and a writer of children’s books featuring ninja.
Recent Posts
- Translating a memoir by Kodo Nishimura November 16, 2022
- When (and when not!) to use NMT November 6, 2022
- Seeking Japan’s 72 seasons in London December 9, 2021
- Ikigai and 42 other Japanese words for a mindful life February 28, 2019
- Translation or transcreation? February 15, 2019
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