New JTF board member appointed
We have an important announcement! Kaori Myatt our Director has recently been appointed
as a director of the Japanese Translation Federation (JTF). She became the first board member of the organisation appointed from outside of Japan.
We thought it would be a good time to highlight the importance of the JTF, its activities and its future plans.
About the Japan Translation Federation
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan authorised the Japan Translation Federation as a public-interest corporation in 1990, nine years after its establishment in 1981. Members of the federation include companies, other organisations and individuals that are engaged in commercial translation.
The JTF aims to promote the growth and development of the translation industry, to raise its status and to encourage closer relationships between members. These aims are achieved through research, competency tests, seminars, data collection, intellectual property protection, and awards.
As of November 2022, 591 individual translators, 202 Translation companies and 4 sponsor companies are members of the JTF.
The organisation certifies individual translators (Japanese to English and English to Japanese) via stringent examinations (Honyaku Kentei) with only 1.2% of entrants achieving the top grade. (Data from 2021, Kentei JTF). publishes an annual translation industry white paper and report, available to non-members, offering comprehensive and accurate overview of the Japanese translation industry.
Achieving Grade 1 of Honyaku Kentei is highly commendable and Word Connection has granted fewer trial tests for the Kentei test takers who have succeeded. Word Connection is a JTF member company (https://www.jtf.jp/pdf/kentei_trial.pdf). If you would like to join our team of translators and have passed the test, please submit your certificate to us with your application.
JTF Events
Every autumn, the JTF holds an annual event known as “Honyaku-sai”(Translation festival). From 2023, this event will become a hybrid one, allowing for both remote and in-person attendance.
The organisation also conducts numerous seminars each year and these mainly take place in Tokyo and Osaka. The federation cover diverse aspects of the translation industry, such as pharmaceutical, industrial technology, financial, patent, IT, video, publication, and legal translations. Both the members of the JTF and guest speakers contribute to the seminars.
Promoting good practice
The JTF aims to ensure quality translation work and fair treatment of translators. Establishing groups and committees and conducting meetings, the JTF addresses specific aspects of the translation industry such as quality, translation banks, certification programmes and marketing.
The JTF issues guidelines for ordering translation work and pricing projects. The organisation mediates between translation companies and translators to ensure fair payment.
All translators are able to purchase professional indemnity insurance with translation endorsement from the JTF.
Find out more about the JTF
Unfortunately, the English version of the JTF website is currently under construction. However, the Japanese website remains an excellent resource for translation professionals. Please be aware that much of the information on the site is available only to members. The JTF also has a Facebook page which provides useful updates and advance notice of forthcoming events.
