Research News Portal Goes Japanese
ResearchSEA is Asia's first research news portal, a one-stop centre where journalists and members of the public can gain access to news and local experts from the research world in Asia. It brings research news and top experts direct from universities, think tanks, journals and specialist organisations to journalists around the world. Journalists in over 78 countries use ResearchSEA to find information about the latest research and experts for their newspapers, magazines, radio and television programs.
Maggie Pokar runs the company from Willingham, Cambridgeshire and understands the importance of communication and cultural understanding, having made numerous trips to Asia to bring ResearchSEA to new markets and work with her existing clients to promote their news. She has made the most of services offered by UKTI, having commissioned OMIS and taken up EMRS funding for market research. She has also attended two of RLN’s free workshops: the first Japanese Business Culture and the other on Translation & Interpreting Services. She has also attended an RLN intensive Japanese language session at Anglia Ruskin University. Her efforts to understand her markets’ language and culture have not gone unnoticed and Maggie recently won the UKTI International Communications Award. She gives some pointers here on translation, using interpreters and Japanese culture.
Maggie has had literature and her website translated into Japanese and Chinese. “The embassy in Tokyo provided me with a list of translation companies and the one I chose was excellent. Getting the translation onto the website was a different matter altogether because our UK-based website developers do not read Japanese. The RLN Translation & Interpreting workshop flagged up the importance of specifying to the translator that the text must be put on the web, and they will show you where the line endings are and ensure that the text actually reads well and looks good.”
“The workshop also taught me that proofreading by a second person is very important and is not always included in translation firms’ prices. So this is something to check before you proceed.” Maggie had a one-page letter template translated into Japanese at a cost of £75, which will prove an invaluable marketing tool.
Maggie has used interpreters recommended through the British Embassy. She says that they are invaluable: “Generally, unless a Japanese person can speak very good English they probably won’t volunteer to use it. At a recent business meeting my Japanese contacts understood every word I said, but addressed their questions to me in Japanese through the interpreter as they felt more relaxed with this. I have also had meetings with potential clients whose English was not perfect. They tend to nod and smile a lot. There’s no flowing conversation and questioning, so there is definitely added value in working with an interpreter”. When working with interpreters, Maggie says that it’s very important to remember to look at your client, rather than at the interpreter. The other key is to pause after every few statements to let the interpreter catch up.
“Another plus is that if you’ve hired an interpreter for the day they will know their way around and can therefore navigate you from one meeting to the next – they can translate menus at lunch and generally help to make your day less stressful.”
Maggie’s top tips for dealing with the Japanese: “Bring gifts – use expensive wrapping paper. Even consider paying to have them professionally wrapped. PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING in Japan. The gifts should not be too expensive, to avoid embarrassment to your hosts if they have not prepared a gift for you. At the same time, they shouldn’t be too cheap as the Japanese know their UK brands. Harrods or Marks & Spencer are well regarded brands in Japan. Biscuits are the perfect gift as they can be opened and shared at meetings. Another reason why biscuits are a good choice is that there are often more people at Japanese meetings that you’d expected, so personal gifts would leave some left out.”
“Respect business cards – receive them with both hands, study them, perhaps make a comment and then place them in front of you carefully on the desk, or in a chest pocket (if you’re a man) or diary. It’s also very important to have your own card translated into Japanese”. “Always be early. If you know you’re going to be late, then call in advance. When I was late once because I got off at the wrong train station, I phoned the interpreter who had already arrived at the meeting. She then explained the situation to my clients, which helped tremendously. Having said that, the Japanese realise that Tokyo is a confusing city and it’s easy to get lost.” “Dress well. The Japanese pay a lot of attention to the way they look, and are very conscious of designer labels. That being said, if you dress neatly and respectfully, then that’s sufficient.