Do you need a translator or an interpreter to communicate with potential Japanese distributors?
Clients often ask whether they’ll have trouble communicating with potential Japanese distributors, importers, and agents, and wonder if they’ll need an interpreter or translator to do business in Japan.
In our experience, the use of these language professionals isn’t necessary because distributors that are already importing and distributing foreign products almost always have employees who can speak English.
For smaller companies, this is usually the president or sales manager. In larger firms, there will be one or more employees assigned the task of working with the foreign companies that the distributor represents. These employees are typically fluent in English and act as the liaison between these foreign companies and the distributor.
Should you translate my website and product brochures into Japanese before approaching potential Japanese distributors?
Clients also wonder if they should add a few Japanese language pages to their website or translate some of their product literature into Japanese before reaching out to potential distribution partners in Japan.
In our experience, there is typically no need to translate anything into Japanese before approaching distributors in Japan.
The question of whether to translate your site and product literature into Japanese is something that you should discuss with your Japanese distributor.
The best translations are done by someone who is both fluent in Japanese and familiar with the terminology of your industry. Your distributor will usually either do the necessary translations themselves or use an external translator whom they trust.
They will often also create a Japanese-language website to promote your products.
Don’t use Google Translate or DeepL to communicate with Japanese distributors
Don’t use tools like Google Translate or DeepL to communicate with potential Japanese sales partners.
We have done extensive testing on translation tools like these and, while the quality of translations they produce is improving, they still produce translations that are confusing and often incorrect.
This is especially true for “linguistically distant” languages like Japanese and English.
So, instead of using these tools, simply send your email in English.
The Japanese education system focuses on the ability to read English over the ability to speak it so written English is not typically a problem.
We Can Connect You With Distributors, Importers or Agents In Japan
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So if your products are right for the Japanese market, there’s a very good chance we can help you connect with Japanese sales partners who speak English… know your industry… and have a strong track record of selling products like yours.
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