(Updated September 14, 2025)Resources for Japanese/English TranslatorsAlthough the end is fast approaching for most freelancers, I am restoring a good amount of my content and will continue writing.
IMPORTANT
- The adoption of AI by translation-brokering agencies has brought about a radical decline in both earnings and job satisfaction among freelance translators. More details are provided elsewhere, and I have incorporated questions from students and beginners into my FAQ.
IJET Conference Presentations
These are presentations I made at IJET (International Japanese/English Translation) Conferences held by Japan Association of Translators, which have alternated between Japan and overseas venues.
Because most (and probably none) cannot be found on the JAT website, having been lost or deleted, I preserve them here, including the now-deleted or long-lost scanned copy of the Proceedings from the first IJET Conference, held in Hakone in 1990.
- IJET-30 (Cairns, AU June 29-30, 2019, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, Getting from Tier Two to Tier One in Japanese-to-English Translation
The content of this presentation, long lost from or misplaced on the Japan Association of Translators website, is closest to hitting the mark about the reasons freelance translating is dead, but the advice I gave in this presentation cannot be adopted by more than a tiny number of translators. Most others will meet their end shortly, if they haven't already left translation. - IJET-19 (Okinawa, Japan April 12-13, 2008, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, Japanese Patent Translation>
Even patent firms that, just like translation agencies, profit from their translation business activities are moving to AI. There will shortly been very little translation work from Japanese patent firms for freelancers who were hoping to make a living translating patent documents. - IJET-16 (Chicago, US June 4-5, 2005, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, Japanese/English Deposition Interpreting (Presented on Lise's behalf by Manako Ihaya)
- IJET-9 (Yokohama, Japan May 23-24, 1998, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise (panel discussion comments) Taking More Money for Your Translations
Relevant at the time and even now, but adoptable by only a small number of freelancers. - IJET-8 (Sheffield, UK June 19-21, 1997, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, Symbols, Abbreviations and Layout Issues in J-E Translation>
Discussion of things they don't teach you when you are learning Japanese in university. Irrelevant now, because the target translator reader demographic is experiencing the quick demise of freelance translation as a career. - IJET-7 (Yokohama, Japan May 18-19, 1996, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, Japanese-English Translation of Patent Documents for Filing in the US
Rather irrelevant, for reasons noted regarding my IJET-19 presentation. - IJET-5 (Urayasu, Japan May 24-29, 1994, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- Lise, An Investigation of Terminology and Syntax in Japanese and US Patents and the Implications for the Patent Translator
As noted above, this translation sector is quickly disappearing. - IJET-1 Proceedings (The First IJET Conference, held in Hakone (JP), May 26-27, 1991, organized by Japan Association of Translators)
- I retained a copy of this Proceedings, JAT apparently did not. Not a problem; freelance translating is coming to an end, and this document is of historical interest only.
Other Presentations
- JET Programme Career Presentation (Tokyo, 2004; updated June 28, 2025 to bring it up to date with the new normal in the world of translation)
- Lise, Introduction to Translation and Interpreting Careers
The advice I would give these people now is quite different, because freelance translation is ending for most people.
Articles
This content will be restored gradually over the next few months.
- The End of Freelance Translating for Agencies as a Realistic Career (September 13, 2025)
- It's ending for most freelance Japanese-to-English translators, some of whom have already left, and the exodus is accelerating.
- Groomed for Doom (Blog post made originally on December 24, 2024)
- Freelance translators started being groomed for there demise several decades ago. The march to demise is nearing completion.
- Factors Affecting the Rates You can Take for Japanese-to-English Translation (Published December 10, 2008; last updated September 14, 2025)
- There are no standard rates, and it's more complex than many translators assume.