About UsServicesResourcesContact Us
EN |
JP
Although it should be quite obvious what we do and what we don't, we still occasionally receive requests for the kind of service that we cannot provide ourselves (or prefer not to). To help direct these the right way, here are some links to other service providers who may be able to help you.
Printing business cards
While we are happy to typeset business cards for you electronically, we really don't want to deal with complexities such as the particular variety of paper & ink you want. For this we suggest you contact Instant Print.
Medical & pharmaceutical translations
For various reasons, we prefer to steer clear of the medical & pharmaceutical fields. If you require English <-> Japanese translation or interpreting in these areas, we suggest you contact Dr Yoshi Shibasaki.
Translation to and from other South-East Asian languages
Although we do specialize in oriental languages, we stick to those that are at least vaguely related to each other ("CJK" = Chinese, Japanese and Korean). If you require translation or typesetting in other Asian languages, we suggest you contact Thai English Translation, Vietnamese Language Services or Indonesian (Malay) Translators.
Japanese tuition
We are often asked if we can teach Japanese (or teach English as a Foreign Language, EFL) but sadly have no time to do this. In the UK, we suggest you contact our partner Satomi Sangawa at J-Translation.
Calligraphy
Although we have created Japanese calligraphy for certain clients (particularly those involved with the martial arts), it does take a long time and others specialize in this. We suggest you contact Eri Takase.
Oriental name stamps
As with the calligraphy, we can do this but it is very time-intensive. For a more cost-effective solution we suggest you contact: Good Characters.
Travel to Japan
Another popular request, but not one we normally choose to deal with. For general tourist info we suggest you contact the Japanese National Tourist Organization, while for business trips (as well as tailor-made leisure trips and more) you may be better suited by MC Travel.
Free Japanese translation
Some people want their children's names translated into Japanese, or short phrases such as "I love you". They are occasionally surprised that we would expect to be paid a professional rate for such services! If you want free translation of any sizeable text you'll normally have to use machine translation (try Babelfish), and if you want to see the problems this can cause try Lost in Translation. If you want free advice on short Japanese phrases etc., try posting to Usenet. For general advice on buying translations, try the ITI's excellent booklet "Getting it Right".
Pro bono work
Some charities request free translation, sponsorship, etc. but as our time is limited, we have restricted ourselves to supporting only one charity, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, including via events such as the Great Gorilla Run. We will occasionally accept small jobs in exchange for a donation via this link.
Others
If there is any other service you were hoping to find here but did not, please let us know. Also let us know if you have particularly good or bad experiences with any of the above links.