Hiring Interpreters for a Trade Mission to Japan
If you’re leading or joining a trade mission to Japan, organised by a government agency, chamber of commerce, industry body or your own company, an English–Japanese interpreter lets delegates talk directly with Japanese companies, officials and partners. Interpreters help in business-matching meetings, site visits, briefings and receptions. Book early, because missions often run several meetings at once and may need more than one interpreter, and send each interpreter the schedule, delegate list, company profiles and key terms in advance. Hanabuddies provides interpreters in person anywhere in Japan (the client covers the interpreter’s travel) and online for meetings before and after the trip.
Where interpreters help on a mission
| Part of the mission | What the interpreter does |
|---|---|
| Business-matching meetings | Short one-to-one meetings between delegates and Japanese companies: introductions, products, next steps. |
| Briefings and presentations | Consecutive interpreting of presentations by Japanese organisations or your delegation. See an interpreter for a talk or seminar. |
| Site and factory visits | Explaining processes, safety rules and technical answers on the move. See an interpreter for a site visit. |
| Receptions and dinners | Speeches, toasts and conversation. See bringing an interpreter to a business dinner. |
| Follow-up | Online calls after the mission to keep promising conversations going. |
Planning interpreters for a delegation
- Count parallel meetings. If delegates meet different companies at the same time, each meeting needs its own interpreter.
- Match interpreters to sectors. A food delegation and a clean-tech delegation need different vocabulary.
- Send materials early: the programme, delegate names and titles, company profiles, presentation slides and a list of technical terms.
- Allow extra time. Consecutive interpreting roughly doubles speaking time, so plan meeting lengths accordingly. See working with a Japanese interpreter.
- Prepare Japanese materials. Business cards, a one-page company profile and slides in Japanese make each meeting go further. See translating a company profile for Japan.
Phrases delegates can use
| Japanese | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| はじめまして。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 | hajimemashite. dōzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you. |
| 本日はお時間をいただき、ありがとうございます。 | honjitsu wa ojikan o itadaki, arigatō gozaimasu. | Thank you for your time today. |
| ぜひ今後ともお付き合いください。 | zehi kongo tomo otsukiai kudasai. | We very much hope to keep in touch. |
A few words of Japanese from the head of a delegation go a long way. See giving a short speech in Japanese and Japanese business etiquette.
After the mission
Most of the value of a trade mission comes in the weeks afterwards. Send thank-you emails in Japanese, follow up on the meetings that showed promise, and keep using an interpreter for calls until you have a Japanese-speaking contact. See a thank-you letter after a business visit to Japan and entering the Japanese market.
How Hanabuddies can help
We provide English–Japanese interpreters for trade missions and delegations, in person anywhere in Japan (you cover the interpreter’s travel costs) and abroad when a Japanese delegation visits you, and online for meetings before and after the trip. We can also translate company profiles, slides and business cards. We interpret consecutively and don’t provide simultaneous interpreting, and we don’t organise missions, arrange meetings or book travel.