Japanese for Pharma and Life Sciences Professionals
Japan is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets, and many people in pharma, biotech and medical devices work with Japanese partners, licensees, affiliates or head offices. You won’t need Japanese to read regulatory submissions, which need specialists, but basic business Japanese and the core vocabulary, such as 治験 (clinical trial), 承認 (approval), 有害事象 (adverse event) and 添付文書 (package insert), help you follow meetings, build relationships and catch what’s said informally. This guide covers the terms and situations that matter, and when to bring in a translator or interpreter.
Core vocabulary
- 治験 (chiken): a clinical trial run to gain approval; 臨床試験 is the broader term.
- 承認申請 / 承認: application for approval / approval.
- 有害事象 / 副作用: adverse event / side effect.
- 添付文書: package insert.
- 医薬品 / 医療機器 / 再生医療: pharmaceuticals / medical devices / regenerative medicine.
- 製造販売: marketing (as in marketing authorisation holder).
- ライセンス契約 / 共同開発: licensing agreement / co-development.
Many technical terms are katakana loanwords, but the way they are used can differ from English. See katakana loanwords.
Working with Japanese teams
- Meetings: Japanese teams often prepare carefully and prefer materials in advance. See meetings with Japanese partners.
- Decisions: approvals go through internal consensus, so allow time. See ringi and nemawashi.
- Email: polite openings and closings matter. See Japanese business email.
- Presentations: a few lines in Japanese at the start make a strong impression. See giving a presentation in Japanese.
When to use a translator or interpreter
For regulatory documents, clinical data and labelling, use specialist medical translators with the right review process: errors can have serious consequences. For meetings, site visits, partner calls and audits, a professional interpreter keeps discussions accurate. See how to choose a Japanese translator, interpreters for factory audits and interpreters for negotiations.
Phrases for everyday work
- 資料を事前に共有いたします。I’ll share the materials in advance.
- この点について、もう少し詳しく教えていただけますか。Could you tell me a little more about this?
- 社内で確認して、改めてご連絡します。I’ll check internally and get back to you.
For clinicians, see Japanese for doctors and nurses; for scientists in Japan, see Japanese for researchers.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can build lessons around your meetings, calls and relationships with Japanese colleagues. For important meetings and visits, we provide English–Japanese interpreters online or in person in Japan and abroad (you cover the interpreter’s travel). We don’t give regulatory advice, and our translations are uncertified. Your first 15 minutes of lessons are a free trial.