Translating Your Website into Japanese: A Practical Guide
To translate a website into Japanese well, start by deciding which pages Japanese visitors actually need, then have a native translator localise them rather than translate word for word: adapt headings, tone, prices, dates, addresses and calls to action, and research the Japanese keywords people search for. Machine translation can help with drafts, but customer-facing pages need a human review. Finally, check the Japanese layout, fonts and forms, and set up hreflang so search engines show the right language.
Decide what to translate
- Start with the pages that sell: home page, product or service pages, pricing, contact and FAQ.
- Add trust pages: company profile, team and policies. Japanese buyers often check who you are before they enquire. See translating a company profile.
- Leave the rest for later: old blog posts and niche pages can wait until you see demand.
Translation vs localisation
| Element | What changes for Japan |
|---|---|
| Tone | Polite, reassuring and specific. Hard-sell or jokey copy often reads badly. |
| Headings and slogans | Often rewritten, not translated. See transcreation. |
| Formats | Dates (year/month/day), names (family name first), addresses (from largest to smallest), phone numbers. |
| Forms | Separate family and given name fields, a furigana field, and postcode lookup. |
| Payment and contact | Mention payment methods and how to reach you; many Japanese customers prefer email or forms to phone calls in English. |
| Detail | Japanese visitors expect more detail: specifications, FAQs, delivery terms and photos. |
Japanese SEO
Don’t just translate your English keywords. Research what Japanese users actually type, which may be katakana, kanji or a mix. Translate titles and meta descriptions, use Japanese URLs or clear slugs, and add hreflang tags linking each language version. See SEO for Japan.
Technical checks
- Fonts: use a font that supports Japanese characters and looks good at small sizes.
- Layout: Japanese text length differs from English, and line breaks can split words awkwardly. Check every page on mobile.
- Language switcher: link each page to its counterpart, not just to the Japanese home page.
- Images with text: banners and screenshots need Japanese versions too.
- Emails and notifications: order confirmations and automatic replies are part of the experience.
Machine translation and review
Machine translation is useful for drafts and internal pages, but it often misses tone, keigo and context, and can make a business look careless. For pages that customers read, use a native translator or at least a native review. See machine translation for Japanese and how to choose a translator.
Translate, or build a Japanese site?
If Japan is a key market, a site written for Japanese customers from the start can work better than a translated copy. See a website for Japanese customers and localising your product.
How Hanabuddies can help
We translate and localise websites from English into Japanese, including titles, meta descriptions, forms, emails and image text, and Takekuni proofreads our Japanese. We can also review machine-translated pages, or design a new website written for Japanese customers. Our translations are not certified, and we don’t provide legal review of terms or policies.