Translation and localization have been my passion for over 25 years. I began studying Japanese as a teenager, and immediately fell in love with the language. In that pre-machine translation era, my friends and peers often came to me with imported comic books and video games that they’d bought, and asked me to explain what was happening in the narrative. It felt amazing to be part of the process of bringing those stories to new audiences, and I quickly realized that I wanted to do this for a living.
To that end, I sought out a college with an excellent Japanese program (Willamette University) and enrolled in their exchange student program at Tokyo International University. After graduating with my bachelor’s in Japanese Studies, I spent three years as an Assistant Language Teacher in the JET Programme, then earned my master’s degree in Translation and Localization Management at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
Since graduating from MIIS and starting my career as a professional freelance translator, I have had the privilege of working with a wide variety of entertainment media, from manga translation to video game localization. I also particularly enjoy translating advertising and promotional material related to travel, cooking, cosmetics, and traditional Japanese cultural events.
You can find out more and contact me via my LinkedIn page, or by email:
Arijan Clark 