Translating coexistence: Inside Japan's public multilingualism

Abstract

Provision of translated material for both international residents and tourists is a key part of the work of public offices around Japan. The way in which this translation is viewed and carried out, and its relationship to dominant modes of conceptualizing multiculturalism, has not received much attention in the literature. This study reports on the results of two surveys of public offices throughout Japan carried out to assess translation practices and attitudes among both Japanese and foreign staff. The study presents quantitative and qualitative findings that indicate a gap in perception between Japanese and foreign staff regarding methodology, the quality of translated material, and its relative importance. The study situates public service translation in Japan as a contested area within the broader context of multicultural coexistence, one that concretely reflects differing views and claims about tabunka kyosei and the place of immigrants in Japanese society and which reproduces a top-down view of multicultural relations.