From Yen to Words: A Clear Look at Japanese Translation Pricing

Choosing a translation service can feel overwhelming especially when pricing varies so much. At Qualtranscribe, we believe in being transparent and helping you make an informed decision. Below, we break down the most common questions we receive about pricing for Japanese translation, so you know exactly what to expect.

How is Japanese translation pricing calculated?

We base our translation quotes on a few key factors:

• The number of words (for English and other European languages) or characters (for Japanese)

• The language direction (e.g., Japanese to English or English to Japanese)

• The type of content: legal, technical, financial, business, marketing, etc.

For scanned or hard copy documents (like faxes or PDFs), we usually estimate pricing based on the translated word or character count.

Example

Quote: If you're translating 10,000 Japanese characters into English for legal use at a rate of $0.12 per character, your total would be $1,200.

Why does Japanese cost more? Translating between Japanese and English is complex. Unlike most European languages that share roots and structures, Japanese uses completely different grammar and writing systems. The more specialized or technical the field, the more time and care it takes, so pricing reflects that.

What’s included in your translation rates?

Our rates typically include:

• Professional translation by a native-speaking linguist

• Thorough editing and proofreading

• Project management and coordination

Do you price by source words or target words?

Usually, we quote based on source text, the original content. But if that’s not possible (e.g., a scanned document or image file), we’ll base our quote on the final translated version. Let’s say you need a Japanese-to-English translation. You might hear that 1,000 English words translate from about 2,000 Japanese characters, that’s the common 2:1 character-to-word ratio used in the industry.

Here’s how the math works out:

• Option 1: 1,000 English words × 2 (to estimate Japanese characters) × $0.12 per character = $120

• Option 2: 2,000 Japanese characters × $0.12 character = $120

Note: The pricing for Japanese-to-English is not a mirror of English-to-Japanese. Even if one English word often equals two Japanese characters, the direction of translation influences pricing due to different skill demands. It's also important to understand that there’s no exact one-to-one match between English words and Japanese characters. But as a general rule of thumb, one English word typically translates to about two Japanese characters. This isn’t a hard rule, the final count depends on context, sentence structure, and the nature of the content. Still, it’s a helpful starting point when estimating translation volume between the two languages.

What other costs should I consider?

Here are a few extras that might apply:

• Rush orders may come with express fees.

• Formatting-heavy files like PowerPoint decks, tables, and charts might require DTP (desktop publishing) or graphic editing.

• Small projects under a certain threshold may incur a minimum fee, unless you’re a returning client with a contract.

How do your prices compare to other translation companies?

We’re not the cheapest, but we focus on getting it right the first time. That saves you more in the long run. Rather than cutting corners with low-cost translators, we invest in quality, consistency, and smart project workflows.

How long does a Japanese translation take?

Turnaround depends on project size, content type, and availability. For example:

• A translator can typically handle about 2,500 English words or 5,000 Japanese characters per day.

• A 100,000-word project might take a month with multiple translators, even though it would take two months for one person.

We always recommend giving as much time as possible. Quality work takes time, and we’ll communicate honestly if your deadline isn’t realistic.

Does translation memory or software help speed things up?

Yes! For large projects or recurring work, tools like translation memory and CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) software can:

• Reduce costs by reusing repeated phrases

• Maintain consistency in terminology

• Shorten turnaround time

That’s especially useful in technical manuals, legal templates, and financial reports.

Is my content secure?

Security is a top priority at Qualtranscribe. We:

• Store files in an encrypted, access-controlled system

• Maintain strict confidentiality across all projects

• Keep translation memories isolated per client

We also encourage clients to use our secure upload systems for added protection.

Do you use machine translation?

No, not for client projects. Machine translation is fine if you just want the gist of something quickly, but it’s not reliable for professional use. That said, we do use translation technology to assist human translators, not replace them.

What file formats can you handle?

We work with:

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint

• PDFs

• HTML, XML

• InDesign, Illustrator, Visio

• Image files (for OCR text extraction)

If your file is complex, we’ll walk you through what’s possible.

Final Thoughts

At Qualtranscribe, we want you to feel confident about your translation investment. Japanese translations come with their own unique challenges, and we’re here to guide you through every step, from quote to delivery.

Still have questions? Reach out to us anytime at support@qualtranscribe.com or request a free quote.