Words are only half the job.

I translate from Japanese, German and French into native British English. I also edit, rewrite, localise and write English from scratch, and interpret between Japanese and English.

Clients usually bring me the work that cannot merely be correct. It has to read as though it began in English, carry the right authority and stand up to scrutiny by customers, executives, engineers, researchers or the public. I look beyond the sentence to the purpose, audience, terminology, cultural assumptions and the person whose voice is being carried.

I spent 20 years living and working in Japan and am now based in Düsseldorf. My working style is a deliberate combination: Kaizen attention to detail and Japanese customer service, with European flexibility and direct communication. I prepare thoroughly, anticipate questions, keep deadlines and open points visible and say plainly when a literal translation will not work.

I am happy to pick up the phone. Five minutes is often enough for you to hear whether I understand the assignment, the audience and the level of English required.

What I do best

• Japanese to English translation and localisation
• German and French to English translation
• British English editing, proofreading, native checking and rewriting
• US to UK English adaptation
• Copywriting, transcreation and executive communication
• Japanese-English consecutive interpreting for meetings, audits, negotiations, trade fairs and business visits
• Research-led content and terminology work when understanding the wider subject is part of the job

British English is my native register. I have also delivered US English for Japanese and international clients for two decades, and I switch deliberately between house styles rather than mixing them by accident.

Where I add the most value

Corporate and executive communication: speeches, articles, websites, thought leadership, internal communication, corporate histories, market reports, presentations, recruitment material and customer-facing content.

Industrial and technical work: manufacturing, automation, RFID and identification technology, automotive, electronics, engineering, quality management, safety, audits and technical B2B marketing.

Healthcare and research: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare communication, research manuscripts, questionnaires, patient-facing language and specialist editing.

Japan-Europe assignments: Japanese headquarters communicating with European teams, European companies approaching Japan and projects where the words are only half the problem.

Evidence, not adjectives

I completed an eleven-year retained assignment with Recruit Group, covering Japanese-to-English translation, localisation, CEO speeches, corporate articles and international business information.

At SATO Europe, I developed technical B2B content for nine European offices while coordinating Japanese headquarters, local teams, product experts, terminology and approvals. The Head of EU HR later issued a signed reference recommending me for work requiring “enthusiasm, hard work, honesty and perfection”.

My Japanese-English interpreting work includes NIPRO supplier audits at Merck sites, technical meetings and negotiations at K, Interpack support for a Japanese company president and team, five days as MC and interpreter for the Japanese Wagyu programme at ANUGA, three MEDICA assignments and Wire & Tube.

My written English is unusually easy to inspect. I have published 228 long-form LinkedIn articles containing 919,351 words, including large-source research, company and market analysis, interviews and Japan-Europe commentary. You do not have to take “excellent writer” on trust. The full article archive is linked from this profile.

My public ProZ record already includes eight positive Willingness to Work Again reviews and a 5.0 rating. Repeat work matters more to me than a perfect-sounding slogan because a client who returns has tested the work in the real world.

How I work

• First, purpose. Who will read this, what must they understand and what must they do next?
• Then, evidence. I check terminology, names, figures, source material and internal consistency rather than polishing uncertainty into invisibility.
• Then, English. I preserve voice when it matters and rebuild structure when the target text needs a different route.
• Finally, service. I keep questions, decisions, deadlines and open points visible. You should not have to chase me to discover what is happening.

I work with Trados Studio, memoQ, Phrase/Memsource, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft 365. AI-assisted research and comparison are used only where the assignment permits, with confidentiality controls and final human responsibility for every word.

I hold a BA in French and German from the University of Manchester and JLPT Level 1. More importantly, I have spent more than 25 years doing the work.

A sensible next step

Send me a page, a brief, the audience and the deadline. I will tell you plainly whether I am the right fit, what needs clarifying and what it will cost. The work should speak for itself.