Section I. General Definitions

Section II. Membership

Section III. Elections

Section IV. Officers

Section V. Annual and Extraordinary Meetings

Section VI. Accounts, Budgets, Expenses and Honoraria

Section VII. Committees

Section VIII. Conferences

Section IX.  The JAT Mailing Lists

Change History (opens in new window)

 

Section I. General Definitions

1. Bylaws

These Bylaws are established under the provisions of Article 57 （細則）of the Constitution (定款) of the Japan Association of Translators (JAT), hereinafter referred to as the "JAT Constitution."

2. In Good Standing

A member who is “in good standing” is a member who has conformed to all membership requirements, including payment of necessary dues.

3. Officers

"Officers" is the collective term for both Directors and Auditors. While Directors are members of the Board of Directors (Board), Auditors are not. However, Auditors attend Board meetings and are allowed to speak.

4. The JAT Mailing Lists

"JAT Mailing Lists" is the collective term for official member communications digital media operated by JAT, including mailing lists and forums.

5. Times and Dates

The time zone used throughout these Bylaws is Japan Standard Time (JST). Dates set for the completion of certain actions run through 23:59:59 JST on the date in question.

Section II.　Membership

1. Classes of Membership

There is only one class of membership: individual member.

2. Joining, etc.

The provisions of Chapter II Articles 6 through 12 of the JAT Constitution apply to joining and other membership matters.

3. Dues

3.1 Dues are set at 10,000 yen/year and are the same for all members, except as provided for in Section II.4.3 below.

3.2 Memberships last for one year, beginning on the day on which the initial payment is received. In subsequent years, memberships will be renewed for one more year from the same date JST (the "renewal date"), provided renewal payments are submitted on or prior to the expiration date or within the grace period of one month. Multiyear payments are not accepted.

4. Renewals

4.1 One month before their memberships expire, members will be notified to that effect. JAT offers a choice of payment plans: Traditional and Subscription. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 9-3 of the JAT Constitution, a grace period of one month will apply to both payment plans, and any member who completes payment under either plan will continue to be regarded as a member in good standing as defined in Section I.2 above.

4.2 Traditional payment plan: 10,000 yen/year. Payable in cash or through an electronic payment system on or before the renewal date. When renewal payments are received after this date but during the one-month grace period, the membership renewal will be backdated to the renewal date.

 

4.3 Subscription plan: Members authorize JAT to bill them for membership dues automatically through their electronic payment system accounts until they cancel their subscriptions. Current members who choose this system are charged the reduced fee of 9,000 yen. Both past members who let their subscriptions lapse, and new members who choose this system are charged 10,000 yen for the initial year, and 9,000 yen for subsequent automatic annual renewals. If the automatic renewal for a member on a subscription plan fails through no fault of JAT or the payment system, and is not corrected prior to expiration, the plan reverts to a 10,000 yen traditional plan for that payment. This can then be converted to a subscription plan and charged at 9,000 yen for the following year’s renewal.

 

5. Termination

5.1 The provisions of Article 11 (除名) of the JAT Constitution will apply to a member who is found to have engaged in unprofessional or other conduct unbecoming a member as referred to in Section II.5.2 below. The Board may propose and vote on a motion to submit a written record of the alleged unprofessional or other conduct unbecoming a member to the member in question, together with two weeks' warning that it will initiate proceedings to terminate his or her membership unless said member resigns, or either refutes the record or undertakes in writing to cease such behavior forthwith and makes restitution, to the Board's satisfaction. 

5.1.1 If the member resigns, or either refutes the record or undertakes in writing to cease such behavior forthwith, to the Board’s satisfaction, as provided in Section II.5.1, the Board will take no further action.

5.1.2 If the member refuses to resign, or is unable or unwilling to either refute the record or undertake in writing to cease such behavior forthwith, to the Board’s satisfaction, as provided in Section II.5.1, the Board will propose and vote on a motion to terminate the member’s membership. 

5.2  "Unprofessional or other conduct unbecoming a member" as referred to in the preceding paragraph includes, but is not limited to, the following:

5.2.1 Ad hominem attacks or potentially libelous and/or unsubstantiated accusations against JAT, other members, clients, etc. 

5.2.2  Conduct in violation of the provisions of Section IX below.

5.2.3  Gross misrepresentation of skills and/or qualifications 

6. Disqualification and withdrawal

The provisions of Articles 9 and 10 of the JAT Constitution apply to disqualifications and withdrawals, including non-payment of dues under Article 9 (3).

7. Reinstatement 

7.1 In the event of termination for non-payment of dues, the membership may be reinstated upon payment of the prescribed dues.

7.2 In the event of termination under the provisions of Section II.5, the Board will review and act upon any application for reinstatement as appropriate.

8. Non-refund of dues

No refunds of dues will be made except in the case of a member whose membership is terminated under the provisions of Section II.5, the provisions of Article 12 of the JAT Constitution notwithstanding. In this case, any dues on account will be refunded on a pro rata basis.

Section III. Elections

1.JAT will hold elections for Officers once a year.

2. Election Timeline 

2.1 On or about January 1 each year, the Board will appoint an Election Committee consisting of at least three persons who have been JAT members in good standing for at least one year to initiate election preparations.

2.2 The President will report to the membership on the state of JAT and announce the election in early February.

2.3 The Election Committee determines the election timeline and announcements based on the AGM timing for that year and the guidelines in the Election Manual as approved by the Board.

2.4 The Board will present the election results to the next AGM for ratification. At the end of the AGM, the current Officers step down and the new Officers take office unless the provisions of III.2.5 come to apply.

2.5 If for some reason the next AGM does not ratify the election results, the current Officers will remain in office until new Officers are chosen by a new election or other procedure as agreed by majority vote at the AGM or a separate Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

2.6 Once the AGM or EGM ratifies the results, they will be reported to the governing authority (東京都庁, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government) and the registry (東京法務局渋谷出張所, the Shibuya Office of the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau). After the registry registers the new Officers, the Board will destroy electronic voting records and disband the Election Committee. However, a record of voting tallies will be stored and/or backed up at an appropriate virtual location (website server, etc.). 

2.7 Newly-elected Officers join the Board communications forum on a read-only basis as soon as possible after the election results are announced, and participate fully after the election results are ratified at the AGM or EGM.

 

3. Eligibility to Participate in Elections

3.1 Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 14-5 of the JAT Constitution, only JAT members are eligible to become Officers. Before submitting their candidacy statements and accompanying information, candidates must affirm that they have been JAT members in good standing for the entire year preceding the end of the candidacy registration period.

3.2 Candidacy statements must be accompanied by the candidate’s full name, gender, nationality, address of current residence, primary telephone number, and primary JAT e-mail address, together with the full names, primary JAT e-mail addresses, and endorsement statements of three endorsers.

3.3 With the exception of the Auditors and members of the Election Committee, any JAT member in good standing may endorse any number of candidates up to the number of seats available for Director and Auditor, respectively. This means that candidates may endorse each other, and that Directors may endorse candidates in their capacity as individual members of JAT.

3.4 Endorsers must be members in good standing as of the date on which they submit their endorsement statement(s) and voters must be members in good standing as of the date on which they receive their balloting instructions from the Webmaster. 

3.5 No person may serve as an Officer for more than four years in any six-year period, as specified by Article 16-2 of the JAT Constitution.

3.6 A partial year served as an Officer is considered one full year when calculating term limits, except in the case of substitutes as described in Section III.4.7 below.

4. Voting, Determining Winners, and Term Assignments 

4.1 The number of votes each member may cast for Director(s) and Auditor(s) will be equal to the number of Directors and Auditors to be elected. Members do not need to vote for that many candidates but may not vote for more than that many.

4.2 Members may not vote for any candidate more than once.

4.3 The candidates receiving the highest vote totals and at least ten percent of the total number of votes cast for the office for which they stood will be declared elected. In the event of a tie that needs to be broken, each Director may cast one additional vote for one of the tied candidates. In the event of a tie among the Directors, the President decides.

4.4 As many candidates as necessary to bring the total number of Directors to eight will be elected each year. When there are more than four openings for the position of Director, the four candidates receiving the highest vote totals will serve two-year terms. Any other elected candidates will serve one-year terms.

4.5 As many candidates as necessary to bring the total number of Auditors to two will be elected each year. When there are two openings for the position of Auditor, the candidate receiving the higher vote total will serve a two-year term. The other elected candidate will serve a one?year term.

4.6 If the second year of a two-year term would result in a violation of the term limits, the Officer in question will serve a one-year term.

4.7 Should an Officer resign during his/her term of office, the Board may appoint an interim substitute to serve until the next election, preferably from among the higher-ranking losing candidates in the most recent election. Should this substitute decide to run in a future election, the period served will not count towards his/her term limit.

Section IV. Officers

1. Responsibilities

1.1 After the AGM has ratified the voting results, the Directors will designate a President, Vice President, and such other members as are necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of the Association. Among the specific duties to be assigned are those of managing the Association’s finances, maintaining membership rolls, publicizing the Association’s activities, and liaising with JAT committees and other professional organizations.

1.2 The Board must ensure that all records required by Law and other rules and regulations are kept for the required statutory period. 

1.3 The Auditors are responsible for ensuring the Directors abide by the JAT Constitution, these Bylaws, and all other relevant laws and regulations, and for monitoring JAT's finances.

2. Dismissal of Officers

2.1 The provisions of Article 18 (解任) of the JAT Constitution will apply to Officers who are deemed obstructive or incompetent. The Board may propose and vote on a motion to submit a written record of the alleged obstructive or incompetent behavior to the Officer in question, together with two weeks' warning that the Board will initiate proceedings calling for a vote of the membership to remove said Officer, unless said Officer resigns, or either refutes the record or undertakes in writing, to cease such behavior forthwith to the Board's satisfaction.

2.2 If said Officer resigns, or either refutes the record or undertakes in writing to cease such behavior forthwith and makes restitution, to the Board’s satisfaction, as provided in Section IV.2.1, the Board will take no further action.

2.3 If said Officer refuses to resign, or is unable or unwilling to either refute the record or undertake in writing to cease such behavior forthwith, to the Board’s satisfaction, as provided in IV.2.1, the Board will call on the membership to vote for the removal of said Officer at a physical or virtual (online) General Meeting, or a combination of both.

3. Board Meetings

3.1 There are two types of Board Meetings: Face-to-Face Board Meetings and Remote Board Meetings. Articles 33 through 38 of the JAT Constitution apply to both types of meeting. However, if it is impossible to comply with the provisions of Article 38.2 of the JAT Constitution on obtaining Directors’ seals and signatures, such as in the case of Remote Board Meetings, other appropriate measures will be taken to validate the minutes.

3.1.1  Face-to-Face Board Meetings Officers are physically present and the meetings usually take place within a single day 3.1.2 Remote Board Meetings Officers in various locations communicate continuously throughout the year via media such as Internet discussion boards, meeting systems, forums and telephone conferencing (“communications media”).

3.2 All Officers must make every reasonable effort to participate in Board meetings, to stay informed on issues involving the Association, to respond promptly to calls for votes, and to cooperate in enabling the Association to fulfill its purposes. 

4. Board Meeting Schedules and Procedures 

4.1 Face-to-Face meetings

4.1.1 There are two Face-to-Face meetings (F2F) each year, the post-AGM F2F and the mid-year F2F. Typically, the post-AGM F2F will take place as soon as possible after the AGM when the newly-elected Officers take office, but Officers will not be reimbursed for expenses. The mid-year F2F will usually take place approximately midway between AGMs, and Officers will be reimbursed for expenses as provided for in Section VI.2. 

4.1.2 The exact dates for the mid-year F2F and any other F2F meetings that may be necessary should be discussed and scheduled as soon as possible after the AGM ratifies the Officers for the year, so as to give Officers time to make arrangements to attend.

4.2 Remote Board Meetings

4.2.1 Remote Board meetings are ongoing throughout the year. Directors hold discussions, propose and second motions and vote on important matters as appropriate using the communications media. They will also make every effort to reach and execute decisions promptly.

4.2.2 At an appropriate time, a director may propose a motion. If and when that motion is seconded by another director, an electronic vote will be initiated by the director(s) responsible for the voting mechanism.

4.2.3 A vote passes when a majority of all Directors votes for it. 

4.2.4 Votes close on the seventh day after the start of voting, or whenever all Directors have voted, whichever is sooner. The results of the vote will be made available to Officers, and reported to the membership as appropriate.

4.2.5 The President shall periodically report on the activities of the continual remote meetings of the Board to the membership, and these reports, including the results of all votes, will serve as minutes of the remote meetings. 

Section V. Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings

1. The AGM will be held between April and June each year. All Directors and Auditors will make every reasonable effort to attend.

2. To ensure that General Meetings of the Association (AGMs or EGMs) are quorate in accordance with Article 27 of the JAT Constitution, members who cannot attend the meeting may vote online using a system available to all members, submit a written absentee ballot, or appoint the Auditors as proxies in accordance with Article 29 of the JAT Constitution. 

3. General Meetings will be convened in accordance with Articles 25 and 26 of the JAT Constitution. In particular, at least twenty-one days' notice of the meeting's date, time, place, purpose and agenda will be given in accordance with Article 25.3 of the JAT Constitution. Appropriate deadlines for submissions of online and absentee ballots and appointing proxies will also be established in advance to allow enough time for members' votes to be tabulated for inclusion in votes at the meeting.

4. The following notice and a link to the Bylaws must be prominently displayed on all signup and renewal forms: "As a JAT member, you agree to follow the Bylaws of the Association. Section V.2 of the Bylaws makes Association Auditors your proxy for casting an abstain vote at AGMs and EGMs at which you do not otherwise vote. For details, see [link].”

Section VI. Accounts, Budgets, Expenses and Honoraria

1. Accounts and Budgets

1.1 Each year, the Directors must draw up accounts and budgets in accordance with the JAT Constitution, approve them, and submit them to the Auditors for review.

1.2 The audited accounts and budgets must be submitted to the AGM for approval.

2. Travel Expenses for Directors Attending the Mid-year F2F 

2.1 JAT will pay:

2.1.1 Round trip economy travel from home to the meeting by the most direct route:

2.1.2 If traveling by train, “economy” includes a seat reservation, but excludes additional benefits such as first class, “green car,” and sleeper fares

2.1.3 If traveling by personal vehicle (e.g., car), base mileage allowances (as defined by the relevant tax authority) plus parking expenses (for a maximum two nights at the hotel where the Officer is staying). :

2.1.4 Reasonably priced accommodation for two nights near the meeting location

2.1.5 Taxi to and from the meeting when necessary

2.2 Officers must submit their receipts to the Treasurer to be reimbursed.

3. Honoraria and other Expenses for Officially Recognized JAT Events and Publications

3.1 The organizing committees of officially recognized JAT events may pay an honorarium of up to 20,000 yen per session, provided the speaker(s) submit materials for proceedings or the JAT website. An honorarium of up to 20,000 yen may also be paid for articles submitted to officially recognized JAT publications. 

3.2 The committees may reimburse actual transportation costs per committee member and/or speaker, provided these costs are at least 2,000 yen, up to a maximum of 10,000 yen. Taxi fares will not be reimbursed. Proof of payment is required for all reimbursements.

3.3 The committees are responsible for budgeting for honoraria, travel and other expenses.

3.4 The committees must obtain Board approval for exceptions.

4. Authorization for Expenses

4.1 Expenses for Board-approved projects can only be approved by majority vote of the Directors. 

4.2 However, the President and Treasurer may jointly approve ad hoc expenses not exceeding 50,000 yen for Board-approved projects.

4.3 The President and Treasurer, in turn, may jointly designate a point person for Board-approved projects to approve ad hoc expenses not exceeding 30,000 yen.

4.4 Receipts and/or other documentary evidence must be provided for the expenses referred to in Section VI.4.1 through 4.3 above.

Section VII. Committees

1. In addition to the Election Committee, the Board may establish such other committees as appropriate to assist in conducting the affairs of the Association. Examples of such committees include the Tokyo Activities Committee (TAC), the Kansai Activities Team (KAT) and JATLAW. 

2. The Board will designate Committee Chairs who will serve at the Board’s discretion. The Board will re-designate Chairs for all existing committees when it takes office and when Chairs need to be replaced for any reason.

3. Committee members will be invited by, and serve at, the discretion of the Chair. In principle, committee membership is limited to JAT members, but when appropriate, the Chair may invite non-members to participate on a voting basis. All such appointments and portfolio allocations are subject to Board approval, and the Board may remove a Committee member at any time at its own discretion.

4. Committees must report their activities to the Board in a timely manner, so as to enable Directors serving as liaison officers to fulfill their obligations.

5. The Board may disband committees.

Section VIII. Conferences

1. IJETs

1.1 The Board will arrange for the holding, usually between April and June each year, of an International Japanese-English Translation (IJET) Conference as a JAT event organized by a JAT committee.

1.2 Parties interested in organizing and holding an IJET Conference are invited to submit their bids in accordance with the current IJET Manual as approved by the Board.

1.3 IJET Conferences are numbered in sequence (IJET-23, IJET-24, etc.). 

1.4 The Board selects the venue and delegates operational responsibility to an organizing committee that will organize and conduct the IJET in accordance with the IJET Manual. 

1.5 In principle, the site of the conference alternates between Japan and English-speaking countries.

1.6   The IJET Committee will provide all JAT members and all paying non-member participants with a copy of the published conference proceedings, usually in electronic format.

2. PROJECTs

2.1 The Board may also arrange for the holding of PROJECTs (PROfessional Japanese-English Conferences on Translation).

2.2 The provisions of Section VIII.1.2, and 1.4 will apply, with "PROJECT Manual" replacing "IJET Manual

Section IX. The JAT Mailing Lists

1. JAT Mailing Lists are for the exclusive use of JAT members in good standing and non-members granted access for special purposes, collectively called List Users. 

2. The content of all JAT Mailing Lists are collectively and individually subject to the rules and conditions delineated in the Terms of Use.

3. Any of the JAT Mailing Lists may be monitored and moderated by moderators appointed by the Board, who will be responsible for monitoring the content of the JAT Mailing Lists to determine compliance with the Terms of Use established by JAT, and to satisfy any law, regulation, or authorized government request on behalf of the Board.

4. The JAT Webmaster will administer all JAT Mailing Lists on behalf of the Board.

5. Except in cases where action is taken under Section II.5, offenders against these rules will be subject to the following penalties, which will be applied at the discretion of the JAT Webmaster, Moderators and/or Board:

6.1 First offense: The Moderators issue a private warning to the Member and notify the Board of this warning.

6.2 Second offense: The Moderators issue a public warning to the Member on the relevant JAT list, with further notification to the Member by e-mail.

6.3 Third offense: The Moderators will put the Member on moderated status. All messages from the Member will be reviewed by a moderator and only published on approval.

6.4 Offense while on moderated status: The moderators revoke the Member's posting rights.

6.5  The Moderators may refer a Member who falls under 6.1, 6.2 or 6.3 above to the Board for action at any stage.

6.6  The Moderators may immediately impose moderated status for a period of six months on Members who are issued at least one warning yearly or multiple warnings within one year and/or are the subject of multiple complaints received from the general membership regarding the member's posts. If the Member in question again merits warning and/or becomes the source of complaints for posts following the six months of moderated status and restoration to full privileges, his or her posting privileges may be revoked and his or her membership referred to the Board for review.

7. Members are responsible for ensuring their comments are true and fair, and the Board and/or the Moderators have the right, at their sole discretion, to edit, refuse to post, or remove any material submitted to, or posted on, the JAT Mailing Lists.