Interview with Alyssa Weldon, 21st Annual Translation Contest Runner-up in the Japanese-to-English Division
1. What was your translation background/experience before you entered the JAT contest?
Before entering the contest, my only real translation experience was through eJuku, which I had just participated in a few months prior. Other than that, I translated a few speeches and did a bit of casual interpreting work during my time on the JET Program.
2. How did you approach the task of translating this source text?
Before I got to the translation phase, I read through the article and then looked up as much information as I could about the author and events mentioned. I read a few other articles the author had written as well as a couple of similar articles (in English) to get into the mindset. Then I sat down and created my rough draft. I would let it sit for a few days, make a few revisions, then let it sit again. I always find it helpful to look at my writing with fresh eyes, without the influence of the Japanese text. I also read it aloud once or twice as I feel that helps identify any instances of awkward phrasing.
3. What was the most challenging thing about this translation? (in general, or particular words, sentence, or passage)
The most challenging thing for me was the subject matter itself. The topic being what it was, I wanted to make sure that I fully understood the author’s stance and didn’t inject any of my own opinion into the translation.
4. Is there one word or part of your translation that you are particularly satisfied with? (quality of expression, thoroughness of research, and breadth of appeal).
I felt that it matched the tone of the article and one of the judges specifically commented on it, so it was nice to have that affirmation!
5. Is there one phrase or part of your translation that you would change, with hindsight?
There were a few places where the judges pointed out that I had missed the nuance. Going back, I wish I had wrestled with those longer/more complicated sentences a bit more and really pulled them apart.
6. What benefits (other than the prize) have you got out of the contest (e.g., building reputation, making an impression on clients, changes in your own working method, ideas about translation, etc.) ?
Honestly, the biggest thing that I got out of the contest was self-confidence. Since I had very little translation experience before jumping in, it was nice to have that official recognition that I had translated something well. The feedback from the judges was incredibly valuable, as was being able to compare my translation with the other finalists. I also attended IJET this year and had the honor of being recognized in front of all the attendees. I had people coming up to congratulate me throughout the conference which was a neat experience!
7. Do you have any advice for future JAT translation contestants?
My advice would be to read through the past few years’ submissions and judges’ comments. It’ll give you a good idea of what kinds of things to pay attention to while you’re translating. Also, don’t stress too much about it and just try to enjoy the experience!
8. Did you enjoy the contest?
I enjoyed the contest a lot. This was my first time working with this kind of material, so it was a fun challenge. Overall, I think this was a great experience and helped me grow as a translator.
Interview with Matthew Sueda, 21st Annual Translation Contest Winner in the Japanese-to-English Division
1. What was your translation background/experience before you entered the JAT contest?
Although I haven’t had extensive formal training in translation, navigating between both languages has long been part of my life. It has been a continuous process of learning and relearning. I studied Japanese language and literature in college, where my capstone thesis involved translating 20th-century tanka poetry written by Japanese immigrants to Hawaiʻi. That project drove my interest in translation, even though I didn’t pursue it professionally at the time.
After graduating, I worked in Japan in roles that required bilingual communication on a daily basis. Translation was not always a defined task, but it was always present, whether in preparing documents or facilitating discussions across languages. Some of that involved straightforward, functional translation, but much of it was informal: clarifying ideas in meetings, adjusting tone for different audiences, and making sure meaning and intent were carried over accurately in both directions.
2. How did you approach the task of translating this source text?
I began by reading the source text several times without writing anything, just to understand its tone, rhythm, and central message. I did background research on the author and his writing, as well as on the events described in the source text, checking news stories and opinion pieces. This helped contextualize different aspects of the text beyond what was written, taking into consideration the author’s subjectivity and possible intent based on positions expressed in other publications.
With the source text, I wanted to get a sense of the author’s voice and the emotional arc before thinking about individual sentences. Once I had a feel for the structure, I worked paragraph by paragraph, translating loosely in the first pass to capture the overall meaning.
From there, I revised repeatedly, focusing first on accuracy and then working to improve word choice and rhythm. I read the text aloud to make sure it flowed naturally and didn’t feel like a literal translation. Along the way, I flagged certain sections that required interpretive decisions, especially places where cultural nuance or implied meaning didn’t easily carry over into English. For those areas, I returned later and spent more time weighing different options before settling on what felt true to the original.
My overall goal was to produce a translation that was faithful to the source message but still readable as natural English prose. I wanted to translate in a way that even a reader with no familiarity with Japan or its cultural references could still appreciate the ideas in the text. And given the nature of the text, I felt that idiomatic and slightly literary phrasing might be appropriate. I tried not to translate word-for-word, but instead to reconstruct the original meaning in a way that felt compelling for an English-language audience.
3. What was the most challenging thing about this translation? (in general, or particular words, sentence, or passage)
There is a point in the text where the author shifts perspectives; he moves from describing the demonstration and the positions of the demonstrators to offering his own analysis and critique of the situation. Although the transition is made subtly in Japanese, I found it difficult to signal the change in stance in English without overstating it or distorting the tone of the original.
The title was also challenging. The phrase 「愛国無罪」 has at least a few layers to it: a political history in Chinese discourse, a broader usage within the Japanese context, and the specific way the author employs it rhetorically in this article. It carries a charged ideological nuance that English readers may not immediately recognize. Finding an equivalent that conveyed the critique embedded in the original text required careful thought. Ultimately, I chose to add a short descriptive phrase in the body of the translation to help reflect both the cultural reference and the author’s intent.
4. Is there one word or part of your translation that you are particularly satisfied with?
I was happy with the way my translation turned out for the paragraph beginning, “This exhibition made headlines, albeit in an unexpected way…” That section introduces the central controversy in the article, and I felt some pressure to get the tone right. The original Japanese compresses a lot of information into a compact structure, and is restrained, conveying drama without exaggeration.
In my earlier drafts, my English versions sounded either too flat or too sensational. After several rounds of revision, I felt I was able to adjust the phrasing to improve the flow and build some narrative tension while staying close to the tone of the original. It wasn’t a major change, but successive revisions helped the paragraph feel more natural and readable. I felt this was one of the places where the translation came together well after going through several iterations.
5. Is there one phrase or part of your translation that you would change, with hindsight?
I would like to revisit the translated paragraph beginning, “I understand their desire to problematize and question; their concerns are clear.” In my attempt to translate the opening 「なるほど」 in a way that captured the author’s tone—acknowledging the demonstrators’ position without fully endorsing it—I may have taken a few too many liberties stylistically in the first sentence. I would experiment with alternative renderings that might better preserve the author’s tone of measured acknowledgment without risking over-interpretation. I think that small adjustments in register or phrasing could bring it closer to the nuance of the original.
6. What benefits (other than the prize) have you got out of the contest (e.g., building reputation, making an impression on clients, changes in your own working method, ideas about translation, etc.)
The contest provided an opportunity to engage seriously with translation as a craft. The experience allowed me to approach translation in a more intentional way, slowing down and developing a clearer method for handling difficult passages. Until now, most of my translation experience had been informal or embedded within other work, so it was both instructive and very encouraging to receive feedback from professionals in the field. I also learned a lot from the revision process, looking at my own work critically and trying to understand why something felt “off” and how to fix it.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to connect with the translation community. Translation can feel like solitary work, but the contest was a reminder that there is a wide network of people who care deeply about language and about sharing ideas across cultures with care and integrity.
7. Do you have any advice for future JAT translation contestants?
I don’t know that I’m in a position to give advice, but I can share what helped me. I found it useful to read past years’ source texts, finalist translations, and judges’ comments. That gave me a better sense of how experienced translators think through choices and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Doing background research on the author and topic also helped me understand context that wasn’t spelled out in the text.
I also think it can be worthwhile to take a few risks. Literal translations feel safe, but they don’t always result in strong writing in English. Sometimes leaning toward natural phrasing (like what might be seen in an English-language publication) can reflect the intent of the original better than a strictly word-for-word rendering. The revision process was also important for me; I gave myself time and space to revisit the text multiple times. It was surprising how stepping away from the draft and returning later made it easier to solve some of the more difficult passages.
8. Did you enjoy the contest?
Yes, I did. It was challenging in the best way, and I enjoyed spending time with a text that raised complex ideas. It also reminded me how much I enjoy the process of translation itself. It was rewarding to work through the uncertainty and gradually arrive at something that felt right. I’m grateful I had the chance to take part.
The source text
Matthew's and Alyssa's translation (together with those of the other finalists)
JAT's 22nd Annual Translation Contest (Oct. 1- Nov. 15, 2025)