WORKING WITH JAPANESE CLIENTS
Clarify a Japanese client brief before starting work
A short client brief can hide several decisions: which pages are included, who supplies the text and what counts as a revision. Before opening your design or development tools, turn the brief into a small set of questions. For an English-speaking freelancer working with a Japanese client, concrete nouns help both sides check that they mean the same thing.
Restate the deliverable first
Summarise what you understand before asking the client to correct it. Use the names in their brief, including page titles and file formats. Avoid treating your interpretation as an agreement. “My understanding is…” gives the other person a clear opportunity to confirm or adjust the scope.
Example 1: Confirm included pages
English: My understanding is that this project includes the home page and the contact page. Is that correct?
日本語：今回の制作範囲は、トップページとお問い合わせページの2ページと理解しております。この認識で相違ないでしょうか。
The Japanese wording asks whether your understanding differs from theirs. It does not say the scope has already been approved. Keep the page count if it matters: listing two names without a total can leave room for additional pages to be assumed.
Ask one question about the uncertain part
If “update the images” could mean replacing supplied files or creating new illustrations, ask which action is needed. Avoid putting several unrelated decisions inside one long sentence. Number separate questions when the client needs to answer more than one, and leave room for an answer you did not anticipate.
Example 2: Clarify an image request
English: For the new banner, will you provide the image, or would you like me to create it? I will confirm the work involved after your reply.
日本語：新しいバナー用の画像はご支給いただけますか。それとも、こちらで制作する想定でしょうか。ご回答をいただいてから、必要な作業内容を確認いたします。
This message asks about responsibility without offering extra work for free or implying an additional charge. If the answer changes your estimate or delivery date, explain that change separately and agree it before starting the added work.
Make missing materials easy to identify
“Please send everything” leaves the client to guess what is missing. Name the material, the intended use and the format you can accept. Ask for the latest approved version when drafts exist. Keep private customer details out of example text used in a translation tool.
Example 3: Request final copy
English: Could you send the approved English text for the contact page? A Word document or plain text is fine.
日本語：お問い合わせページに掲載する、確定済みの英語原稿をお送りいただけますでしょうか。Wordファイルまたはテキストで問題ありません。
Before starting
- List the deliverables and the person supplying each asset.
- Record unanswered questions without filling the gaps yourself.
- Confirm any revised estimate or schedule in the project thread.
- Check that the translated request asks for the same decision as the original.