Education, Vocational Training, and Career Support at Japan
Visualmedia Translation Academy

Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy’s principles and accomplishments are the pillars behind a track-record that has nurtured and produced the greatest number of visualmedia translators in Japan.

Visualmedia translation is a vocational skill for which the entertainment industry has a great need. Viewers want to see a variety of visualmedia content, such as foreign movies, dramas, documentaries, sitcoms and sports programs; and each of these requires its own subtitling and voice-overs.

We at JVTA have found it to be crucial for aspiring visualmedia translators to learn and understand a wide variety of genres and all techniques involved in subtitling and voiceover dubbing. Specialized training in all facets of the visualmedia translation services required by the entertainment industry vastly expands one’s opportunities in the field of professional translation.

Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy has taken the initiative in providing a definition for the vocational skill that is visualmedia translation, and is working to establish a standard definition in both the translation education industry and the industries related to visualmedia production. Our success rate in having sent the greatest number of students into professional careers in the industry is a testament to the value of our approach and its results.

Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy’s course curriculum is a special program designed to teach all of the necessary knowledge and skills for becoming a professional translator in a short period of time. Many of our students have advanced from novice to working professional only a year and a half of after completing our training.

At JVTA we understand the importance of all-inclusive visualmedia translation education. Our extensive curriculum comprehensively incorporates the skills, theory and hands-on training indispensable to a professional translator, and all of our classes are taught by industry professionals.

Learning at Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy does not stop with the curriculum. We support each of our students as much as possible both during and after their training with us.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Individual Interview and Evaluation

Upon completion of each level of training, our instructors and resident director provide individual interviews and counseling to assess students’ progress, to discuss their options and to assist them in making informed decisions.

Employment Support - Media Translation Center (MTC)

Media Translation Center (MTC) is an entity within Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy with its own special function. Its sole purpose is to assist our new graduates in securing employment within the industry. We have ten full-time resident directors in our L.A. and Tokyo offices combined, who provide support both during and after the training.

The Center provides post-graduation practice translation trials (imitating the real working environment) and one-on-one feedback, as well as outsourcing and business introductions. With resources and experience unmatched by any other school, MTC continues to be held in high esteem in the media and translation industries, and has received translation and staff placement requests from over 50 companies in Japan and the U.S. – many of which can be seen in the Company Overview section of the Japanese language web page.

All Students Provided with Subtitling Software in Class

Specialized software is indispensable for translation using subtitles, and Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy is in possession of more than 200 sets of independently-developed software designed for this purpose, offering a learning environment that is both state-of-the-art and extremely similar to a real-life work environment. At present, Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy’s subtitling software is receiving attention from different institutions of higher education in Japan, with possibilities for its implementation already under consideration.

Cooperation with Los Angeles Branch Office

In 2008, Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy established a branch office in Los Angeles, the heartland of the visualmedia business world, and began gathering information and exploring the demand for visualmedia translation. The latest information and business know-how relating to visualmedia content obtained at the branch office are reflected in Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy’s curriculum and employment support system.

Taking a broad view of translation education in Japan, it can be seen that there is a strong tendency to focus on translation techniques and practice, leaving study of the language itself as the responsibility of the individual learner. However, we at JVTA have found that it is a mistake to separate basic language skills from visualmedia translation ability.

The only prerequisite our school requires is that the student be able to understand the source language, while being natively fluent in the target language. However, more than a few students of visualmedia translation actually do feel insecure about their own language ability, regardless of their career histories or scores on language tests, and have a desire to do something about it.

In 1999, three years after its inception, Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy created a special course for English study called “English Clock” at the Tokyo location, based on the idea that visualmedia translation study and language study are really two sides of the same coin.

At English Clock, many students with the clear goal of success have shown remarkable results in a short amount of time. Moreover, for those visualmedia translation students who do not need English instruction, the sense of security that comes from knowing that lecturers and advisers are on hand to assist with the language learning aspect at the school is a big advantage.

Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy is continually engaged in ensuring that our graduates can be proud of having studied with us, as well as in raising the profiles of professionals we have trained and increasing their employment opportunities in the industry.

We work to raise the profile our translators by being actively involved in the publication of books relating to visualmedia translation, and by providing support for interviews and participation at high school and university lecture circuits.

For example, the Online Movie Subtitling Contest, our joint-venture with ALC, is a unique contest that offers participants a free chance at creating subtitles for one scene of a well-publicized movie before its theatrical release, and has over 1,000 entries every year. The event is aimed at deepening the understanding of the work involved in visualmedia translation by giving all movies and English lovers, both young and old, the opportunity to experience the joys and challenges of visualmedia translation.

JVTA has also always been a supporter of film and visualmedia festivals with a social awareness. We show our support for these projects through sponsorship and through visualmedia translation services provided by our students and graduates. A list of specific film festivals can be found here (Japanese page).

It is our sincere hope that we can increase the social recognition for all involved in visualmedia translation through activities such as these.