Nami Enterprises offers a range of seminars designed to help you and your staff understand the Japanese culture and mindset, and how to communicate more effectively with Japanese in both work and personal life. Seminars can be offered on-site at your location, and most are conducted in full-day or half-day format.

All seminar series start out with our Foundation Course on Japanese culture. This is a full-day course that features explanations and discussions about Japanese culture and traditions, and how they are manifested in modern Japanese thought and behaviors. Special emphasis is given to cultural factors that influence business ethics, hierarchy, group-oriented thinking, verbal and nonverbal communication patterns, and other workplace-related issues.

More in-depth seminars on specific topics are customized according to your company's needs. Sample topics include Marketing to the Japanese, Cross-Cultural Teambuilding, Managing Japanese Staff, and Working for a Japanese Boss.

Click here for more information on our seminars and to register.

Translation
Translation refers to the written skill of putting documents into another language (for spoken language, please see the Interpreting section).

Nami Enterprises uses only the most highly skilled professional translators, working into their native languages (for example, a native Japanese language translator would translate from English into Japanese, while a native English language translator would translate from Japanese into English). Translators are assigned to projects according to their fields of expertise, and make a point of keeping up to date with current word usage and industry standards.

Our stringent quality control process ensures that at least 3 pairs of eyes check each project before it is sent to the client. We use a separate translator, editor and proofreader for every document.

We work hard to strike the right balance between accuracy and readability in every translation-- to be true to the message of the original text while being culturally appropriate in the target language. Our staff is both bilingual and bicultural, so we know how to help you put your best foot forward in your translated documents! For more information on the importance of using professional translation services, please see: Why use professional translation services?

We can work in a wide variety of software programs. Click here to request a quote today!

(When requesting a quote, please give approximate word count and the final format for the completed translation (e.g. Word document). For more details on how to submit documents for translation and quotes, please see translation tips

Import/Export Support

Do you have an idea for a product that you would like to get manufactured overseas? Or, are you having difficulties with a current overseas manufacturer? We can help you find the right manufacturer for your product, set up and maintain that relationship for you, so you can focus on your core business functions. We will also handle all the shipping and import logistics!

Nami Enterprises export services include finding the right customers for your product in the target market. We conduct market research studies to measure local receptivity to your product, identify competitors and help determine how to position your product in the market.

Typesetting
We have skilled bilingual technicians working in the latest graphic programs to produce Japanese and Chinese language versions of your original English files, for anything from catalogues to business cards. Technicians work closely with our translation team for quality control, and we deliver final files to you (or straight to your print shop) via email or disk-it's that easy!

Website Localization
Our bilingual website pros can create a Japanese or Chinese mirrored site for your English website and post it for your review before final uploading. Of course, as in all of our projects, our translation team is involved every step of the way to ensure quality control.

Interpreting
Interpreting refers to the spoken skill of putting words into another language.

Our interpreters are trained, skilled linguists with a deep understanding of both cultures and a broad vocabulary for both formal and colloquial language situations. Real professional interpreters strive to make themselves as invisible as possible, so that you and your counterpart feel that your message is being seamlessly transmitted. Of course, each interpreter has his or her own style and fields of expertise, so we choose interpreters carefully according to the type of assignment and the client's specific needs. When booking an interpreter, it is best to give as much information as possible about the assignment to help us choose the right interpreter for you. Advance notice also helps ensure interpreter availability.

There are 2 main types of interpreting: simultaneous and consecutive.

Simultaneous interpreting requires the interpreter to speak in the target language at exactly the same time as he/she hears the words in the source language. This type of interpreting requires equipment (headsets, and often sound-proof booths for the interpreters) so that those who require the interpreting can hear it without disturbing others. Simultaneous interpreting is particularly suitable for large conferences in which some of the members in the audience require interpreting but others do not; this way nobody has to wait for the material to be interpreted before going on to the next point. Simultaneous interpreting is an extremely difficult and taxing skill. Not all interpreters are trained and able to do this! Speaking at exactly the same time as what you are hearing without missing a beat is a completely exhausting and brain-melting activity, so simultaneous interpreters must work in pairs and take turns in order to keep themselves fresh and alert.

Consecutive interpreting is most suitable for smaller meetings and negotiations. The speaker says one or two sentences and then pauses, while the interpreter communicates those sentences. When the interpreter is finished, the speaker either continues or another party responds, again pausing for the interpreter to speak. Because of the time involved in pausing and allowing time for the interpreter to speak, it is important to schedule meetings with ample time built in for this activity.

One final note: professional interpreting is an extremely demanding mental activity, so please be sure to schedule regular breaks for long meetings! Your interpreter is not a machine, and he or she will be able to provide you with the best possible service if you allow time to mentally recharge. You will find that everyone in the meeting will benefit from this as well.

For more information and tips on using professional interpreters, please see: Why use professional interpreters? and Interpreting Tips

Consulting
Our consulting services can take many forms, depending on your needs. Past projects have included such areas as cross-cultural management, HR issues, marketing strategies, communication style analysis / advice, and strategic planning. We conduct consulting sessions with clients on-site, over the phone and via email.

Negotiation Support
Negotiation can be one of the most difficult challenges in an overseas business relationship. Differences in cultural communication styles and expectations are magnified when brought to the negotiation table, and there is an enormous potential to lose ground due to misunderstood or misinterpreted cues. Obtaining the right support at this stage is absolutely critical. We recommend having both an interpreter and a negotiation consultant present at the meeting-while the interpreter's job is to make sure that whatever is said is properly communicated, the negotiation consultant's job is to observe the important elements behind and underneath what is said, to pick up on the important implications that are not voiced but that can greatly impact the outcome of the negotiation. In Japanese communication style, what is NOT said is often more important than what IS said!

Your interaction with the negotiation consultant will usually take on the following format:

Before the meeting, your negotiation consultant will have a pre-meeting with you to discuss strategy and decide the level of participation you would like him/her to take during the meeting.

During the meeting, your negotiation consultant will subtly guide you through certain aspects of the talks (if that is what you request during the pre-meeting) or simply observe and evaluate the meeting and unspoken cues in preparation for the next phase in the negotiation.

After the meeting, you and your negotiation consultant will have a post-meeting de-briefing session, in which you will go over all the details of the meeting and discuss strategic planning for the next step. At this time your consultant will elaborate on the meeting subtext and give suggestions about future communications with each of the participants. This is crucial, because without fully understanding the subtext, it is very likely that you will walk away from the meeting with a different idea of what your counterparts are really thinking.

Logisitics
So you are providing services to foreign clients, but how will they be able to contact you? And once they do, who will assist them in their language? Have you considered time zone issues? How will these things affect your Customer Service and Human Resources concerns? Or maybe you are having goods manufactured abroad -- now what? What is the best way to get them packed, shipped, and delivered? These are the kinds of logistics questions that can drive most people crazy, but they are just the type of challenges we love to tackle. So don't lose sleep over the details-- let us find the right solutions for you!

Market Research
If you are selling products or services overseas, we can help you zero in on the right customers and approach for that market. Our market research studies measure local receptivity to your product, identify competitors and help determine how to position your product or service in the market.