Native English Copywriting & Editing in Japan
A native English copywriter in Japan
Copywriting for Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, and all of Japan... in ENGLISH
I’m a copywriter in Japan, but not a Japanese copywriter. Huh? I’ll clarify why it matters.
A native English copywriter in Japan
I’m Adam, owner of Scize Group G.K. (Scize Group godo-gaisha, which is the Japanese equivalent of an LLC). I’m a copywriter and editor of English in Japan.
I’m also a certified editor, marketer, and CPRW (certified resume writer). I was born in the United States, educated in the U.S. and Australia. I’ve lived half my life in Japan.
There are very few true native English copywriters in Japan. Mostly, there are people writing copy in English.
That’s different. It’s like there are people who can change their own oil. And there are certified, experienced mechanics.
Most of the English copy in Japan is written by Japanese people or by translators.
If it’s written by a native speaker of English, it’s usually done by a non-copywriter such as an English teacher. Or it’s written by whatever foreigner is close at hand, such as an intern, who may not even be from a native-English-speaking country.
I learned this difference via my last project: Tsujiru.
Tsujiru (the Japanese word for “get the meaning through”) was my sole proprietorship.
It ranked well on Google for terms like “Tokyo copywriting” “copywriter in Japan” and “copywriting English Japan”.
But many of the inquiries I got were for Japanese copywriting. I speak and write Japanese. I can even call myself a translator. But I’m not a Japanese copywriter.
Not a Japanese copywriter
All inquiries are good inquiries, of course!
I could have farmed out the job to an amateur translator and the client may not have known the difference. But that’s not ethical. And it’s just not cool.
I would direct these inquiries to a qualified and professional Japanese copywriter if I could. But, similar to elsewhere, many people who write call themselves copywriters. And they’re not. They’re people who write.
I even tried to partner with Japanese copywriters, but I couldn’t ensure their quality, because Japanese copywriting is quite distinct from English copywriting.
And unlike English, where there are some talented non-natives, Japanese has structures, formality, and the reader has expectations to be fulfilled. There is less of a sense of art and surprise.
A lot of Japanese culture is like that.
Those who perfect their art, who deliver it in the cleanest and most accurate way, are highly valued. This is why sumo is largely (no pun, really) as it was hundreds of years ago. No dropkicks or punching. No steel chairs to the head. Just big, heavy men, grappling within the rules.
It’s not to say Japan doesn’t innovate. It does. But more so, it perfects. And it does it beautifully.
What this English copywriter in Japan can do; few others can do these things
For one, I can write copy and content. I can create a compelling headline. Write CTAs. Keep sentences short. Move readers to action.
Writing is putting words on paper. Copywriting is results-oriented writing.
“Copywriting is the process of writing advertising promotional materials. Copywriters are responsible for the text on brochures, billboards, websites, emails, advertisements, catalogs, and more.
Unlike news or editorial writing, copywriting is all about getting the reader to take action.” –AWAI
On top of that, I can base my writing on Japanese sources and on lived experiences.
I’ve worked for a Japanese translation company in Tokyo.
I’ve edited a couple of thousand scientific manuscripts and lectured at universities in Fukuoka, Akita, and elsewhere.
I’ve worked 4 years as an editor and writer in a governmental think tank associated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan.
I did tech support in Japan first foreign-owned ISP. My biggest client is a major Japanese SaaS company.
Also, owing to my time spent in countries such as Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines, I can address a wide range of Asia-related topics. I’ve worked with NGOs, UN agencies, and individuals.
Generally, I deal with B2B and B2Science, but I certainly can handle B2C. As long as it’s ethical. That’s part of the Scize way of doing business: it’s about good products and services. Good science.
And, I know and apply SEO at an advanced level. That’s probably how you found me. I work with keywords, readability, on-page and off-page SEO, backlinks, and relationship-building to increase search engine ranking. I do it for me. I can do it for you.
Any content you create online absolutely should be SEO-optimized. I can create new content for you, help you with your strategy, and write text copy that makes people take action.
Translators don’t do that. Nor do English teachers.
I also speak, read, and write Japanese.
In sum
I’m a native English copywriter in Japan. I lived in Tokyo for over 10 years, and I’ve lived in Kobe and other parts of Japan. I’m now based in the calm and welcoming city of Fukuoka, on the Japanese western coast.
I can write English copy and content for you.
If you’re writing about Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, you name it), I can do research in Japanese. I can add insight that others can’t.
For your company, I can also arrange translation of my work from English to Japanese. And I can communicate with your Japanese contacts.
You’ll get insight into Japan. Content that captures the aspects of Japan that only a long-term resident could know. And in the words of a trained copywriter.
But I can’t do Japanese copywriting. I’ll keep working on finding a good partner. Feel free to ask though. Like I said, all queries are good queries.
Thanks,
Adam
