<IP Practice Online> How English–Japanese patent translators think (Tatsuya Yabuuchi)
Updated: 5 days ago
Article information
Article type: Lectures and videos
Category: Patents
Issues: Patent drafting and translation
First published on this website: 2026-10-03
Display and classification checked: 2026-10-03
<IP Practice Online> “How English–Japanese patent translators think in supporting the application process: Translators' judgments and thinking connecting technology, law and language” (Tatsuya Yabuuchi)
The “inside of the translator's head (black box)” was disclosed, verbalizing the logic and risk management underlying translation choices.
1. The translator's role connecting technology, law and language
“Word-for-word translation (literal/mirror translation)” is often debated in patent translation, but English and Japanese have fundamentally different structures. Translators exercise sophisticated judgment while balancing three elements:
• Technology: Accurately visualize and understand the invention's physical operation and mechanism, beyond the surface wording.
• Law: Conform to Japanese patent law, examination guidelines and IP practice, producing a legal document that does not disadvantage examination.
• Language: Construct natural Japanese that examiners and patent attorneys can readily understand without misunderstanding, without changing the scope even one millimeter.
2. Translators' thinking and specific judgments
Avoiding legal risks through translations of “treatment”: Although dictionaries generally translate it as “chiryo,” where “therapeutic treatment” and “prophylactic treatment” appear together, this yields unnatural Japanese equivalent to “therapeutic therapy” and “prophylactic therapy.” It also risks interpretive variation implicating Japan's rules on medical acts (methods of surgery, therapy or diagnosis of humans). Deliberately using “shochi” (therapeutic/prophylactic treatment) avoids legal risks and later corrections.
Appropriate legal terminology: When translating the standard phrase “without wishing to be bound by theory,” Japanese legal dictionaries use “kosoku,” rather than “sokubaku,” for binding; the former should be used.
• Syntax preserving claim scope (enumeration and modification)
For claims listing A, B, and C, use expressions such as “A to, B to, C to,” indicating inclusion (and) or alternatives (or) early, rather than merely “A, B, oyobi C.”
Avoid free translation that arbitrarily limits or reduces scope to improve Japanese readability in complex English claims with long postmodifying phrases.
Logically distinguish “... no sukunakutomo hitotsu” from “... no uchi no sukunakutomo hitotsu” when translating “at least one of.”
Style guides and consistent notation: Uniformity throughout the specification matters, including full-width/half-width numbers and letters and kanji/hiragana choices for “oyobi” and “matawa.”
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Update and correction history
Substantive corrections, additions, classification, related-article and display changes are recorded separately from the website's first-publication date.
2026-10-03: First publication from the LinkedIn original; article information, issue tags, language navigation and consultation guidance were added.
2026-10-13: aligned the canonical and search-index URLs with the published URL. The original article text was not changed.
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