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AI Translation

Translate Your Products to Japanese

Reach 128M+ Japanese speakers in Japan and beyond. AI translation that keeps technical terms, units and the market's tone right gets your product data ready for your shop, your dealers and marketplaces.

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Speakers
128M+
Market Size
$270B
Online Shoppers
102M
Annual Growth
7.5%
Avg. order value
$120
Mobile share
78%

Online shoppers and market size cover these countries: Japan.

How it works

How to Translate Products to Japanese

Get your product catalog translated and ready to sell in three simple steps

  1. 01

    Import your products

    Connect your e-commerce platform or upload your catalog as a file. WISEPIM takes over titles, descriptions, attributes and categories.

  2. 02

    AI translates to Japanese

    The AI translates your catalog with your glossary, your protected terms and your instructions per market. Numbers, units and model numbers stay as they are.

  3. 03

    Review and publish

    Review the translations and publish them to your sales channels. That way you reach Japanese-speaking customers without going through an agency.

Example

One article: what changes, what stays

An example from a sanitary catalog. Texts and option values are translated. Numbers, units and article numbers stay exactly as they are.

One article: what changes, what stays
Product nameThermostatic shower mixer, surface-mounted, DN 15, chromeTranslated, with the terms from your glossary
Material (option value)BrassTranslated once for every product with this value
Connection1/2"Stays 1/2"
Flow rate22 l/minStays 22 l/min
Article numberTB-4415-CRStays TB-4415-CR (protected term)

In a Catalog Jobs translation run, a text whose numbers, units or protected terms do not match the source waits in the Review queue instead of going live.

Checklist

Japanese Product Information Checklist

Make sure your product data is complete and optimized for Japanese-speaking customers

Product Content

  • Build titles in the order your channel expects: brand, product type, key spec, model
  • Keep article numbers, EANs and model codes untranslated as protected terms
  • Use one term per concept across the whole catalog, set in your glossary
  • Translate safety notes and claims exactly, and never add new ones
  • Check that bullet points name the same specs as the source

Attributes and Specifications

  • Translate option values once per attribute, not per product
  • Keep spec values identical: DN 15, 1/2" and 22 l/min stay as they are
  • Write decimals and thousands the way the target market does
  • Mark brand and series names as never translate
  • Check units the market writes differently, without changing the value

SEO and Discoverability

  • Keep meta titles under 60 and meta descriptions under 160 characters
  • Use the search terms buyers in the market use, not literal translations
  • Translate the alt text of your images
  • Map your categories to the category names of the market
  • Set hreflang tags for every language version

Check one of your files first

Send us one product file as it comes from your supplier or ERP. We show you on your own rows what to fix before you translate it.

Request the free check
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Culture and language

Japanese Culture and Language Insights

Understanding the local culture is key to successful product translations

Recommended Tone and Style

Use a Formal tone with a Respectful, Polite, Precise, Quality-focused, Humble style when writing product descriptions.

Key Considerations

  • Strong emphasis on politeness, honorifics (Keigo), and social hierarchy.
  • High value placed on quality, reliability, and attention to detail in products and services.
  • Indirect communication is common; explicit statements can sometimes be perceived as rude.
  • Visual aesthetics and clean design are crucial for product presentation and website layout.
  • The concept of 'omotenashi' (wholehearted hospitality) influences customer service expectations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using overly casual language or direct translations without adapting to Keigo (honorifics).
  • Ignoring the importance of high-quality imagery and detailed product descriptions.
  • Failing to adapt to Japanese design preferences (e.g., often more text-heavy, but well-structured).
  • Not providing comprehensive customer support, including clear return policies.

Translation tips

  • Always use native Japanese linguists with expertise in e-commerce and marketing to ensure natural, culturally appropriate messaging.
  • Pay meticulous attention to Keigo (honorifics) and formality levels; incorrect usage can be highly offensive.
  • Prioritize conciseness and clarity, but also understand that Japanese web design often incorporates more detailed text and information.
  • Localize all visual elements, including images, colors, and iconography, to resonate with Japanese cultural preferences.
  • Ensure proper use of all three writing systems: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana, as well as accurate punctuation.

Market

Selling Products in Japan: E-commerce Landscape

Understand the platforms, payment methods, and shopping habits of Japanese-speaking customers

Popular Platforms

  • Rakuten
  • Amazon Japan
  • Yahoo! Shopping
  • ZOZOTOWN
  • Mercari

Payment Methods

  • Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex)
  • Konbini Payments (Convenience Store Payments)
  • Bank Transfers
  • PayPay
  • Line Pay

Peak Shopping Seasons

  • New Year (Shogatsu - December/January)
  • Golden Week (Late April/Early May)
  • Obon (Mid-August)
  • Christmas (December)
  • Black Friday/Cyber Monday (November - growing)

Shipping Expectations

Customers expect fast, precise, and reliable delivery, often with specified time slots. High-quality packaging and careful handling are also highly valued.

Localization

Localizing for Japanese-Speaking Customers

Translation is just the start. Adapt your content to local expectations for maximum impact.

  • The metric system is standard for all measurements (centimeters, meters, kilograms, grams).
  • Japanese clothing sizes often use S, M, L, LL, 3L, which typically run smaller than their Western equivalents. It is essential to provide detailed size charts with actual garment measurements (e.g., bust, waist, hip, length in cm) to help customers compare with their own body measurements.
  • Shoe sizes are measured in centimeters (cm). For example, a common men's size might be 26.5cm. Always list shoe sizes in cm, often with corresponding EU/US sizes for international brands.
  • Weight units for products are expressed in kilograms (kg) and grams (g). For very light items, grams are used; for heavier items, kilograms.
  • Dimensions are typically expressed in centimeters (cm) and follow the order of width x depth x height (幅 x 奥行き x 高さ), or sometimes L x W x H for length, width, and height. Example: 30cm x 20cm x 10cm.

  • Date format is typically YYYY年MM月DD日 (e.g., 2025年12月31日). For numerical-only contexts, YYYY/MM/DD or YYYY.MM.DD is common (e.g., 2025/12/31).
  • The decimal separator is a period/dot (.). Example: 1,234.56円.
  • The thousand separator is a comma (,). Example: 1,234,567円.
  • Currency is Japanese Yen (円 or ¥). The symbol 円 is placed after the number without a space (e.g., 1,234円). The ¥ symbol is often used in international contexts and placed before the number (e.g., ¥1,234).
  • Time format is commonly 24-hour (e.g., 14:30) for official and business contexts. 12-hour format with 午前 (gozen - AM) and 午後 (gogo - PM) is also used in daily conversation (e.g., 午後2時30分). For e-commerce, 24-hour is generally clearer.
  • The week typically starts on Monday in Japanese calendars and business contexts.

  • Prefer bright, clean, and high-quality photography. Product images should be crisp and detailed, often against a white or neutral background. Lifestyle shots should convey aspiration and quality, typically in well-organized, aesthetically pleasing settings, avoiding overly dramatic or artificial poses.
  • Model representation often favors a 'clean,' 'friendly,' and 'relatable' aesthetic. While models of East Asian ethnicity are common, a mix including Caucasian models is also frequently seen, especially in fashion or luxury. Youthful appearance and a slender physique are often preferred in fashion imagery.
  • Design aesthetics lean towards clean, organized layouts with ample whitespace. While some e-commerce sites can be text-heavy, a balanced approach with clear navigation and intuitive user interfaces is crucial. Pastel, muted, or natural color palettes are often preferred over overly bright or flashy colors, conveying sophistication and harmony.
  • Imagery of people should generally convey politeness and approachability. Direct eye contact is acceptable and can signal sincerity. Group shots emphasizing harmony, collaboration, or shared enjoyment are common. Posing tends to be more reserved and professional rather than overtly expressive or casual.
  • Culturally resonant imagery includes cherry blossoms (桜 - sakura), Mount Fuji, and traditional seasonal motifs. Avoid imagery that could be misinterpreted as rude, disrespectful, or overly aggressive. For example, specific hand gestures or overly demonstrative expressions might not resonate well.

  • Red (赤 - aka) is widely used for sales, discounts, and urgent calls to action, conveying excitement and attention. It is also a color of celebration and good fortune when paired with white.
  • Blue (青 - ao) is a strong color for trust, reliability, professionalism, and technology, frequently used by banks, tech companies, and in corporate branding to convey stability and integrity.
  • Black (黒 - kuro) signifies sophistication, elegance, and luxury, often used for premium brands and high-end products. Gold (金 - kin) and silver (銀 - gin) further enhance this perception of quality and prestige.
  • Pink (ピンク - pinku) is strongly associated with 'kawaii' (cuteness), youthfulness, and femininity, making it popular for products targeting younger women or for items emphasizing charm and softness.
  • Avoid excessive use of black and white together in contexts that might evoke mourning, although black and white is also a popular combination for modern, minimalist design. Use purple (紫 - murasaki) carefully; historically associated with nobility and luxury, it can also suggest mystery or spirituality depending on the shade and context.

Local SEO

Local SEO Tips for Japanese

Optimize your product content for search engines in Japanese-speaking markets

  • Prioritize Google and Yahoo! Japan, as Google dominates search, but Yahoo! Japan (powered by Google) maintains a significant user base with its unique portal experience. Ensure your content is optimized for both.
  • Conduct thorough keyword research considering Japanese linguistic nuances: utilize Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji variations. Include honorifics where appropriate for B2B or service-oriented queries (e.g., adding '様' (sama) for formal address) and incorporate long-tail keywords that often include specific regional names (e.g., '東京 カフェ おすすめ' - Tokyo cafe recommendations).
  • Structure content for clarity and trust. Japanese users appreciate detailed, well-organized information. While directness is valued, a polite and formal tone (丁寧語 - teineigo) is expected for official communication. Use clear headings, bullet points, and strong calls to action. Blogs can be more conversational.
  • Focus on local link building by registering with prominent Japanese local directories like iタウンページ (iTownPage) and エキテン (Ekiten). Actively manage your Google My Business (Googleビジネスプロフィール) profile with accurate information and solicit customer reviews.
  • Utilize a .jp ccTLD for maximum local relevance and trust signals to Japanese users and search engines. Ensure your site is hosted locally in Japan for faster loading times and optimize for mobile-first indexing, as mobile search is prevalent.
  • Optimize for natural language queries in voice search, which is growing in Japan. Consider how users might phrase questions conversationally rather than just keyword strings, especially for local information or product inquiries.

Free tool

Generate hreflang tags for your translated pages

Add the URL of each language version and copy valid hreflang link tags, x-default included.

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Platform Integrations

Japanese Translation for Every Platform

Translate once, publish to every channel you sell on. Push your Japanese product content to Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Lightspeed and other connected platforms, or export it as a feed or file. Opt-in auto-sync sends saved changes to supported shops.

FAQ

Japanese Product Translation FAQ

Common questions about translating products to Japanese

WISEPIM translates with the glossary and do-not-translate terms from your Knowledge Library, so product names and fixed terms come out the way you set them. It handles product descriptions, technical specifications, and sales copy. It typically delivers 95%+ accuracy. You can review and edit every translation before publishing, and reviewer feedback can become new glossary terms and settings for the next run.

It depends on the size of your catalog and the number of languages. Bulk translations run in the background as a job, so you can keep working, and you get a notification when the results are ready to review. Before you start, a free preview shows how many texts per language need translating and what the run costs in credits.

Yes, within the rules you set. The AI adapts tone, wording and formatting to the target market, and you steer it per project with a glossary of fixed translations, words that are never translated (brand names, model codes) and your own instructions. In a Catalog Jobs translate run, every new translation is checked for kept numbers and units, protected terms, intact HTML and length limits, and a text that fails waits in the Review queue instead of going live.

Yes, if you turn on SEO optimization in your translation settings. Meta titles, meta descriptions and meta keywords are then written for search in the target language, with natural keyword placement and the original meaning kept. With it off, they are translated faithfully at a similar length. In a Catalog Jobs translate run, meta titles over 60 characters and meta descriptions over 160 go to the Review queue.

Yes, you have full control. You can edit any translated content directly in WISEPIM and push the changes to your connected sales channels. If you update the original product description, you choose whether to translate it again or keep your manual edits. On paid plans, the operation history lets you undo changes at any time.

Translation runs on credits. A standard translation of one product into one language costs one credit, and a higher-quality tier costs more per product. Before every run, a free preview shows how many texts per language will be translated and how many credits the run takes, so you can start with one category.

Yes. WISEPIM translates from your project's main language, so your source data does not have to be in English. You pick the target languages for each run.

Push it to a connected shop, export it as a file or feed from Feed Hub, or share a read-only Brand Portal in the languages you choose. Dealers browse it, download the data or import it into their own WISEPIM.

Related Japanese E-commerce Search Terms

  • オンラインショッピング (online shopping)
  • 通販 (mail order/e-commerce)
  • ネットショップ (online shop)
  • 人気商品 (popular products)
  • セール (sale)

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