News
February 7, 2026
Hepburn System Romanization, Macrons, and Flexibility
In a decision made official on December 22, 2025, the Japanese government finally abolished the romanization rules adopted in 1954 specifying the Kunrei system as the official romanization system to be used in schools and the National Diet Library, and adopted the Hepburn system, which has been in widespread use by some government ministries, most publishers, media, non-Japanese individuals, and... more
January 7, 2026
Greetings in the New Year: SWET 2026 Album
For the wordsmith, the experience of past years steadily accumulates, resonating and enriching our craft. Its weight builds momentum as we tackle new challenges and carry on with tedious tasks, caring about clarity, attending to accuracy, and finessing nuance. As we strive to keep ourselves on an even keel in times of turbulent technological change, the companionship of colleagues... more
April 15, 2025
JTA Writing and Style Manual Update FY2024
The output of the Japan Tourism Agency FY2024 “Promoting Multilingual Support for Sightseeing Destinations around Japan” Project is now available on the JTA website (text in Japanese).
Among the links provided are the JTA's resources for local sites producing English text for sightseeing locations is the 2024 edition of the Writing and Style Manual, which is available in English and Japanese. There is also a link to the JTA... more
December 15, 2024
IJET-33 (May 9-11, 2025) in Fukuoka
IJET-33—JAT's annual professional development and networking event—will be held in Fukuoka on May 9 to 11, 2025. The conference will start with fun activities and festivities on May 9 followed by two full days of presentations on May 10 and 11. Registration started in December and closes on April 30. Mark your calendar, tell your colleagues and friends, and follow us on... more
January 1, 2025
Greetings in the New Year: SWET 2025 Album
Reaching out to colleagues and fellow wordsmiths wherever they are, SWET offers a home base for networking, collaboration, and experience-sharing. Writers who edit and translate, translators who write, edit, and proofread, editors who work with Japanese and English manuscripts, authors, and publishers——all testify to the cross-professional nature of wordcraft that bridges languages and cultures. We look forward to the new... more
September 4, 2024
Susan Schmidt Wins America-Japan Society’s Kentaro Kaneko Award
SWET is delighted to share the news published in the Japan Times that Susie Schmidt has received the Kentaro Kaneko Award, sponsored by the American-Japan Society for her "work to promote Japanese-language education in the United States as well as via exchange programs in higher education." Schmidt has been a director and secretary-general of the American Association of Teachers of... more