Grant Program for Translation and Publication on Japan
This program is designed to provide financial support for foreign publishers intending to translate and/or publish booksoriginally written in Japanese. The grant covers part of the translation cost and/or publishing costs. By enabling the reduction of the selling price, and thus making books more accessible to thegeneral public, especially books that are difficult to publish commercially, the program aims to foster better understanding ofJapanese culture and to promote Japanese studies abroad.
Eligibility
Overseas publishers (corporations). Domestic publishers may also apply only if there is a written contract/ agreement with foreign book distribution companies.
*Individuals such as authors and translators are not eligible to apply.
Eligible Projects Translation and/or publication of works completed between April 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023* and fulfill all of the following requirements:
- (1) The works to be translated and/or published must be materials written in Japanese which introduce Japanese culture in the fields of the humanities, the social sciences, and the arts;
- (2) Translation must be made directly from the original work. Retranslation of works already translated into another language will be considered for applications from countries where the number of translators is limited;
- (3) Approval must have previously been obtained from the original copyright holder allowing translation and publication of the work (in case of making a retranslation, also approval from the translator of the text should be obtained);
- (4) Contract that establishes the amount of the translator's fee must be concluded between the publisher and the translator(s). Paying the translator's fee through royalties is not acceptable;
- (5) When the applicant requests support for translation, a part of the draft of the translation should be already completed by the time of applying (November 20, 2020);
- (6) Applicant's publishing plan, budget and schedule must be concrete and feasible.
- (7) The plan and method of implementation must be appropriate and there must be ample expectations that they will yield good result.
- (8) Projects must not be used for religious or political purposes.
*However, in the case of an application for only the"translation grant," the publishing deadline is within two years after the completion of the translation.
The following categories of works are not eligible::
- a. Periodicals (including special issues), proceedings, exhibition catalogues, guidebooks, pamphlets, language dictionaries, and Japanese-language teaching materials, etc.;
- b. Books originally published in a foreign language;
- c. Works not expected to secure wide distribution, including those to be donated for free;
- d. Projects for which the translator's fee is paid by royalties;
- e. Reprints of books; and
- f. Translations already made public, including as a self-published book ora magazine or on a website, etc.
＊Applicants cannot reapply for projects that were rejected in the past without a new plan and/or revised translation.
Grant Coverage Part of the following expenses:
(1) Translation fee (paid to translators by the applicants),
(2) Production costs (paid to printing companies, such as costs for paper, plate-making, printing, binding, etc.).
＊Editing costs, copyright clearance costs, design layout costs, shipping costs, proofreading costs, etc., are not applicable
＊Applicants may apply either for "translation only," "publication only," or "translation and publication."
Please note that only the expenses paid after April 1, 2022 are considered.
Grant payment will be made after the completion of the project.
The average amount of assistance for FY 2021 is 500,000 Yen.
Number of Grants for FY 2021 31 out of 43 applications
Selection Policy
(1) Screening will be made in line with the following criteria and decisions will be made after consulting with outside specialists:
- a. Necessity of grant from the Japan Foundation;
- b. Quality of the content and translation of the work, necessity of publication in the applicants' countries and languages, and adequacy of project plan;
- c. Spillover effect and adequacy of distribution plan.
(2) The following projects may be given relatively higher evaluation:
- a. The titles in "Worth Sharing - A Selection of Japanese Books Recommended for Translation," which is available on the Japan Foundation's website: https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/culture/publication/supportlist_publish/worth_sharing/index.html
- b. A book that is considered to have a wide influence on society; not only limited to researchers but expected to get a wide range of readers in the applicant's country;
- c. A book by an author who has never been introduced in the applicant's country before; and
- d. A book of direct translation from a Japanese book in the area where books on Japan are rarely published.Publication of the book considered to give wide influence on the society, readers and researchers in the applicant's country;
Application Deadline
November 19, 2021
Notification of Results
April 2022
More information:
in Japanese
in English
For any further assistance please contact to our staff, Timea Toth.
Tel.:+36-1-214-0775