Japanese localization
& launch support
I make foreign software read like it was made in Japan.
I’m Yusuke Adrien Sato. I’m based in Tokyo, and Japanese is my native language. I handle your launch for a fixed price, with every word approved by you in English.
Get a free sampleWhat natural Japanese
looks like.
Small details change how a product feels. Here’s what I look for.
ワークフローを
スーパーチャージ1
Tidybaseはあなたのチームがより速く仕事を成し遂げるのを助けます。2
ドする
毎日の作業を、
もっとスムーズに。1
チームの仕事を、ひとつの場所に。2
ダウンロードする
4 / I check line breaks in the actual interface. 5 / The yen price is illustrative, not a live currency conversion. Local pricing and tax treatment are confirmed with you.
Japan was the world’s third-largest mobile app market by consumer spending in 2023, at $17.9 billion.[1]
That’s a reason to take the market seriously, not a forecast for your app. I use machine translation as a first draft when it helps, then rewrite the copy and check it in the actual product.
I sit between a translation-only freelancer and a full agency. You work directly with the person writing the Japanese and opening the pull request. I work with self-serve products that already have paying customers, including productivity, developer, design and AI tools. Games, finance, healthcare and enterprise sales are outside my scope.
Services and prices.
Start with one page, or get everything ready for your launch. Two rounds of revisions are included.
Starter
5 BUSINESS DAYS- Japanese homepage or store listing
- Japanese keyword research
- A short report with practical improvements
Launch
3 WEEKS- Up to 5,000 source words, delivered as a pull request
- A Japanese landing page
- App Store and Google Play listings
- Japanese X account and 15 ready-to-publish posts
- Press release and a Japanese media list
Additional copy: $8 per 100 source words. Optional Instagram setup: +$390.
After the launch
Monthly support. Three-month minimum, then monthly. Cancel with 30 days’ notice.
Care
New product copy and up to 20 Japanese review or enquiry replies per month. Word allowance agreed before starting.
Care and X
Everything in Care, plus 20 X posts a month and comment replies.
Care and Instagram
Everything in Care, plus 12 Instagram posts and 4 reels a month, with comment and DM replies.
Care, X and Instagram
Care, both social channels, and all the monthly content above.
A founding-client rate in exchange for an agreed case study. I’ll confirm availability and the discount’s duration before you commit.
From your brief
to launch.
Tell me about it
A short form about your product, your audience, and words to keep in English. About 15 minutes.
Read it in your language
I write the Japanese. You review an English back-translation before anything goes public.
Open the doors
I deliver the pull request, publish the landing page, or set up your Japanese store and accounts.
Keep it going
On a monthly plan, approve the bilingual content calendar in one go. I take care of publishing.
No calls needed. Happy to arrange one if you prefer. I reply within one business day, Japan time.
The person writing
is also the developer.
I’m Yusuke Adrien Sato. I’m a native Japanese developer based in Tokyo. I build and ship my own apps, so I know what a broken layout or an overflowing button looks like.
Chochin means a paper lantern hung outside an open shop. My job is to make your product feel open to people in Japan, too.
Your questions.
Do I need to get on a call?
No. A form and email are enough. If you prefer a call, I can arrange one.
Is this just AI translation?
No. I may use machine translation for a first draft. I personally rewrite, check terminology, and review the text in context, including the actual interface.
Do you guarantee results?
No. I can’t promise traffic, signups, or sales. On a monthly plan, I report Japanese visits, signups and sales each month when you provide the relevant analytics access.
How many revisions are included?
Two rounds within the agreed scope. If the scope changes, I quote any extra work before starting it.
Who owns the social accounts?
You do. I work through delegated permissions, without taking your password. Access is removed when our work ends.
What technology do you work with?
i18next, react-intl, next-intl, vue-i18n, Rails I18n, iOS, Android, Flutter, and JSON or YAML files. I confirm repository access and the workflow before starting.
Do you translate legal documents?
No. Legal translation and legal advice are outside my scope. Shop launch includes an explanatory commercial-disclosure template for your adviser to review.
What happens after three months?
The plan renews monthly. You can cancel with 30 days’ written notice.
How can I pay?
By card through Stripe, or by bank transfer in USD or EUR. Payment dates are agreed in writing before the project starts.
See your product
in Japanese.
Send your URL. Within two days, I’ll send a Japanese version of your homepage and three things I’d improve.
Free, with no obligation.
Includes an English back-translation.
[1] Sensor Tower & Adjust, Japan App Trends 2024, 2023 consumer-spending data. Read the source.