The translation and localization services can be a key factor in establishing relations between countries with diverging cultures, languages and traditions. Today, we take a walk in history to see how important communication and understanding between nations is and how you can implement those practices in order for your business to thrive on an international level.

Spain and Japan are two countries, which relationship between dates back from 400 years ago, with the first diplomatic mission to Spain led by the Keicho Embassy. Ever since, the two countries have been maintaining good bilateral relations, based on mutual understanding and cooperation.

Despite the mutual appreciation and interest shown towards each other’s cultures, the economic relations between the Japanese and Spanish market have not been prioritized or very prominent in recent years. Regardless of Spaniards’ awareness of the technological excellence of the big Japanese corporations, Spain has been concerned with conquering other, Western markets, thus overlooking the potential expansion towards Japan.

With events such as the Spain-Japan Dual Year, held in 2013-2014, efforts have been made to build up better, more dynamic cultural and economic relations between the two countries. This has been done through the collective effort of civil companies, businesses and the public, who have come together to celebrate the two different, but complimenting cultures coming together.

In the last 20 years, a significant amount of Japanese-based businesses within the consumer electronics sector have established themselves in Spain, realising the opportunities for expansion offered by the European market and the significantly cheaper labour costs in Spain. Japanese investment within the Spanish market is most likely to continue, however, it does depend on factors like the development of the technological industry in terms of design and distribution costs.

However, Spain’s presence within the Japanese markets has not been as prominent, with no more than 40 companies representing the country in Japan, from the banking, agriculture and fashion industries.

The deficit in terms of trade and business development from the Spanish side can be explained with the difficulty of localizing content to cater for the Japanese markets. With the prominence of the tourist sector and with the renewable energy industry presenting a high interest for both sides, there is much to be gained from a successful trade agreement between the two countries. The process of localization and integration within the foreign market can be made much more seamless and organic by focusing on high quality translation. Optimising your content so that it is relatable and easy to understand for Japanese or, respectively, Spanish customers can make all the difference for the success of your economic partnership.

However, the Japanese market can be difficult to penetrate by western businesses – there are severe cultural, ideological and linguistic barriers to break. Japan has the 3^rd largest economy in the world and, with its 127 million speakers, upholds a reputation of excellence and good economic relations. This alone is a good reason for businesses to invest in translation and localization services and branch into the Japanese market. In addition to being technologically advanced and making big developments in the robotic industry, Japan’s reputation of excellence and good economic relations makes it the perfect environment for any enterprise.

Here is where the help of translation agencies is necessary – guiding the communication between international companies. The Japanese language is an untapped resource not only for businesses looking to expand, but also for the translation agencies themselves. With its increased influence over the world’s economy and its innovative character, Japanese offers many opportunities for translators to attract new, affluent clients.

The Spanish translation market has always been more focused on Western languages, nevertheless, for improving the economic vitality of the Spanish-based businesses, a professional Japanese translation service is a must.

Through the appropriate translation and localization strategies, businesses can prosper worldwide, being easily integrated within foreign cultures and traditions. Spain, with its fast-growing economy, lucrative tourism industry and stable international relations, can only benefit from expanding its reach to Japan and other Asian countries. Offering translation services from Spanish to Japanese will highly improve an agency’s credibility and status as an industry leader, and it will help local businesses grow and develop within a foreign landscape.