From a Translation Agency to a Multilingual Service Provider: How to Organize for the Future

I first became interested in translation as a career over a decade ago while watching a Taiwanese drama.

At that time, I had just begun studying Chinese, and with minimal understanding, I relied heavily on subtitles. Surprisingly, I found myself in the same situation as the drama’s heroine, a reflection of changes in my life (feel free to ask for details privately).

Regardless, I was amazed by how emotions could be “perfectly copied” across borders. This revelation made me realize how, despite differences in language and culture, we can share deeply authentic emotions. Since then, I have become interested in understanding how translations can help people empathize with each other through a shared message.

Embarking on a modest career as a subtitle translator, I have been fortunate to receive kindness from and connections with many different people.

After five years of working independently, I overcame the initial obstacle of incorporation, and now SIJIHIVE is in its sixth year of operation as a company specializing in marketing translation. With a multinational team spanning Japan, the US, China, Taiwan, and beyond, we are now entering the next phase of creating a sustainable organization.

Beginning with translation, we now receive a variety of communication-related requests, including content creation, design, language supervision, interpretation, and bilingual talent dispatch. I can only express my profound gratitude to those around me, our clients, and the dedicated members of our company who provide unwavering support.

While many people have asked me, “Aren’t you worried about being eliminated by AI?” (thank you all for your concern!), for now, we are coexisting peacefully with AI to improve our business efficiency. The natural diversification of our business, as mentioned earlier, may have played a role in our success.

Nevertheless, every time I overcome a hurdle, I am reminded, “Ah, I really do love this job.”

Whether translating or working with my team on a project, the moment when we linguistically click and it all comes together  is unbeatable.

Our goal for the future is to continue supporting comprehensive communication that goes beyond the written word, while maintaining our core focus on marketing translation and localization.

We aspire to assist people and companies in delivering communication that resonates across borders in a meaningful way.

In an industry where many projects are outsourced, we also aim to explore and experiment with launching and managing our own services from grassroots initiatives.

While there is much for us to improve upon as an organization, we will continue to devote ourselves to making the most of our strengths as a small but dedicated team. As always, thank you for your continued support.

Satoko Shimooka

SIJIHIVE Inc.

Founder/CEO

Finally, I would like to share a little about what is important to us at SIJIHIVE.

１． We are not just a translation company. We create translations that go beyond the conventional, expressing the true power of words as they really are.

２． Translation is a cross-cultural communication. We approach every request with the conscious goal of reaching people. We work with a thorough understanding of our clients’ intentions.

３． We don't just rely on a literal translation of the original text. Instead, we delve into understanding our clients, extracting the most suitable words to deliver the message.

４． In an industry and era where remote work is prevalent, we value close communication with our clients and within our company, creating a sense of “face-to-face” interaction both internally and externally.

５． We chose this profession because we love it. Despite the challenges inherent in our work, we never forget to approach it with a sense of enjoyment and a belief in the possibilities it holds.

We look forward to meeting many more people in the future and engaging in meaningful conversations.

From all of us at SIJIHIVE, thank you for your continued support.