AltJapan began life as a localization company

Localization is the art (and it is an art) of producing translations that can be consumed without friction by target audiences.

We worked on our first video game titles in 1998 (Silhouette Mirage and Lunar Silver Star Story Complete, as freelancers for Working Designs.) We founded our company, one of the first dedicated to game localization, in 2000. In an era long before the use of AI or translation memory systems, we pioneered the strategy of pairing native Japanese and English speakers to improve the speed and accuracy of translation.

In recent years, we have moved away from localization to focus on other core strengths. But we are proud of the 20+ years we spent helping Japanese creators bring their visions to life for foreign audiences, in fields as varied as:

• Games

• Manga

• Literature

• Toys

• Academic/historical works

• Voice over productions