1.Prologue
The office I work at specializes not only in translating and interpreting, but a range of other creative work.
・Planning work for TV, radio, and magazines.
・Planning, creation, and management of websites, as well as designing and production of print materials.
・Making advertising proposals to advertising agencies and rolling out promotional campaigns.
・Providing support and other services for think tanks, analyzing surveys results and other data.
・Producing original content for online magazines and social media.
In order to provide services that integrate specialized fields, it’s important for us to have up-to-date information and knowledge of a variety of genres. As such, at our office we subscribe to quite a number of magazines.
We also make sure to buy any magazine that we come across that has interesting content or intriguing features.
We’re well aware that now, in the age of digital publishing, you can subscribe to all-you-can-read subscription services for bargain prices, but it’s important to hold on to back issues as well, so we’ve made it a point to buy print magazines.
Much of the work we do is geared toward an affluent demographic between their 30s and 50s, so in regards to fashion and lifestyle magazines, we subscribe to the magazines below.
●Fashion / lifestyle magazines we subscribe to
●Fashion / lifestyle magazines we buy based on content
2.Business, politics, and society-related news resources
Newspapers remain the meat and potatoes of information sources. Even in the internet age, leading domestic and international newspapers (national newspapers, local newspapers)—what the British call “quality newspapers"—are invaluable ways to get the news.
As for online news sources, we use an RSS reader to aggregate information from over 300 media outlets.
Compared to newspapers and online outlets, magazines do a good job of digging deep and exploring topics through features, so they are a great way of getting a better technical grasp of the issues.
●Business / news magazines we subscribe to
3.Film, music, entertainment, and the content industry
We also write articles, reviews, and criticism on the content industry, including film, music, and entertainment, and so we subscribe to a wide range of Japanese and international magazines.
Magazines from English-speaking countries in particular print not just news (information) but also commentary (intelligence), and are not just informative but also enlightening.
Magazines that cover design, art, and architecture are also essential tools for the translation work I do, so we’ve subscribed to a bunch of them as well.
●Music, film, and entertainment magazines we subscribe to
●Design, art magazines we subscribe to
4.Sports, gourmet, and interior design magazines
Sports, gourmet, and interior design magazines are also a very important source of information.
The reason is that when it comes to planning projects and coming up with ideas, you can think of play as part and parcel of work.
I’m of the opinion that having many different interests and applying yourself to many different endeavors is the best way to cultivate good taste.
●Sports magazines we subscribe to
●Gourmet, interior design, and travel magazines that we subscribe to
5.On “free papers"
“Free papers" as a medium are especially effective for reaching specific segments of society, so they are very valuable as marketing resources for the insights they provide on specific demographics. (<i>Free papers</i> is a Japanglish word for free magazines.)
“Free papers" are great for getting a feel for the needs of clients that are unable to place ads in the kind of leading magazines that have a cover price.
Advertisers that place ads in “free papers" are quick to judge cost-effectiveness. If they don’t see a response, they will stop advertising on a dime, so sales reps at publishing companies have it considerably harder than media sales reps at major advertising agencies.
●“Free papers" we collect about town or have sent to our office
T JAPAN
intoxicate (from Tower Records)
bounce (from Tower Records)
Metropolis
Tokyo Weekender
Omosan STREET
Spopre
Tokyo Headline
Metro min.
Tokyo Art Map
VANITYmix
TOKYO TREND RANKING
6.On foreign magazines
For a translator or interpreter, English-language newspapers and magazines are invaluable resources. Language goes through trends, and unless you make it a habit to read overseas news outlets, your skills will quickly deteriorate, and you’ll fall out of touch with how the language is being used.
It is also important to pay attention not only to American English, but also to British English.
●Foreign magazines we subscribe to
7.Looking Through Magazines
Magazines are published seasonally, monthly, and weekly, and to look through (not read) all of the aforementioned magazines, you have to browse through 10 to 20 magazines a day.
Of course, if I come across a particularly interesting article I will read it carefully and thoroughly, but my basic habit is to look through magazines.
When you’re looking through magazines, finding the right speed is key. It’s important to find the speed that works for you—not too fast, not too slow, but one that allows you to retain an impression.
8.According to BigBrother
Looking through magazines and golf practice are very similar.
Basically, focusing on your practice swings is the way to get better. And it’s important to be deliberate; if you’re just unthinkingly going through the motions, it’s liable to make you worse.
At the same time, if you’re putting too much effort into your movements, you’ll end up doing the same thing out on the course as well.
The key is to possess an appropriate sense of urgency as well as focus, which will allow you to find your ideal point of impact.
