Support Program for Translation and  Publication

Application Closed for 2025

This program is designed to provide partial financial support for overseas publishers intending to translate and publish works originally written in Japanese. The program aims to foster better understanding of Japanese culture by encouraging overseas publishers to translate and publish Japanese works. The grant covers part of the translation and publishing costs (e.g., costs for paper, typesetting, platemaking, printing, and binding).

Eligibility
Publishing companies outside of Japan. 

Eligible Projects
Translation and publication projects of works in humanities, social sciences, or arts written in Japanese and already published. The projects must fulfill all of the following requirements: 

(1) The translated work must be published between April 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026. However, applicants may apply for support for translation fee only, provided that they publish the translated edition within two years of completion of the translation. They may also apply for support for the publication costs of the same project in a different fiscal year (e.g., applying for translation support in the first year and for publication support in the following year). 

(2) The original work written in Japanese must already be published at the time of application. 

(3) As a general rule, translations must be made directly from the original works. Regarding translation and publication in languages where the translator pool is limited, approval may be given for support for translation from a previously translated edition of the work. 

(4) The contract for acquisition of translation rights of the original work must have been concluded or must be ready for signing. In the case of indirect translation, permission must also be obtained from the copyright holder of the foreign language edition from which the applicant’s translator intends to translate. As for the translation fee, a written contract between the publisher and the translator must have been concluded at the time the application is submitted. Please note that the details given in the contract (publication deadline, etc.) and in the grant application (publication plan, etc.) must be consistent. Submission of a copy of each contract is required for the application. 

(5) A part of the draft translation should accompany the application. The draft should be approximately 30 pages long and double-spaced. 

(6) The plan for the project should be appropriate to the realistic and practical completion of the translation. 

(7) Projects must not be used for religious or political purposes. 

＊Grant applications for e-book publication projects are accepted. 

＊The following categories of works are not eligible: 

・Works originally written in a language other than Japanese; 

・Translations already made public, including as a self-published book or a magazine or on a website. Reprints of out-of-print books; 

・Periodicals (including special issues), proceedings, exhibition catalogues, travel brochures, language dictionaries, and Japanese-language teaching materials;

・Works not expected to secure wide distribution, including those only to be published for donation purposes; 

＊Applicants cannot reapply for projects that were rejected in the past without a new plan and/or revised translation. 

＊If payment to the translator is to be in the form of royalties (i.e., the translator is paid only based on the actual number of copies sold after the book is published), the applicant may not apply for support for translation (it is possible to apply for support for publication only). 

Grant Coverage
Part of the following costs paid between April 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026:

(1) Translation fee (paid to a translator by an applicant); 

(2) Publication costs such as costs for paper, typesetting/platemaking, printing, and binding; paid to printing companies. 

    ＊Copies of the contract between the translator(s) and applicant, as well as estimates for the costs that the applicant intends to cover by the grant, from the printing or other companies, will be required at the time of application. Receipts from the translator(s), printing company, and paper manufacturers, will be needed when the applicant claims the grant payment after publishing the book. 

・Please note that only the expenses paid on and after April 1, 2025, are applicable. Any expenses paid before April 1, 2025, are not applicable. 

・The grant shall cover part of the translation cost and part of the publication costs mentioned above. 

・Costs for editing, acquisition of translation rights, copyright clearance, design layout, shipping, proofreading, and other in-house expenses are not applicable. 

・Grant payments will be made after the completion of translation and/or publication. 

・The grant should not cover any part of the project expense(s) funded by other organizations. 
 

Number and the average amount of assistance of Grants (Reference)
Number of assistance: 56 out of 70 applications for FY 2024
Average amount of assistance for FY 2024: Approximately JPY 500,000

Selection Policy
(1) See p. 3 of PROGRAM GUIDELINES for the selection policy common to all programs.

(2) Screening will be conducted after consulting with experts in the field. 

(3) Relatively higher evaluation will be given to the translation and/or publication of the following works: 

a. The titles in Worth Sharing―A Selection of Japanese Books Recommended for Translation and Lifelong Favorites―Selections from the Bookshelves of Young Readers in Japan. The list of the titles is available on the Japan Foundation’s website: https://www.worthsharing.jpf.go.jp/en/ 

b. Works that are considered to have a wide influence on society; not only limited to researchers but expected to get a wide range of readers in the applicant’s country; 

c. Works by authors who have never been translated and published in the applicant’s country before; and 

d. Works of direct translations from Japanese works in the area where translations of Japanese works are rarely published. 

(4) The grant amount will be determined by the Japan Foundation based on the project plan.
 

Application Deadline: 8:00PM (PST), December 2nd, 2024
Application Closed!

Notification of Results: Late April 2025