(About)Practice & profile
Rooted in two languages. Fluent in both.
TransLocal JP is the independent localization and design practice of Chiari Ota, based in Osaka. I believe great products shouldn’t feel translated — they should feel like they belong.
Profile
CHIARI O.
Localization Designer
I help brands cross the gap between English and Japanese — not only in language, but in how people read, trust and decide.
I’m a native Japanese speaker, fluent in English, with a Bachelor degree in International Studies. Before going independent, I spent three years at a Japanese trade publication: first in B2B sales, then as a reporter covering public-works projects and interviewing industry leaders and local government heads.
That mix of writing, selling and listening on the ground shapes how I work today: copy that reads naturally rather than translated, built on SEO and real audience insight, and managed end to end, from content strategy through design and delivery.
- Based in
- Japan — working remotely
- Languages
- Japanese (native)
English (fluent) - Focus
- Localization · UI/UX · Market entry
- 2026 —
Freelance Localization Designer
Localization & transcreation (JP ⇄ EN): website copy, SEO articles and cultural consulting.
- 2025 — 2026
Specialized Writer, trade publication
Reported on public-works tenders and plans in the construction industry; interviewed industry leaders and local government heads.
- 2023 — 2025
B2B Sales, trade publication
Print and online media sales, advertising and special features.
- 2018 — 2022
Kwansei Gakuin University
Bachelor of International Studies.
Principles
What I believe
Context over words
Meaning lives in culture, not in dictionaries.
Design for the reader
Every decision starts with the person on the other side of the screen.
Research before assumptions
I test my instincts against real data and real users.
Selected work
Case studies in the making.
My first client projects are underway. Detailed case studies will be published here soon.
Insights & Social Media
The Keigo Problem: Why Polite Japanese Breaks Machine Translation
A perfectly translated apology can still read as disrespectful, and almost no company's QA process is built to catch it.
Read the article ↗
Translation Isn't Localization: Why English-to-Japanese Websites Still Fail
A $40,000 translation budget, and the Japanese site still converted at a third of the English one. Here's what professional translation alone can't fix.
Read the article ↗
SubstackNewsletter ↗
Notes on localization, design and doing business between English and Japanese.
All posts ↗Contact
Let’s make it
feel local.
Tell me about your project — your goals, scope and timeline. I’ll reply with next steps and a tailored estimate.
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