Eligibility

Overseas publishers (corporations). Domestic publishers may also apply only if there is a written contract/ agreement with foreign book distribution companies.

*Individuals such as authors and translators are not eligible to apply.

 

Eligible Projects Translation and/or publication of works completed between April 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025 and fulfill all of the following requirements:

• (1) The works to be translated and/or published must be materials written in Japanese which introduce Japanese culture in the fields of the humanities, the social sciences, and the arts;
• (2) Translation must be made directly from the original work. Retranslation of works already translated into another language will be considered for applications from countries where the number of translators is limited;
• (3) Approval must have previously been obtained from the original copyright holder allowing translation and publication of the work (in case of making a retranslation, also approval from the translator of the text should be obtained);
• (4) Contract that establishes the amount of the translator's fee must be concluded between the publisher and the translator(s). Paying the translator's fee through royalties is not acceptable;
• (5) When the applicant requests support for translation, a part of the draft of the translation should be already completed by the time of applying (November 20, 2023);
• (6) Applicant's publishing plan, budget and schedule must be concrete and feasible.
• (7) The plan and method of implementation must be appropriate and there must be ample expectations that they will yield good result.
• (8) Projects must not be used for religious or political purposes.

*However, in the case of an application for only the"translation grant," the publishing deadline is within two years after the completion of the translation.

 

The following categories of works are not eligible::

• a. Periodicals (including special issues), proceedings, exhibition catalogues, guidebooks, pamphlets, language dictionaries, and Japanese-language teaching materials, etc.;
• b. Books originally published in a foreign language;
• c. Works not expected to secure wide distribution, including those to be donated for free;
• d. Projects for which the translator's fee is paid by royalties;
• e. Reprints of books; and
• f. Translations already made public, including as a self-published book ora magazine or on a website, etc.

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

 

Grant Coverage Part of the following expenses:

(1) Assistance will take the form of a grant covering part of the following expenses paid between April
1, 2024, and February 28, 2025.
a. Translation fee (paid to translators by the applicant);
b. Publication costs (such as 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.
* The grant shall cover only part of the translation and publication costs the applicant actually
pays. (In the application, up to 80% of the total amount of the estimated translation and
publication costs can be requested, but note that the amount of the grant is subject to
assessment and may be reduced from the amount requested in the application. )

(2) Applications are accepted in one of the following three categories:
a. Application for “translation support”: The grant will cover a part of the cost of translation. The
grant will be remitted after the Japan Foundation receives the required documents together
with a copy of the completed manuscript of the translation.
b. Application for “publication support”: The grant will cover a part of the costs of publication.
The grant will be remitted after the Japan Foundation receives the required documents
together with a copy of the published book.
c. Application for “translation and publication support”: The grant will cover part of both the
translation and publishing costs. The grant will be remitted after the Japan Foundation
receives the required documents together with a copy of the published book.

(3) Points to note
a. Expenses paid before April 1, 2024 are not applicable.
b. The grant will be paid upon submission of the designated documents on completion of the
project.
c. The following costs will not be covered by this grant. They shall be borne by the applicant:
(a) Editing costs;
(b) Translation rights fees and copyright clearance costs;
(c) Design and layout costs;
(d) Shipping costs;
(e) Proofreading costs;
(f) Other in-house expenses.
d. The grant should not cover any part of the project expense(s) funded by other organizations.

 

Please note that only the expenses paid after April 1, 2023 are considered.

Grant payment will be made after the completion of the project.

 

Number of assistance: 43 out of 68 applications for FY 2023

　Average amount of assistance for FY 2023: Approximately JPY 460,000

 

Selection Policy

(1) Screening will be made in line with the following criteria and decisions will be made after consulting with outside specialists:

• a. Necessity of grant from the Japan Foundation;
• b. Quality of the content and translation of the work, necessity of publication in the applicants' countries and languages, and adequacy of project plan;
• c. Spillover effect and adequacy of distribution plan.

(2) The following projects may be given relatively higher evaluation:

• a. The titles in "Worth Sharing - A Selection of Japanese Books Recommended for Translation," which is available on the Japan Foundation's website: https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/culture/publication/supportlist_publish/worth_sharing/index.html
• b. A book that is 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. A book by an author who has never been introduced in the applicant's country before; and
• d. A book of direct translation from a Japanese book in the area where books on Japan are rarely published.Publication of the book considered to give wide influence on the society, readers and researchers in the applicant's country;

Application Deadline

Apply through Online Application Portal by 13 PM November 20, 2023

https://www.apply.jpf.go.jp/en/Identity/Account/Login

 

Notification of Results

Late April 2024

 

More information:

in Japanese

in English

 

For any further assistance please contact to our staff, Veronika Erdos

Tel.:+36-1-214-0775

Veronika_Erdos@jpf.go.jp