寺田 逸郎 様
[Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court]
It is not uncommon for the translation process to involve modifications to the structure of the text and sometimes to the substance of the expression (such as the addition of humor), if the translation is to be carried out with due consideration of whether it will be understood well by the intended recipient. It is easy to imagine that the more the client has worked out the original text, the more tension there may be between the client and the translator. The more the client has worked out the original text, the more tension between the client and the translator can be easily imagined. In fact, it seems to me that overcoming such tensions without failure is in fact the very essence of translation work in practice.
Mina Shibahara, who is not only a native speaker of both English and Japanese, but also continues to hone her intellectually rich sensitivity to culture, has been carefully overcoming this tension by utilizing the gentle attitude that both cultures value. Her experience of participating as an expert in the project “Systematic English Translation of Japanese Realpolitik,” which everyone had long shied away from because of its difficulty, and playing a major role in its progress by supporting the steady work of compiling a dictionary-like collection, must have played a significant role in her success.
As a long-time client and friend, I sincerely hope that more and more people will continue to be involved in her career, as she does not hide her mischievous side, laughing about how translating corporate law has helped her as a company manager.
但木 敬一 様
[former Prosecutor General]
In the past, the Ministry of Justice was a domestically oriented government agency. Then suddenly the issue of accepting foreign lawyers arose, and it was washed away by the rapid wave of internationalization. At that time, the only translators available were veterans from the Occupation Forces era. What we wanted were "natives. Otherwise, we could not really understand the language, whether it was official documents, conversations, or private correspondence. At the same time, we needed a translator who could understand the "Japanese sensibility. The Ministry of Justice welcomed Mr. Shibahara, a skilled communicator who possessed both of these qualities, with the utmost courtesy.
河本 一郎 様
[lawyer]
For about 20 years, we have been writing Japanese corporate law for the International Encyclopedia of Laws published by Kluwer Law International, a Dutch publisher, but the enactment of the Corporate Law in 2006 necessitated a complete rewrite of the law. The enactment of the Companies Act in 2006 necessitated a complete rewrite. When we asked Mr. Shibahara to translate the manuscript, he did so in fluent English and in a very short period of time. Based on the translation, Professor Yasuhiro Kawaguchi and Attorney Takayuki Kihira made further modifications from a professional standpoint and sent it to the client, fulfilling our promise. At a time when there are calls for Japan to communicate with the rest of the world in the field of law, it is very encouraging to have someone like Mr. Shibahara on our side.
内田 貴 様
[Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo / Specially Appointed Professor, Waseda University / Attorney at Law]
When a group of scholars prepared a draft amendment to the Civil Code, I thought I would share it with the world, even though it was a private scholars' proposal. Mr. Shibahara did an excellent job of translating the draft articles, a task that requires the greatest expertise in legal English. Subsequently, Mr. Shibahara helped me with the draft of a report for an international symposium, an article for a foreign law journal, and so on. Ms. Shibahara's expertise in legal English and her graceful ability to convey the essence of the subject in English are two indispensable intellectual assets for the dissemination of information in the field of law from Japan.
渡邊 文幸 様
[Editorial Advisor to Theoretical Publishing Company and former Deputy Editor in Chief of the Media Bureau of Kyodo News Co.]
At the end of the Meiji period, Ogai wrote, "The times demand a scholar who stands on the basis of both Eastern and Western cultures with one foot in each direction. In other words, he explained the necessity of having a “home” in both the East and the West. This is a truth that has not changed. This harmonious element is one of Mr. Shibahara's outstanding qualities. It has been said that a woman can be “unfaithful and beautiful” or "chaste and ugly. Of course, this is a translation question of whether it is better to be inaccurate but beautiful in writing or not beautiful but accurate. In this case, Ms. Shibahara is a "chaste beauty. That is why I am recommending her.
マルン・ジャズビッグ 様
[General Counsel, ITOCHU International]
I feel that Meena is the only Japanese I know who is completely bilingual. Her English is flawless and fluent with a British accent. Any law firm, company, university, etc. that needs Japanese or English translations will find the translation services provided by Meena, who specializes in translations in the legal field, to be excellent. She is fluent in both English and Japanese and is able to accurately translate legal and business documents, as well as other documents, while preserving the precision of the language. I would recommend Meena as a “go-to” translator for her professionalism and cheerful personality.