We handle passports, family register extracts, residence cards, marriage and birth documents, study certificates, company register material, contracts, medical reports, bank documents and official letters - in Tbilisi or entirely online. Where required, the translation is prepared for notarization.
Before ordering a Japanese translation, three things are worth knowing: where the document will be submitted, whether a full translation is required, and whether the original needs an apostille or other certification.
Japanese into Georgian and Georgian into Japanese
For Japanese into Georgian we first establish the document type: a municipal extract, a document from a justice authority, a university certificate, a private contract, a clinic record or company register material. The same character can be translated differently in different contexts, so the meaning of a term always follows the document's purpose.
For Georgian into Japanese we pay attention to Japanese official style, level of politeness, how names and addresses are written, date format and document structure. Administrative language differs from a business letter, and a medical text from a university certificate; the final text is shaped to its specific use.
Japanese writing: kanji, hiragana, katakana and romaji
A single Japanese sentence may use four systems: kanji (漢字), mostly carrying meaning; hiragana (ひらがな) for grammatical forms and native words; katakana (カタカナ), often for foreign names and terms; and romaji, the Latin transliteration that may appear in a passport, a bank form or an international document.
An official translation must reconcile all of them. A foreigner's name may be written in katakana in a Japanese document and in Latin letters in the passport. We check that the translated name matches the current passport, rather than creating a form from Japanese pronunciation alone.
Koseki tohon - the family register extract
The koseki (戸籍) is Japan's family registration system. It can record a person's birth, parents, marriage, divorce, children, adoption, death and other legal facts linked to the family register. The koseki tohon (戸籍謄本), now officially a full certificate of the family register, is widely used to prove citizenship, marriage, inheritance and family relationships.
Translating a koseki means more than translating the headings: the head entry, each person's status, the dates of changes, the municipality, official notes and every column on the page are all processed. One person's data is often legally tied to other family members' entries, so a partial translation is acceptable only when the receiving body confirms it does not need the full extract.
Juminhyo, seal registration and municipal certificates
The juminhyo (住民票) is a residence registration extract issued by the municipality. Depending on the form requested and the person's status, it may show name, address, date of birth, household members, nationality or residence status information.
The inkan toroku shomeisho (印鑑登録証明書) certifies a person's registered seal and is used in transactions where the seal's authenticity must be confirmed; the seal, registration data, municipality and date of issue are shown clearly. We also translate tax certificates, residence certificates, municipal family status documents and other local extracts.
Documents linked to Japan's individual number system, My Number (マイナンバー), are handled with particular care. The number, card code and QR code are copied exactly and never shared beyond what the work requires. Some procedures actually require My Number to be omitted from an extract, so tell us if your document contains special categories of personal data.
Passport, residence card and Certificate of Eligibility
For a Japanese passport or immigration document we compare the Latin and Japanese entries. The Residence Card (在留カード) contains identification, residence status, period of stay, work restrictions and other key data, so both sides must be photographed in full.
The Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書) is used for entry under a specific status. We also translate documents for visas, change of status, extension of stay, family reunification, study, work and business management. Foreign-language documents submitted to Japanese immigration often need a Japanese translation attached, so the list and form are checked against the specific application.
Apostille, official seal authentication and notarization
An apostille confirms the signature, seal or official status of the issuer of a public document; it does not confirm or replace a translation. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues apostilles or official seal authentication (公印確認) depending on where the document will be used. For a Japanese document going to Georgia, or a Georgian document going to Japan, we clarify which original must be certified, at what stage the apostille is added, whether the apostille page itself must be translated and whether further consular action is needed. See apostille and legalization.
In Georgia a "notarized translation" usually means notarization of the translator's signature. The notary does not confirm the foreign document or the legal content of the translation. For a Georgian document going to Japan, a Japanese translation alone, a translator's statement, notarization, an apostille or another form may be required - the university, municipality, court, company, bank or immigration office decides. See notarization.
Marriage, divorce and family status
Japan-Georgia family cases often involve birth and marriage certificates, a certificate of acceptance of a marriage notification, divorce documents, proof of capacity to marry or family status, guardianship decisions and parental consent. The Japanese side may need a koseki extract; the Georgian side, a full translation of the relevant Japanese record. Changes of surname, maiden names, children's names, parents' data and the dates events were entered are rendered exactly, so the translation never gives a false picture of a person's current status. See marriage certificate translation.
Company register, legal, employment and financial documents
Company register. Japanese commercial registration shows forms such as 株式会社 (Kabushiki Kaisha) and 合同会社 (Godo Kaisha), the representative director, registered office, capital, business purposes and change history. The company form is rendered so that its Japanese legal nature is kept and it is not falsely equated with a Georgian LLC or JSC. For larger projects we agree a glossary so names, products and job titles are consistent in every file. Legal. Judgments, claims, evidence, powers of attorney, consents, notarial acts, inheritance materials and contracts. The everyday meaning of a Japanese term can differ sharply from its legal function, so the translation follows the procedural context. See legal translation. Employment, tax and banking. Contracts, employment certificates, payslips, tax certificates, pension records, bank statements and loan letters. We distinguish gross and net amounts, the income period and the issuing body, and keep the Japanese fiscal year, yen amounts, fees, debits, credits and balances exact.Study, medical and technical texts
Study. Diplomas, transcripts (成績証明書), graduation certificates (卒業証明書), student status letters, curricula, syllabuses and recommendations. Credits, subject names and grading systems are rarely direct equivalents, so the original term is kept with an explanation where needed. See diploma translation. Medical. Diagnoses, doctor's reports, test results, surgery notes, medication lists, vaccination records and insurance papers, with active substances, doses and schedules rendered correctly. Translation is not medical advice; unclear handwriting is checked or flagged, never invented. See medical translation. Technical. Equipment manuals, safety data sheets, product specifications, quality control documents and process descriptions that mix characters, English abbreviations, units and model numbers. For patent-related material the terminology is agreed in advance; model codes, formulas, standards and drawing numbers stay unchanged.Names, addresses and era dates
In Japanese documents the surname usually comes before the given name, while international forms may reverse this, and the same kanji name can have several readings. We never guess a reading from the characters alone: we rely on the passport, furigana, katakana or an official record you provide. Addresses run from the largest unit to the smallest - prefecture, city, ward, block, building, room - and keep that sequence, with the Latin form checked where needed.
Official Japanese dates often use era names: 令和 (Reiwa), 平成 (Heisei), 昭和 (Showa). A wrong conversion can misstate a year of birth, a registration date or a validity period, so the era year is checked and the Gregorian equivalent added where useful. An ambiguous abbreviated year is never turned into a guessed date.
Red personal or company seals, embossed marks, handwritten corrections and vertical text are marked in the translation, so the reader can see which information comes from a seal or a margin note rather than the printed text.
How a Japanese translation order runs
Send the files
Every page, back, attachment, seal and QR code page, as one PDF or sequential photos.
Define the requirement
Direction, receiving body, full or partial translation and form of certification.
Translation and checking
Terminology, names, era dates, numbers, seals and page order are all checked.
Delivery
Electronically or, as agreed, as a notarized paper copy.
Price and turnaround for Japanese translation
Time and price depend on the pages, character complexity, handwriting, tables, notarization and final format. The price is by agreement and set after we see every page and your submission date. See translation prices.
For an assessment, send all pages, the Latin spelling from the passport if the document gives the name only in Japanese, the recipient's list of requirements, your deadline and details of any apostille. Our office is at 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Ave, Tbilisi, but most work can be done online, including from Japan.
Need a Japanese document translated? Send every page as clear photos or a PDF and tell us where it will be submitted - we will assess the volume, deadline and certification.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions about Japanese translation
Can a Japanese translation be notarized?
Yes, it can be prepared for notarization of the translator's signature in Georgia. For Japan or another country, check the exact form with the recipient - an apostille, consular certification, a specific language or a full copy may be required.
Is it enough to translate only the relevant page of a koseki?
It depends on the requirement. Family relationships, marriage, divorce and birth entries in a koseki are linked, so the authority may require the full document. Tell us where it will be submitted.
How are Japanese names written in Georgian?
We compare the passport's Latin spelling with the kanji and katakana. Priority goes to the form in the current passport, with the Japanese original kept in brackets or a note where useful.
Are Reiwa dates converted to the Gregorian calendar?
Yes, where needed the era date is shown together with its Gregorian equivalent - important in certificates, register extracts, court and tax documents.
Can you translate a Residence Card and a Certificate of Eligibility?
Yes, along with other immigration documents. Both sides of the card, stamps, status, validity and restrictions must be fully legible.
Does a Georgian document for Japan always need an apostille?
It depends on the recipient and procedure. The apostille confirms the origin of a public document and does not replace a translation; whether it comes before or after translation is agreed in advance.
Can work start from a scan or photo?
Yes, a clear scan or photo is enough to assess and often to start, with every page, back, seal, QR code, margin note and attachment visible. The original may be needed later for official submission.