Aug 1, 2012 14:24
11 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Japanese term
Australia
ものづくり(Monozukuri)
Japanese to English
Bus/Financial
Electronics / Elect Eng
electrical appliance
Hello,
I'm translating a corporate profile of an electrical appliance company.
How would you translate "ものづくり(Monozukuri)" into English without using "manufacturing" or "engineering"...?
Some people have explained this word in English like this:
Monozukuri is a Japanese technology regard as a form of art. Japanese products are art works that the spirit of an artist (or an engineer) is infused.
Monozukuri is one of the words that represents Japanese characteristic toward engineering. Literally meaning of Monozukuri varies from manufacturing, designing, producing, carpentering to handcrafting, knitting, woodworking carving etc.
I'm translating a corporate profile of an electrical appliance company.
How would you translate "ものづくり(Monozukuri)" into English without using "manufacturing" or "engineering"...?
Some people have explained this word in English like this:
Monozukuri is a Japanese technology regard as a form of art. Japanese products are art works that the spirit of an artist (or an engineer) is infused.
Monozukuri is one of the words that represents Japanese characteristic toward engineering. Literally meaning of Monozukuri varies from manufacturing, designing, producing, carpentering to handcrafting, knitting, woodworking carving etc.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
37 mins
Selected
Monozukuri/ "traditional Japanese concept of craftsmanship")
I wouldn't translate it, I would leave it in Roma-ji. It's a craftsmanship concept unique to Japan, it's the traditional way of making things, it cannot be translated simply because of it's being that unique. It's its' Japaneseness that makes it (monozukuri) so important: the company takes pride in their monozukuri, and they have that monozukuri because they are Japanese.
I would leave it in Roma-ji, and instead of translating it would use it in a way that would help the reader understand its' importance and uniqueness, like: "monozukuri - the traditional Japanese concept of craftsmanship" or "monozukuri, that has been the main principle of craftsmanship in Japan for generations", etc. Something like this.
I would leave it in Roma-ji, and instead of translating it would use it in a way that would help the reader understand its' importance and uniqueness, like: "monozukuri - the traditional Japanese concept of craftsmanship" or "monozukuri, that has been the main principle of craftsmanship in Japan for generations", etc. Something like this.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!! It was really helpful. I would also like to say thank you to everyone who replied to my question."
37 mins
artisan's craftsmanship
ものづくり itself can be described as "craftsmanship" to connote more of a creation by a skilled 匠 (artisan)
34 mins
creating / creation
What about creating or creation?
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Note added at 40 mins (2012-08-01 15:04:38 GMT)
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See the following link:
http://aitech.ac.jp/lib/kiyou/40A/A02.pdf
ものづくり文化と倫理
Creating Culture and Ethics
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Note added at 48 mins (2012-08-01 15:12:53 GMT)
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Another link:
http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA67899547
ものづくり道 : What is really necessary in creating something that can make people happy?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2012-08-01 15:04:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
See the following link:
http://aitech.ac.jp/lib/kiyou/40A/A02.pdf
ものづくり文化と倫理
Creating Culture and Ethics
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2012-08-01 15:12:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another link:
http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA67899547
ものづくり道 : What is really necessary in creating something that can make people happy?
+1
1 hr
monozukuri philosophy
http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/sustainability_r...
http://www.kao.com/jp/en/corp_imgs/corp_csr/pdf_reports_01_0...
http://www.kao.com/jp/en/corp_imgs/corp_csr/pdf_reports_01_0...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Allyson Sigman
: I have seen "monozukuri" used as is in several articles lately. I think it is fine this way.
1 min
|
|
Thanks a lot!!!
|
7 hrs
Yuki Okada
Canada
Canada
Native in Japanese
Specializes in field
Canada
Engineering translator
Native in: Japanese 
Works in: English to Japanese, Japanese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
369
product realization
This does not translate well, but I often use this. See the link to a Stanford lab. This is a kind of 和魂洋才 in the US.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/prl/prl_site/
http://www.stanford.edu/group/prl/prl_site/
11 hrs
Marc Brunet
Australia
Australia
Works in field
Australia
To seize the 'point' beyond the words
Native in: French
Works in: Japanese to English, Japanese to French, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
45
crafting, crafted
Seems to me, these 2 forms of the term given contain in the shell of their forms all the connotations of loving care, precision and attention that creative artisans put into the works they produce. Those forms are simple, economical, clearly and readily understood as such.
Reference comments
56 mins
Reference:
FYI
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/business_comme...
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/mechanics_mech...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/government_pol...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/tech_engineeri...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/engineering:_i...
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-08-01 15:32:05 GMT)
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Monozukuri: Literally mono= 'thing' and zukuri (tsukuru) 'process of making';
-> the process of making or creating things.
But the literal translation does not convey the real connotation of monozukuri.
The word has an more intense meaning; monozukuri is about having a state of mind, the spirit to produce not only excellent products but also have the the ability to constantly improve the production system and its processes.
Read more: http://www.aots.or.jp/eng/magazine/pdf/182/3-KENSHU_182.pdf
Professor Takahiro Fujimoto (Manufacturing Management Research Center, University of Tokyo) has defined monozukuri as
“the duplication of design data into a material.” or the "art, science and craft of making things."
http://www.makigami.info/forum/index.php?topic=86.0
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/mechanics_mech...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/government_pol...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/tech_engineeri...
http://jpn.proz.com/kudoz/japanese_to_english/engineering:_i...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-08-01 15:32:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Monozukuri: Literally mono= 'thing' and zukuri (tsukuru) 'process of making';
-> the process of making or creating things.
But the literal translation does not convey the real connotation of monozukuri.
The word has an more intense meaning; monozukuri is about having a state of mind, the spirit to produce not only excellent products but also have the the ability to constantly improve the production system and its processes.
Read more: http://www.aots.or.jp/eng/magazine/pdf/182/3-KENSHU_182.pdf
Professor Takahiro Fujimoto (Manufacturing Management Research Center, University of Tokyo) has defined monozukuri as
“the duplication of design data into a material.” or the "art, science and craft of making things."
http://www.makigami.info/forum/index.php?topic=86.0
Note from asker:
| Thank you so much for the useful information. |
Discussion