[JIF2019] Plucking Up the Courage to Take the Path from Mummy-work to Interpreter

Kana Hashimoto

Chinese interpreter (for the official Beijing language and Taiwanese). Born in Taiwan and moved to Japan at the age of 13. Graduated from Japanese high school and university and was employed at a general trading company. Became a full-time housewife bringing up two children after marriage, but suddenly one day became determined to work as an interpreter, plunging precipitously into the unknown world of courtroom and exhibition/exposition interpretation. Currently accepts work mainly for interpreting at business meetings, but also accepts courtroom and young offender cases. In addition, as international marriages are increasing, Ms. Hashimoto has also come to be active as a bilingual MC at all kinds of ceremonies and weddings.

Plucking Up the Courage to Take the Path from Mummy-work to Interpreter

I will make a public disclosure in this session of the path from a “mama-interpreter” to becoming a self-styled interpreter with the time limitations of childcare and the need for money. While this concerns the unique market characteristics of the Chinese languages, I will be delighted if this session will be of use to interpreters of all languages who are in the midst of childcare, and to women interpreters.

-Introduction to the Chinese interpretation market
-Acceptance of all forms of work due to my origin in Taiwan
-Why I turned to interpreting from being a full-time housewife.
-The courtroom as a school as well as a workplace.
-Why I never attended interpreting school and never registered with an agent but was still able to gain trust and be offered work.
-The hard work and ingenuity of working while bringing up children.
-What I learned from my mistakes.