[JITF2020] In-house Interpreting at Mercari: Interpreting About Everything For an App Where You Can Buy And Sell Anything

Gabe Beckerman

Born and raised in the U.S., Gabe first came to Japan to do a homestay in Sapporo at the age of 16, and since then has lived in Kyoto, Toyama, and now Tokyo. After graduating from Tufts University, he fell in love with interpreting while working as a Coordinator for International Relations on the JET Program, subsequently working as an in-house translator at Sojitz Corporation, and currently as an in-house interpreter at Mercari, Inc. Gabe was first runner up in the 2019 JACI Simultaneous Interpreting Grand Prix. He spends his free time playing cello and learning about wine.

In-house Interpreting at Mercari: Interpreting About Everything For an App Where You Can Buy And Sell Anything

Since its launch in July 2013, Mercari has grown into Japan’s largest marketplace app and first ever unicorn, achieving major success in the U.S. and also launching its own financial service, Merpay, in February 2019. In working to achieve its mission to create value in a global marketplace where anyone can buy & sell, Mercari brings together talent from across the world. In-house interpreting plays a crucial role in ensuring all employees can communicate effectively regardless of background and language ability. In this session I will be explaining the role of the in-house interpreting team, including our position within the company, in what situations we provide interpretation services, and how we coordinate interpretation resources across the organization. I will also share some stories from past interpreting assignments, and end with an activity where you can try your hand at interpreting some engineering and fintech topics.

Japan Interpreting and Translation Forum 2020 (Japanese only)