FAQ

The following are answers to questions we frequently receive about our translating services.
The difference between typical translation services and our driver’s license translation service is explained below.

See also Translation: Getting it Right, published by the American Translators Association, for a more detailed explanation of how to use translation services.

Please contact us by phone or email if you need further clarification.

Ordinary Translation Services

  1. May I inquire about your translation services by phone in Japanese?
    Yes, all of our staff members speak both Japanese and English. Please don’t hesitate to use Japanese when you call.
  2. Are translation services charged by the page?
    At Suzuki-Myers, our charges are based on factors such as the number of English words, the complexity of the content, and the level of proofreading required. If you send us the text you would like to have translated, we will be happy to provide a cost estimate.
  3. How long (how many days) does it take to translate 50 pages of Japanese into English?
    At Suzuki-Myers, the time required depends on factors such as the number of English words, the complexity of the content, and the level of proofreading required. If you send us the text you need to have translated, we will be happy to provide an estimate for how long the job will take.
  4. Can you provide certified translations? English translations of family registry documents require the signature of a certified translator. Can you do this?
    Yes. Izumi Suzuki, President of Suzuki-Myers, is certified by the ATA (American Translators Association) to translate public and legal documents from Japanese to English and from English to Japanese, and Hiromi Fujii, Director of Translation, is also ATA-certified to translate from English to Japanese, so we can provide certified translations.
  5. I need to submit translations of my Japanese diploma and medical records to a U.S. university, and I am told that these translations require the signature of an ATA (American Translators Association) certified translator. Can you provide this service?
    Yes. Izumi Suzuki, President of Suzuki-Myers, is certified by the ATA (American Translators Association) to translate public and legal documents from Japanese to English and from English to Japanese, and Hiromi Fujii, Director of Translation, is also ATA-certified to translate from English to Japanese, so we can provide certified translations.
  6. What is the difference between the Net 30 Rate and the COD Rate listed on the Confirmation Sheet (price quotation)?
    For the Net 30 Rate, we send an invoice when the work is complete, and payment must be received within 30 days of issue of the invoice. To receive the COD Rate, customers must pay cash or provide us with credit card information beforehand, and when the work is finished, we charge the card at the COD rate and send the client a receipt for the charges.

Driver’s License Translation Service

  1. An English translation of my Japanese Driver’s license is required when I apply for a Michigan Driver’s license. Do you provide this service?
    Yes. Our translation services are well-known at the offices of the Michigan Secretary of State, and we offer notarized English translations of Japanese driver’s licenses.
  2. About how long does it take you to translate a driver’s license?
    It generally takes us 2-3 business days for us to produce a notarized translation of a driver’s license. When you make your request, please send scans of both sides of your driver’s license by e-mail, or fax a copy to 248-344-0092, and we will send you a confirmation sheet for your signature. Once you return the completed confirmation sheet, we can begin work on the translation per the timeline specified in the confirmation sheet.
  3. Do I need to pick up the translation of my driver’s license in person? Can you send it to me by e-mail?
    The Michigan Secretary of State requires that we verify the content of the original Japanese driver’s license, so the original driver’s license must be shown to us before we can give the customer the completed translation. If the customer makes the request for a translation in person at our office and we can verify the content of the original license at that time, we can send the completed translation to the customer by ordinary postal (USPS) mail. Since the completed translation must be on our letterhead and be notarized, we cannot send it by e-mail.
  4. I don’t live near your office in Novi. Can you send the completed translation to me by mail?
    The Secretary of State of Michigan requires that we verify the content of the original Japanese driver’s license, so the original driver’s license must be shown to us before we can give the customer the completed translation. Clients some distance from our Novi office can send their original Japanese driver’s license to us by FedEx, and we will return it and the completed translation by FedEx for an additional charge.
  5. If I make my request for a translation in person and show my driver’s license when I do, can you send the completed translation to me by postal mail?
    Yes, in that case, we can send the completed translation by USPS mail (at no charge).
  6. What is the difference between the Net 30 Rate and the COD Rate listed on the Confirmation Sheet (price quote)?
    For the Net 30 Rate, we send an invoice when the work is complete, and payment must be received within 30 days of issue of the invoice. To receive the COD Rate, customers must pay cash or provide us with credit card information beforehand, and we charge the card when the work is finished at the COD rate and send a receipt for the charges.