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ものづくり

English translation: skilled manufacture

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:ものづくり
English translation:skilled manufacture
Entered by: Kurt Hammond

17:38 Jun 25, 2004
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / Article on Economy
Japanese term or phrase: ものづくり
context:
ものづくりが社会に貢献し続けることができるもっともよい道である

Is this just "manufacturing" or something else? This should be an easy question for a Japanese MBA.
Kurt Hammond
United States
Local time: 14:12
craftmanship
Explanation:
ものづくり conveys the concept of making things with a "human touch." (This has been discussed time and again in another translators' forum.) "Manufacturing" has too much of an industrial feel to it to convey the "touchy-feely" nuance of the word. You could also use variations of "craft," like crafting, etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 35 mins (2004-06-25 20:13:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oops, I mean craftsmanship.
Selected response from:

Manako Ihaya
United States
Local time: 14:12
Grading comment
Thank you. The phrase I went with was most "skilled manufature." The addition of the word "skilled" to my original choice of just "manufature" was prompted by the details of this response.
I chose not to use the word "craftsman" or "craftmanship" because this word does not seem to fit well with large companies that mass-produce their products. While they are well crafted, "craftsmanship" has a strong sense of 'handmade' which might apply to some companies, but does not sound quite right in the vaguer context of the entire Japanese economy.

Thank you,
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2manufacturing
conejo
5 +1manufacturing
jsl (X)
4 +2craftmanship
Manako Ihaya


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
ものづくり
manufacturing


Explanation:
I have heard this term used many times. It literally means manufacturing or "making things".

conejo
United States
Local time: 16:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 39

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mike Maynerich: Depending on what's refered to, manufacturing may be fine too
7 hrs
agree  Hidenori Nakamura
8 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
manufacturing


Explanation:
It is also called "ものつくり" (monoTSUkuri), and it is "manufacturing", as you guess. These pages will explain it very well.


    Reference: http://www.jekai.org/entries/aa/00/np/aa00np32.htm
    Reference: http://unit.aist.go.jp/digital-mfg/
jsl (X)
Local time: 06:12
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hidenori Nakamura
8 hrs
  -> thanks
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
ものづくり
craftmanship


Explanation:
ものづくり conveys the concept of making things with a "human touch." (This has been discussed time and again in another translators' forum.) "Manufacturing" has too much of an industrial feel to it to convey the "touchy-feely" nuance of the word. You could also use variations of "craft," like crafting, etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 35 mins (2004-06-25 20:13:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oops, I mean craftsmanship.

Manako Ihaya
United States
Local time: 14:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you. The phrase I went with was most "skilled manufature." The addition of the word "skilled" to my original choice of just "manufature" was prompted by the details of this response.
I chose not to use the word "craftsman" or "craftmanship" because this word does not seem to fit well with large companies that mass-produce their products. While they are well crafted, "craftsmanship" has a strong sense of 'handmade' which might apply to some companies, but does not sound quite right in the vaguer context of the entire Japanese economy.

Thank you,

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mike Maynerich
4 hrs
agree  Hidenori Nakamura
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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