While many may have moved on from the custom of exchanging business cards, it’s still very much a thing here in Japan. Now you may be asking, ‘Why wouldn’t you just order some printed business cards online?’ Great question - let’s dive into why!
1. We are Translation Artisans
As per our tagline, we are proud of the handcrafted translations we create. We aren’t averse to using CAT tools nor do we view machine (AI) translation tools as a threat. We simply understand there are limits to what machines can do. The work our team of experienced translators produce are shining examples of both the science AND art of translation
If you want ‘good enough’ go with machine translation; if you desire the ‘crème de la crème’ come see us
I love expressing our artisanal approach by hand-stamping each business card - on handmade washi paper from Echizen in Fukui Prefecture no less! Most people just love their irresistibly soft deckle edges
2. Honouring our connection to Japan
While Mochiwa Mochiya helps our clients with a wide variety of languages, our Japanese translations remain our bread and butter (or should I say rice and nori?!)
Our hand-stamped cards embody the ‘wabi-sabi’ sensitivity - an appreciation of beauty in things that may be viewed as imperfect, impermanent, or incomplete. Some of our stamps might not be perfectly centred or not perfectly pressed - and we’re totally okay with that. We strive for perfection when it comes to our translations, but we understand that perfectionism doesn’t need to paralyse us by seeping into all aspects of our daily lives
And finally, the practice of using a stamp (hanko in Japanese) is something firmly entrenched in Japanese culture. Everyone in Japan has their own hanko as will each company. No doubt you would have also seen many artworks like hanging scrolls, earthenware, and paintings with the artist’s hanko stamped on them
I’m sure you also noticed, but our logo was designed to also resemble a traditional Japanese hanko as well ;)