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Japanese Timed Text Style Guide

*This document covers the language-specific requirements for Japanese. Please make sure to also review the General Requirements Section for comprehensive guidelines surrounding Timed Text deliveries to Netflix. 

For those interested in understanding the specific IMSC 1.1/TTML attributes & values needed to achieve the requirements outlined in this Japanese Style Guide, please refer to the Japanese IMSC 1.1 Creation Guide.

 

I. Japanese Subtitles: Content Requirements
This section applies to Japanese subtitles only. For Japanese SDH, please see Section II.

 

I.1. Accepted File Formats

  • Japanese subtitles must be delivered in IMSC 1.1 format.

I.2. Acronyms

  • Acronyms should be written in full-width alphanumeric characters without periods or spaces

(e.g. ＢＢＣ，ＣＩＡ，ＵＳＡ)

  • However, when an acronym is longer than 5 letters, using half-width characters is recommended for better readability, e.g. LGBTQ+, NASDAQ

I.3. Alignment

  • Horizontal subtitles should be center-aligned and left-justified
  • Vertical subtitles should be top-aligned and positioned to the left or right side of the screen. Please refer to Section 17. "Positioning" for specific details.

I.4. Bouten（傍点）

  • For single line subtitle with horizontal alignment – position bouten above character
  • For single line subtitle with vertical alignment – position bouten on right side of character
  • If bouten is present on second line of a two-line horizontal subtitle – position bouten below character
  • If bouten is present on second line of a two-line vertical subtitle – position bouten on left side of character

I.5. Character Limitation

  • Horizontal subtitles - Maximum 13 full-width characters per line
  • Vertical subtitles - Maximum 11 full-width characters per line
  • Full-width character, space, and punctuation counts as 1 character
  • Half-width character, space, and punctuation counts as 0.5 characters

I.6. Character Names

  • Transliterate character names, unless approved translations are provided by Netflix
  • Nicknames should only be translated if they convey a specific meaning
  • Use language-specific translations that are most recognized in the market for historical/mythical characters (i.e., Santa Claus should be サンタクロース  instead of 聖ニコラス or other variants)

I.7. Continuity

  • Use a two-em dash (⸺, U+2E3A) when an ongoing sentence is split between two or more continuous subtitles
    • NOTE: In some fonts, the two-em dash may look very similar to the chōonpu (長音符) symbol used for prolonged sound marks. Even in such case, the exact characters recommended in this document must be used as Netflix uses a font that produces distinct rendering for these 2 characters. Other characters must not be used. Copy the character above and save for future use.
  • Do not overuse two-em dashes when it’s grammatically clear that the sentence continues to the next subtitle. Maximum use of two-em dash per sentence is two so one sentence should complete within three subtitle events.
  • Use midline horizontal ellipsis (3-dot leader aka 3-ten rīdā) to indicate a pause or abrupt interruption. Do not use an ellipsis to express hesitation or other purposes when the sentence is complete.

I.8. Dual Speakers

  • One speaker per subtitle event
  • Do not use dual-speaker subtitles which include having two dialogue subtitle events appear at the same time except where two lines are both plot-pertinent and equally important. In that scenario, show subtitles in two lines as shown below. However, ensure that reading speeds are strictly adhered to.
    • Subtitle 1:

二人は付き合ってるの？

    • Subtitle 2:

- まさか

- もちろん

 

I.9. Duration

  • Minimum duration: 500ms (0.5 seconds) per subtitle event
    • In the expression of frames, for 24fps content, this would equal 12 frames.

I.10. Font Information

  • Font type: proportionalSansSerif (e.g. MS Gothic)
  • Font color: White

I.11. On-screen Text

  • Forced narrative titles for on-screen text should only be included if plot-pertinent
  • Forced narratives that are redundant (e.g. identical to onscreen text or covered in the dialogue) must be deleted
  • Forced narratives should be in italics
  • Never combine a forced narrative with dialogue in the same subtitle (use asynchronous subtitle)
  • When a forced narrative interrupts dialogue, use vertical positioning and asynchronous timing so that it does not interrupt the dialogue subtitle
    • If dialogue is already vertical to avoid on-screen text, position forced narrative vertically on the left side

I.12. Foreign Dialogue

  • Foreign dialogue should only be translated if the viewer was meant to understand it (i.e. if it was subtitled in the English original version)
  • When using foreign words, please always verify spelling, accents, and punctuation, if applicable
  • Foreign dialogue should be surrounded by guillemets （山括弧） ”〈 〉” when the different/foreign language(s) is plot-pertinent and/or needs to be highlighted to convey the creative intent (e.g. there is a language barrier between characters)
    • Unicode values: U+3008, U+3009
    • For a multi-language show, define the original language based on what is considered “main/common” in the story, and apply guillemets for all the other languages
    • Guillemets should be applied consistently for all the instances of that particular language(s) is/are spoken
  • Foreign first and last names should be separated using half-width nakaguro (e.g.ビル･ゲイツ)

I.13. Italics

  • Italicize the following:
    • All forced narratives for on-screen text (do not italicize when a forced narrative supports foreign dialogue)
    • Dialogue that is heard through electronic media (e.g. phone, device, television, computer, loudspeaker, AI, AI assistants, voice of a GPS, other digital devices, non-sentient robots, robotic voices, etc.) if the speaker is not physically present in the scene. For instance, if a character speaks into a microphone and their voice is heard through a loudspeaker but they are physically present, italics are not needed. Use good judgement when applying italics, ensuring there is consistency throughout the film or series
    • Off-screen speech (only if it is electronic media speech or if the speaker is not physically present in the scene)
    • Song lyrics and poetry (if rights have been granted)
    • Narration and voice-overs

I.14. Line Limitation

  • Maximum two lines.

I.15. Numbers

  • Horizontal subtitles
    • Single-digit numbers should be written using full-width alphanumeric characters
    • Double-digit and higher numbers should be written using half-width characters
  • Vertical subtitles
    • Single-digit numbers should be written using full-width alphanumeric characters
    • Double-digit numbers should be written using half-width characters and positioned horizontally using “kumi-moji/tatechuyoko”
    • Three-digit and higher numbers should be written using full-width characters and positioned vertically
  • Numerical punctuation should be written in the following format
    • For decimal points, use half-width period for horizontal, and half-width nakaguro for vertical:
      • (e.g. 1.5 should be:１.５ in horizontal, and１･５ in vertical)
    • For decimal separators, do not use a comma. Numbers up to 4 digits should be written without a comma. Numbers bigger than 4 digits should use Japanese characters:
      • 1,500 should be 1500 in horizontal and １５００ in vertical
      • 12,345 should be １万2345 in horizontal and １万２３４５ in vertical
  • Do not convert currency
    • Currency symbols should be localized (e.g. ドル, ユーロ)
  • Dates:
    • Convert dates to Japanese layout (Year/Month/Day, e.g. 2008年12月31日)
    • Abbreviated years are acceptable if abbreviated in the original language
  • Time: 12-hour clock and 24-hour clock time are both acceptable as long as it is consistent throughout the program (unless plot-pertinent)
  • Convert temperature, height, weight, etc. to the metric system, unless it's plot pertinent to remain in the imperial system

I.16. Positioning

  • Do not use top horizontal positioning unless absolutely necessary
    • Exception: When there is on-screen text on bottom, right and left side of screen
  • Vertical positioning should be used when a horizontally positioned subtitle would otherwise obstruct text or action occurring on screen except the translator credit
  • The translator credit should be positioned horizontally at the bottom
  • Vertical positioning should default to the right unless otherwise obstructing text or action occurring on the right side of the screen
  • Use asynchronous timing when dialogue and forced narratives are occurring simultaneously. Timing for each should still follow standard timing rules outlined under Section 7 of the General Requirements Timed Text Style Guide. 
    • Dialogue subtitle should be placed horizontally at bottom, and narrative title should appear vertically (right or left)
    • If on-screen text is present, dialogue subtitle should be placed vertically on right, and narrative title should appear vertically on left
    • If an asynchronous subtitle is necessary while a right-positioned, vertical subtitle is on-screen (when on-screen text is present), asynchronous event should be placed vertically on the left side of the screen


I.17. Punctuation

  • Do not use (。) or (、) punctuation
    • Instead of (、) – use half-width character space
    • Instead of (。) – use full-width character space
    • Exception: If subtitle contains an official translation of a book, movie, film title etc. that contains punctuation (i.e.,「食べて、祈って、恋をして」 for “Eat, Pray, Love”).
  • (？) and (！) should be written as full-width characters, and followed by a full-width space when a new sentence starts on the same line:

      まさか？　そんな！

I.18. Quotes

  • Subtitles for signs, newspapers, written letters should use double quotation marks (this includes when it's read aloud)
  • Use half-width double quotation marks (“”) without spaces for citations
    • Unicode values: U+201C, U+201D
  • Please note that double quotation marks for vertical subtitle may automatically be converted to prime quotes (〝 〞) (U+301D, U+301E) in Netflix tools and the Netflix platform. This is expected behavior.
  • Full-width hook brackets (「」) for album, book, film, songs, and program titles
  • Quotes should be used at both the start and end of the subtitle, even when quote extends beyond more than one event

I.19. Reading Speed Limits

  • Up to 4 characters per second

I.20. Ruby（ルビ）

  • For single line subtitle with horizontal alignment – position ruby above character
  • For single line subtitle with vertical alignment – position ruby on right side of character
  • If ruby is present on second line of a two-line horizontal subtitle – position ruby below ruby base
  • If ruby is present on second line of a two-line vertical subtitle – position ruby on left side of ruby base
  • Do not overuse ruby to describe/explain jokes, puns, mishear, etc. unless absolutely necessary
  • Ruby should be added for the first instance when the term appears only
    • Exception: For kids contents, apply ruby for every instance repeatedly

  • Ruby should be applied based on better readability. Never apply Kanji as ruby. For example, do not add “連邦捜査局” as a ruby over “ＦＢＩ”, instead, ruby “ＦＢＩ” over “連邦捜査局”.

  • Add ruby to all Kanjis altogether when it’s on more than two characters for better readability in general. For example, for 「復讐劇」, add ruby to (ふくしゅうげき) instead of only adding to(しゅう).

I.21. Songs

  • Only subtitle plot-pertinent songs if the rights have been granted
  • Italicize lyrics
  • Punctuation: do not use punctuation during song subtitles
  • Use Chidori-style placement for song lyrics and poetry
    • Full-byte spaces should be used to implement the Chidori formatting. The correct space to use that is the size of a glyph is the Ideographic Space (U+3000).

      • Example:
        あきらめない
        　　　明日の太陽

I.22. Title Treatment

  • Main titles: Subtitle the on-screen main title for branded content when the approved title for Japanese is available in KNP/Terminology and it does not match the title which appears in the card. Do not translate the main title from scratch: always use the approved title provided.
  • Do not subtitle when the on-screen main title and the approved title for Japanese are identical and fully match. (e.g. the on-screen title is already in Japanese, both read with the exact same words and spellings, etc.)
  • Subtitle when the approved title for Japanese contains a part that is transliterated/translated/transcreated/edited and does not fully match the on-screen main title. (e.g. when the on-screen title is Passing but the approved title for Japanese is PASSING －白い黒人－)
  • When the provided translation of the main title does not work with a line break in a way that fits within the limit, the maximum character count per line or maximum line limit can be exceeded. Do not split the provided translation into multiple subtitle events.
  • If the approved title for Japanese uses symbols, punctuation, characters that are against the Japanese TTSG (e.g. full-width nakaguro, half-width question mark, etc.) correct them to adhere to the TTSG unless instructed otherwise. When the rule for a specific symbol is not specified in the TTSG, please trust the title's KNP as the source of truth and reference.
  • Do not italicize the main title event.
  • Episode titles: Do not subtitle episode titles if they do not appear on screen/are not voiced-over. If on-screen (either as part of the principal photography or burned into video) or voiced-over, please reference the KNP tool for approved translations.
  • Titles of movies, TV shows, books, etc., use official or well-known translations

I.23. Special Instructions

  • Dialogue must never be censored. Expletives should be rendered as faithfully as possible.
  • Plot-pertinent dialogue always takes precedence over background dialogue
  • Always match the tone of the original content, while remaining relevant to the target audience (e.g. replicate tone, register, class, formality, etc. in the target language in an equivalent way).
  • Deliberate misspellings and mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the translation unless plot-pertinent
  • For whispering dialogue or mouthed words that are plot-pertinent, use full-width parentheses （）
  • When “Netflix” is mentioned in the dialogue or appears in on-screen texts, spell in all CAP in half-width alphabet as “NETFLIX”. If it’s absolutely necessary to have it in vertical subtitles, spell it all CAP in full-width alphabet as “ＮＥＴＦＬＩＸ”. Do not translate it as “ネットフリックス” or “ネトフリ” unless story-pertinent.
  • Colloquial spelling (e.g. ダーメ！, ありがと, ってか, わぁ, etc) should only be used when it is required to convey the creative intent, but do not overuse it.
  • When brand names or trademarks appear, you may either; use the same name if it is known in the territory you are translating for; adapt to the name that the brand or product is known by that the territory you are translating for; or use a generic name for that product or item. Avoid swapping out names of brands, companies or famous people for other names.

I.24. Children's Content

  • Vocabulary and kanji usage should be age-appropriate for kids content. Please seek age tag information from Netflix.

Ages 0-6 : Vocabulary and kanji usage should be appropriate for up to age 6 (1st grade).
Ages 7-12 : Vocabulary and kanji usage should be appropriate for up to age 12 (6th grade).

  • Use of 常用外 kanji is prohibited. Please refer to 「NHK漢字表記辞典」 and 「朝日新聞の用語の手引き」 for more information.
  • Rubies should be used sparingly - age-appropriate vocabulary and kanji take precedence.
  • When ruby is necessary, it should be added to every instance when the term appears.

 

II. Japanese SDH: Content Requirements

II.1 Accepted File Formats

  • Japanese subtitles must be delivered in IMSC 1.1 format

II.2. Accuracy of content

  • Include as much of the original content as possible
  • Do not simplify or water down the original dialogue
  • Where content has been dubbed into Japanese, please refer to the dubbing script or dubbed audio as the basis for the SDH file and ensure that the two match as much as reading speed and timings allow.
  • For SDH assets for non-original language (NOLA), please refer to the SDH Asset Dependency Update.
  • Truncating the original dialogue should be limited to instances where reading speed and synchronicity to the audio are an issue
  • When editing for reading speed, favor text reduction, deletion and condensing but do not paraphrase.

II.3. Acronyms

  • Acronyms should be written in full-width alphanumeric characters without periods or spaces

    (e.g. ＢＢＣ，ＣＩＡ，ＵＳＡ)

  • However, when an acronym is longer than 5 letters, using half-width characters is recommended for better readability, e.g. LGBTQ+, NASDAQ

II.4. Alignment

  • Horizontal dialogue subtitles should be center-aligned and left-justified
  • Vertical subtitles should be top-aligned and positioned to the left or right of the screen. Please refer to Section 16. Positioning for specific details. 

II.5. Bouten （傍点）

  • For single line subtitle with horizontal alignment – position bouten above character
  • For single line subtitle with vertical alignment – position bouten on right side of character
  • If bouten is present on second line of a two-line horizontal subtitle – position bouten below character
  • If bouten is present on second line of a two-line vertical subtitle – position bouten on left side of character

II.6. Character Limitation

  • Horizontal subtitles - Maximum 16 full-width characters per line
  • Vertical subtitles – Maximum 11 full-width characters per line (includes spaces)
  • Full-width character, space, and punctuation counts as 1 character
  • Half-width character, space, and punctuation count as 0.5 characters
    • Half-width katakana is allowed

II.7. Character Names

  • Use official kanji for character names. If unknown, use katakana.
    • If using kanji, add ruby when the name first appears.
    • Exception: For kids contents, ruby for the name should be applied at every instance.

II.8. Continuity

  • Use a two-em dash (⸺, U+2E3A) when an ongoing sentence is split between two or more continuous subtitles.
    • NOTE: In some fonts, the two-em dash may look very similar to the chōonpu (長音符) symbol used for prolonged sound marks. Even in such case, the exact characters recommended in this document must be used as Netflix uses a font that produces distinct rendering for these 2 characters. Other characters must not be used. Copy the character above and save for future use.
  • Do not overuse two-em dashes when it’s grammatically clear that the sentence continues to the next subtitle.
  • Use midline horizontal ellipsis (3-dot leader aka 3-ten rīdā) to indicate a pause or abrupt interruption. 

II.9. Dual Speakers

  • Use a half-width hyphen followed by a speaker ID without a space to indicate two speakers in one subtitle event, with a maximum of one speaker per line.
    • Unicode: U+002D

      -（みのり）はじめまして
      -（アルマン）よろしくお願いします
  • Text in each line in a dual speaker subtitle must be a contained sentence and should not carry into the preceding or subsequent subtitle. Creating shorter sentences and adjusting the timing appropriately help to accommodate this.
    • Example - try to avoid

      Subtitle 1:     ずっと秘密にしてたんだけど
      Subtitle 2:     -（ジェシカ）聞いて驚いたんじゃ？
                            -（マット）別に 意外じゃないよ
    • Example - preferred

      Subtitle 1:      ずっと秘密にしてたんだけど
                            聞いて驚いたんじゃ？
      Subtitle 2:     別に 意外じゃないよ

II.10. Font Information

  • Font type: proportionalSansSerif (e.g. MS Gothic)
  • Font color: White

II.11. Foreign Dialogue

  • Foreign dialogue should only be translated if the viewer was meant to understand it (i.e. if it was subtitled in the English original version)
  • When using foreign words, please always verify spelling, accents and punctuation, if applicable
  • Foreign words should be surrounded by guillemet brackets（山括弧） ”〈 〉” when the different/foreign language(s) is plot-pertinent and/or needs to be highlighted to convey the creative intent (e.g. there is a language barrier between characters)
        • Unicode: U+3008, U+3009
        • For a multi-language show, define the original language based on what is considered “main/common” in the story, and apply guillemets for all the other languages
        • The "original language" here is defined as the language the show/film was produced in, not what it has been dubbed into
        • Guillemets should be applied consistently for all the instances of that particular language(s) is/are spoken
  • Foreign first and last names should be separated using half-width nakaguro (e.g.ビル･ゲイツ)

II.12. Italics

  • Italicize the following:
    • All forced narratives for on-screen text (do not italicize when a forced narrative supports foreign dialogue)
    • Dialogue that is heard through electronic media (e.g. phone, device, television, computer, loudspeaker, AI, AI assistants, voice of a GPS, other digital devices, non-sentient robots, robotic voices, etc.) if the speaker is not physically present in the scene. For instance, if a character speaks into a microphone and their voice is heard through a loudspeaker but they are physically present, italics are not needed. Use good judgement when applying italics, ensuring there is consistency throughout the film or series
    • Off-screen speech (only if it is electronic media speech or if the speaker is not physically present in the scene)
    • Song lyrics and poetry (if rights have been granted)
    • Narration and voice-overs

II.13. Line Limitation

  • Maximum two lines.

II.14. Numbers

  • Horizontal subtitles
    • Single-digit numbers should be written using full-width alphanumeric characters
    • Double-digit and higher numbers should be written using half-width characters
  • Vertical subtitles
    • Single-digit numbers should be written using full-width alphanumeric characters
    • Double-digit numbers should be written using half-width characters and positioned horizontally using “kumi-moji/tatechuyoko”.
    • Three-digit and higher numbers should be written using full-width characters and positioned vertically
  • Numerical punctuation should be written in the following format
    • For decimal points, use half-width period for horizontal, and half-width nakaguro for vertical:
      • (e.g. 1.5 should be:１.５ in horizontal, and １･５ in vertical)
    • For decimal separators, do not use a comma. Numbers up to 4 digits should be written without a comma. Numbers bigger than 4 digits should use Japanese characters:
      • 1,500 should be 1500 in horizontal and １５００ in vertical.
      • 12,345 should be １万2345 in horizontal and １万２３４５ in vertical. 
  • Do not convert currency
    • Currency symbols should be localized (e.g. ドル, ユーロ)
  • Dates:
    • Convert dates to Japanese layout (Year/Month/Day, e.g. 2008年12月31日)
    • Abbreviated years are acceptable if abbreviated in the original language
  • Time: 12-hour clock and 24-hour clock time both acceptable as long as it is consistent throughout the program (unless plot-pertinent)

II.15. Positioning

  • Vertical positioning or top horizontal positioning should be used when a horizontally positioned subtitle would otherwise obstruct text or action occurring on screen except the translator credit.
  • The translator credit should be positioned horizontally at the bottom.
  • Vertical positioning should default to the right unless otherwise obstructing text or action occurring on the right side of the screen.
  • Use asynchronous timing when dialogue and forced narratives are occurring simultaneously. Timing for each should still follow standard timing rules outlined under Section 7 of the General Requirements Timed Text Style Guide. 
    • Dialogue subtitle should be placed horizontally at bottom, and narrative title should appear vertically (right or left).
    • If on-screen text is present, dialogue subtitle should be placed vertically on right, and narrative title should appear vertically on left.
    • If an asynchronous subtitle is necessary while a right-positioned, vertical subtitle is on-screen (when on-screen text is present), asynchronous event should be placed vertically on the left side of the screen:



II.16. Punctuation

  • Do not use (。) or (、) punctuation
    • Instead of (、) – use half-width character space
    • Instead of (。) – use full-width character space
    • Exception: If subtitle contains an official translation of book, movie, film title etc. that contains punctuation  (i.e.,「食べて、祈って、恋をして」 for “Eat, Pray, Love”)
  • (？) and (！) should be written as full-width characters, and followed by a full-width space when a new sentence starts on the same line:

      まさか？　そんな！

II.17. Quotes

  • Use half-width double quotation marks (“”) without spaces for citations
    • Unicode values: U+201C, U+201D
  • Please note that double quotation marks for vertical subtitle may automatically be converted to prime quotes (〝 〞) (U+301D, U+301E) in Netflix tools and the Netflix platform. This is expected behavior.
  • Full-width hook brackets (「」) for album, book, film, songs, and program titles
  • Quotes should be used at both the start and end of the subtitle, even when quote extends beyond more than one event
  • Subtitles for signs, newspapers, written letters should use double quotation marks (this includes when it's read aloud)

II.18. Reading Speed Limits

  • Up to 7 characters per second
  • For scenes with heavy dialogue, timing should be adjusted to accommodate reading speed as much as possible

II.19. Ruby（ルビ）

  • For single line subtitle with horizontal alignment – position ruby above character
  • For single line subtitle with vertical alignment – position ruby on right side of character
  • If ruby is present on second line of a two-line horizontal subtitle – position ruby below ruby base
  • If ruby is present on second line of a two-line vertical subtitle – position ruby on left side of ruby base
  • Ruby should be added for the first instance when the term appears only

    • Exception: For kids' content, apply ruby for every instance repeatedly

  • Ruby should be applied based on better readability. Never apply Kanji as ruby. For example, do not add “連邦捜査局” as a ruby over “ＦＢＩ”, instead, ruby “ＦＢＩ” over “連邦捜査局”.

  • Add ruby to all Kanjis altogether when it’s on more than two characters for better readability in general. For example, for 「復讐劇」, add ruby to (ふくしゅうげき) instead of only adding to(しゅう).
  • Add ruby when a noun (person, place, book, song title, company name etc.) appears for the first time. This does not apply to well-known places or common names. (都道府県、県庁所在地、政令指定都市、東京23区、山手線の駅名) or (鈴木、佐藤、田中 etc.)

II.20. Songs

  • Only subtitle plot-pertinent songs if the rights have been granted
  • Add music notes to indicate song (♪) followed by half width space. If rights have not been granted, use the music note on its own
  • Music start: ♪～
  • Music end: ～♪
  • Italicize lyrics
  • Punctuation: do not use punctuation during song subtitles
  • Use Chidori-style placement for song lyrics and poetry
    • Full-byte spaces should be used to implement the Chidori formatting. The correct space to use that is the size of a glyph is the Ideographic Space (U+3000).

      • Example:
        あきらめない
        　　　明日の太陽

  •  

II.21. Speaker IDs

  • Use full-width parentheses （） to enclose speaker IDs or sound effects.
  • Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified. If the speaker is partially visible, the IDs can be included. Do not use speaker IDs for continuing dialogue where the speaker has been seen or has already been identified.
  • In instances of foreign dialogue being spoken:
    • If the foreign dialogue is translated, use “(in language)”, for example, “（スペイン語）”, before the dialogue text
    • If the foreign dialogue is not meant to be understood, use “speaking language", for example, （スペイン語の発言）”
  • Never italicize speaker IDs or sound effects, even when the spoken information is italicized, such as in a voice-over.
  • For unscripted shows specifically, when a speaker ID is required for a character who is yet to be identified by name, use objective identifiers such as （男性）, （女性）, （子供）, or （男性の声） or （女性の声), so as not to provide information that is not yet present in the narrative. If the same identifier is used multiple times in one scene, numbers should be added to distinguish them, for example （男性 1）.
  • When multiple speakers need to be shown, use half-width nakaguro between names. However when it makes sense to generalize, use shorter IDs such as（２人）（一同）.
  • When a voice is delivered via electronic devices such as phone, please include the communication method and speaker ID divided by half-width colon such as（電話:大介）
  • Try using the simplest and most generic noun for unnamed characters such as （店員）（教師）
  • Prioritize readability when speaker IDs and sound effects occur at the same time, for example:
    • Use（マイクの泣き声）instead of （マイク）（泣き声）

II.22. Sound effects

  • Use a generic description to indicate and describe ambient music (e.g. rock music playing over a stereo).
  • Sound effects should be plot-pertinent
  • Be detailed and descriptive, use adverbs where appropriate when describing sounds and music, describe voices, speed of speech, volume of sounds
  • Describe the sounds and audio as opposed to visual elements or actions
  • Subtitle silence if plot-pertinent. For example, when plot-pertinent music ends abruptly
  • Plot-pertinent sound effects should always be included unless inferred by the visuals. This includes monologue or a voice of characters’ unspoken thoughts.
  • If a sound effect and dialogue occur at the same time, put the sound effect on the first line and dialogue on the second line. Remember to add a speaker ID as per below example

（扉が開く音）

（店員）いらっしゃいませ

 

II.23. Special Instructions

  • Dialogue must never be censored. Expletives should be rendered as faithfully as possible.
  • Plot-pertinent dialogue always takes precedence over background dialogue
  • Deliberate misspellings and mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the translation unless plot-pertinent
  • For whispering dialogue or mouthed words that are plot-pertinent, use full-width parentheses （）

II.24. Children's Content

  • Vocabulary and kanji usage should be age appropriate for kids content. Please seek age tag information from Netflix.

Ages 0-6 : Vocabulary and kanji usage should be appropriate for up to age 6 (1st grade).
Ages 7-12 : Vocabulary and kanji usage should be appropriate for up to age 12 (6th grade).

  • Use of 常用外 kanji is prohibited. Please refer to 「NHK漢字表記辞典」 and 「朝日新聞の用語の手引き」 for more information.
  • Rubies should be used sparingly - age-appropriate vocabulary and kanji takes precedence. 

  • When ruby is necessary, it should be added to every instance when the term appears. 

 


Change Log:

2024-10-07

  • Revised sections I.2 and II.3 Acronyms - Bullet points added covering how to handle longer acronyms
  • Revised sections I.7 and II.8 Continuity - the two-em dash and unicode have been added to these sections so that they can easily be copied for use
  • Revised section I.8 Dual Speakers - 2nd bullet point added with new example
  • Revised sections I.13 and II.12 Italics - new standard wording about italics, electronic media/speakers and on-screen/in-scene characters added
  • Revised sections I.17 and II.17 Quotes - a paragraph has been added confirming that double quotation marks may be automatically converted on ingest on the Netflix side
  • Revised sections I.20 and II.19 Ruby - 7th, 8th and 9th bullets added
  • Revised section I.22 Title Treatment - 5th bullet point expanded
  • Revised section I.23 Special Instructions - bullet about colloquial spelling has been edited and expanded
  • Revised section II.2 Accuracy of Content - 4th and 6th bullets added
  • Revised section II.11 Foreign Dialogue - 6th bullet added
  • Revised section II.20 Songs - 2nd bullet edited
  • Revised sections II.21 and II.22 Speaker IDs and Sound Effects - the was originally one shorter section and is now two separate longer sections, please review in detail. Subsequent sections renumbered accordingly

2023-10-20

  • Revised section II.9 Dual Speakers - whole section revised, please review carefully
  • Revised section II.21 Speaker IDs / Sound Effects - 11th bullet point added about avoiding italics in speaker IDs and sound effects

2022-12-22

  • Revised section I.19 and II.18 Reading Speed - sections edited to mention "reading speed limits" and "up to"

2022-11-03

  • Revised section I.22 Titles - "for branded content" added

2022-10-07

  • Revised section I.16 Positioning - reference to Netflix credit removed
  • Revised section I.22 Titles - rules added/edited to include main title translations

2021-10-13

  • Revised section I.12 Foreign Dialogue - detail added to the 3rd bullet point and related sub-bullets regarding use of guillemets to indicate other source languages being spoken
  • Revised section I.13 Italics - first example expanded to confirm not using italics when an FN covers foreign language dialogue
  • Revised section I.16 Positioning - 3rd and 4th bullet edited to include details about positioning of translator credits
  • Revised section II.11 Foreign Dialogue - detail added to the 3rd bullet point and related sub-bullets regarding use of guillemets to indicate other source languages being spoken
  • Revised section II.12 Italics - first example expanded to confirm not using italics when an FN covers foreign language dialogue
  • Revised section II.15 Positioning - 3rd and 4th bullet edited to include details about positioning of translator credits

2021-07-11

2021-02-24

2021-02-01

  • Revised sections I.15 Numbers and II.14 Numbers - Revised the decimal point format shown

2020-11-16 

  • Added link to Japanese IMSC 1.1 Creation Guide
  • Revised sections I.1 Accepted File Formats and II.1 Accepted File Formats- removed Lambda Cap (.cap) as an acceptable delivery format and replaced with IMSC 1.1.
  • Revised section I.2. Acronyms and II.3 Acronyms - bullet points merged/revised for greater clarity.
  • Revised sections I.3 Alignment and II.4 Alignment - Clarified that vertical subtitles should be positioned to the left or right side of the screen as referenced in Section 16. "Positioning".
  • Revised sections I.4 Bouten and II.5 Bouten - last bullet point removed
  • Revised section I.6 Character Names - last bullet point revised/expanded for clarity 
  • Revised sections I.7 Continuity and II.8 Continuity - added sub-bullet to emphasize that chōonpu and two-em dash should never be used interchangeably. Added 2nd bullet.
  • Revised section I.8 Dual Speakers - Revised 2nd bullet 
  • Revised section I.9 Duration to express/illustrate minimum duration requirements in seconds, milliseconds, and frames.  
  • Revised sections I.10 Font Information and II.10 Font Information -  Revised 1st and 2nd bullets. Removed reference to Font Size.
  • Revised section I.11 On-screen Text – revised last bullet point for clarity 
  • Revised sections I.14 Line Limitation and II.13 Line Limitation - Updated line limitation to 2 lines maximum.
  • Revised sections I.15 Numbers and II.14 Numbers - Added a note that currency symbols should be localized (e.g. ドル, ユーロ).  Added a note to clarify that temperature, height, weight, etc., should be converted to the metric system unless it is plot-pertinent to remain in the imperial system. Expanded explanation regarding numerical punctuation. 
  • Revised sections I.15 Numbers and II.14 Numbers - Added a localized example of how dates should be converted (2008年12月31日)
  • Revised sections I.16 Positioning and II.15 Positioning - updating vertical subtitle positioning verbiage for clarity and merged "asynchronous subtitle" requirements into these Positioning sections. Clarified that "General Timing Requirements" refers to Section 7 of our General Requirements Timed Text Style Guide.
  • Revised sections I.17 Punctuation and II.16 Punctuation - revised third sub-bullet to remove listing numbers from the exception case.  
  • Revised sections I.18 Quotes and II.17 Quotes - Revised to specify that half-width double quotes, (“”), should be used instead of full-width double prime quotes, (〝 〞), to improve linguistic fluidity. 
  • Revised sections I.20 Ruby - Replaced 5th bullet and added 6th bullet
  • Revised sections I.21 Songs and II.20 Songs - Removed reference of how to implement Chidori-style spacing in Lambda Cap -- and clarified that full-byte spaces (the size of a glyph) should be used to implement Chidori-style spacing [Ideographic Space (U+3000)]
  • Revised section I.23 Special Instructions - 5th and 6th bullets replaced
  • Revised sections I.24 Children's Content and II.23 Children's Content - 4th bullet added
  • Revised section II.4 Alignment - Removed reference to occasions in which horizontal subtitles may be center-aligned and center-justified.  Horizontal subtitles should always be center-aligned and left-justified. 
  • Revised section II.7 Character Names - Revised 1st sub-bullet and added 2nd sub-bullet for consistency with subtitle guidelines.
  • Revised section II.9 Dual Speakers - added example 
  • Revised section II.21 Speaker ID / Sound Effects - Revised 1st bullet and last bullet for clarity 

2020-10-30

  • Revised sections I.13 Italics & II.12 Italics - 4th bullet revised to include poetry
  • Revised sections I.18 Quotes and II.17 Quotes - to highlight that quotes should be used in these instances even when read aloud. 

2020-05-08

2019-08-20

2018-06-21

  • Revised section 22 Songs – Sub bullet point added to clarify between external delivery and Originator instructions

2018-06-04

  • Revised section I.12 On-screen Text – revised section header for clarity

2018-03-09

  • Revised section I.18 Punctuation – 1st and 3rd bullet points merged/revised, 2nd bullet point revised
  • Revised section I.23 Title Treatment – 2nd bullet point revised
  • Added section II.17 Punctuation - 1st and 3rd bullet points merged/revised, 2nd bullet point revised

2017-08-01

2017-02-05

2016-05-15

  • Revised section 4 Asynchronous Timing – 2nd bullet point revised
  • Revised section 5 Bouten – 5th bullet point added
  • Revised section 13 Foreign Dialogue – 3rd bullet point revised
  • Revised section 18 Punctuation – 3rd bullet point revised
  • Revised section 21 Ruby – 2 bullet points added
  • Revised section 22 Songs – 4th bullet point revised

2015-12-07 (Version 3.3 )

  • Revised section 13.3 Alignment – 3rd (last) bullet added
  • Revised section 13.6 Character Limitation – 1st and 2nd bullet points revised. 3rd and 4th bullet points added
  • Revised section 13.13 Foreign Dialogue – 3rd bullet point revised
  • Revised section 13.16 Numbers – 7th (last) bullet added
  • Revised section 13.17 Positioning – 1st bullet point revised (with 2 exceptions added)
  • Revised section 13.18 Punctuation – 3rd (last) bullet point added
  • Revised section 13.23 Title Treatment – 2nd bullet point revised

 

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