This article examines how Translation Studies as a discipline is taking shape in Japan, focusing on institutional and social aspects that have contributed to this vibrant development. It describes and analyzes a series of key events and publications in the past several years that signal a heightened level of interest in establishing Translation Studies as an academic field in Japan. The contextual factors discussed include recent trends in language teaching at Japanese universities, the influence of the international community of Translation Studies and the ‘translation-friendly’ cultural infrastructure in Japan. Attention is also paid to how Japanese researchers have been addressing theories and methods developed by Western translation scholars.