Contribution to Book
Trial and Error in the Interpreting System and Procedures at the Tokyo Trial Title
The Tokyo Tribunal – Perspectives on Law, History, and Memory
(2020)
Abstract
During the Tokyo Trial, interpreting between English and Japanese was provided throughout the proceedings. The tribunal also used interpreters of Chinese, French, Dutch, German, Russian, and Mongolian as needed. Further, all documents submitted as evidence had to be accompanied by their English or Japanese translation. Because of the unprecedented multilingual setting, the volume of translation required, and the shortages of competent linguists in Allied nations, the ill-prepared tribunal had to tackle a number of language issues during the early stages of the trial. Although the tribunal reached out to Nuremberg four months into the Tokyo Trial to seek advice on interpreting arrangements, it could not obtain useful information. This paper first provides an overview of issues, such as the use of “unofficial” languages and error correction mechanisms, and how the tribunal addressed these issues. It pays special attention to sociopolitical factors reflected in the hierarchical interpreting system, where Japanese nationals interpreted the proceedings, Japanese American monitors checked the accuracy of interpretation, and Caucasian US military officers ruled over language disputes. This paper also discusses the effects of interpreting on the proceeding, and draws comparisons between the interpreting arrangements in Tokyo and Nuremberg as well as in present-day international criminal courts.
Keywords
- Tokyo Trial,
- interpreting system,
- monitors
Disciplines
Publication Date
October 27, 2020
Editor
V. E. Dittrich, K. von Lingen, P. Osten, and J. Makraiová
Publisher
Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher
DOI
ISBN: 978-82-8348-137-2
Citation Information
Kayoko Takeda. "Trial and Error in the Interpreting System and Procedures at the Tokyo Trial Title" BrussellThe Tokyo Tribunal – Perspectives on Law, History, and Memory (2020) p. 131 - 152 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kayoko_takeda/60/