The Art of Film Subtitle Translation ― Infusing Magic into 4 Characters per Second
In Japan, subtitles have traditionally been favoured over dubbing when viewing foreign films, having been mainstream since before World War II. As a result, the art of film subtitling has become highly refined, with a well-established framework dictating every aspect of the practice, from the optimal character count for readability to the timing of the subtitles. Originally known as ‘superimposed titles’ due to their placement directly over the film image, subtitles were referred to in Japanese as sūpā jimaku (‘super titles’). The first Japanese film to contain superimposed titles was Morocco, released in 1931. Since then, many talented translators have left a lasting imprint on the history of foreign films in Japan, beginning with Shunji Shimizu – appointed by Yoshihiko Tamura, the subtitler for Morocco – who became the first dedicated Japanese specialist in the field of subtitling. Other exceptional translators include Shizuo Takase, best known for his masterful rendering into Japanese of the famous “Here’s looking at you, kid” from Casablanca (1942), and Yoshiro Himeda, responsible for translating European film classics introduced to Japan by the Kawakitas. These esteemed figures played a pivotal role in supporting the golden age of cinema from behind the scenes, laying the foundations for subtitling culture in Japan.
This special exhibition explores the production process and historical evolution of subtitles from the days when they were still handwritten on cards by ‘title writers’, showcasing an array of materials that illuminate the many facets of the craft. It also features a curated selection of memorable lines as chosen by subtitle translators, accompanied by illustrations by celebrated film illustrator Yuji Miyazaki.
＊The main image on the flyer depicts the Central Motion Picture Exchange (CMPE), which served as the sole distributor for Hollywood films in Japan for much of the postwar occupation era. Its Kanesaka Building headquarters in Shimbashi housed a dedicated subtitle production department.＊
