TYPE U
Web Design / Development / English / Identity / Graphic Design
2025
For companies working in Japan
Web Design
for Japan
I help international companies decide what their website for Japan actually needs, then design and build it.
Start with what you have
You may not need to start again.
If you already have a global website, brand guidelines, product information or sales materials, I can start there.
Some companies need a complete Japanese website. Others need only a smaller local site, a few Japanese pages, better product information, or a clearer way for customers in Japan to get in touch.
The scope comes after understanding the problem.
More than translation
The website may need to change, not just the words.
Translating the copy is one part of the job. Depending on the company and its customers, the Japanese site may also need a different information structure, more local company information, different product explanations, a different inquiry flow, or photography from the Japan office or facility.
The aim is not to make the website look more Japanese.
The aim is to make it useful in Japan.
What I look at
The whole website, not just the translation.
01
Information
What does someone in Japan need to know before they contact, buy from or work with your company?
02
Structure
Which parts of the global website should remain, and which parts make more sense when reorganized for Japan?
03
Japanese Content
English source material can be translated and adapted with the surrounding website and audience in mind.
04
Design
Existing brand guidelines can be respected while layouts are adapted to Japanese content.
05
Development
Front-end development and WordPress can be handled as part of the same project.
06
Local Visuals
If the Japan office, factory, people or products need to be shown, photography and visual production can be handled locally.
Work in Japan
Related Work
Direct
The person you talk to is the person making the website.
I’m Takeshi Yasue, the designer and developer behind BIRTHDeY. I have worked independently since 2006, based in Gifu, Japan. I handle planning, web design and front-end development myself, so I stay involved from the first conversation through launch.
Projects can be discussed in English. When a project needs photography, film, identity or other specialist work, those areas can be included as part of the same project.
How it works
Start with your current website.
01
Share
Send your current website, company materials and a short explanation of what you are doing in Japan.
02
Define
I look at what already exists and decide what the website for Japan actually needs.
03
Design & Build
I design and develop the website while communicating with you directly in English.
04
Review & Launch
The Japanese content and website are reviewed together before launch. Ongoing support can be included when needed.
Contact
If you already have a website, start there.
Send me the URL of your current website and a few lines about what your company is doing, or planning to do, in Japan.
Tell me about your project→