Case study
Japan · One spelling
The Latin name appeared on only one page of the set
Every katakana rendering was reconciled to that one Latin spelling, so the set reads as one person’s record.
Read the caseMon–Sun · 8am–10pm ET · 15–30 min replies
Certified Japanese Diploma Translation
学位記 · 卒業証明書
CertTranslate provides complete Japanese-to-English diploma translations for WES, university admissions, professional licensing, and employment verification. Most 1–3 page orders are delivered within 24 hours, from $24.95 per physical page.
We preserve the original degree title, institution, seals, signatures, registry numbers, and layout. We do not assign a U.S. degree equivalency—that is the evaluator’s job.
Signed and stamped Certificate of Translation Accuracy
Accepted — or your money back
One physical page, with no word cap
Review and request corrections before certification
Your instant price
Japanese → English1
any length · no word capone or more · PDF, image · up to 25 MB ea.
Your total$24.95
Acceptance guarantee · unlimited free revisions
Encrypted upload · total confirmed before payment · source files deleted 30 days after delivery
4.9/5 · 2,400+ reviews BBB Accredited A+ 240,000+ documents since 2014
What you receive
What will I receive with my certified diploma translation?
Your final package includes a copy of the source document, the complete English translation, and a signed and stamped Certificate of Translation Accuracy. The certificate states that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is qualified to translate it.
- Original degree title kept without guessing a U.S. equivalency
- Every visible date, seal, signature, and registry entry translated or described
- Names checked against the passport and transcript you provide
- Formatting matched to the original for line-by-line review
- Translated by a professional Japanese translator and checked again
- Review the translation and request corrections before certification
Get my certified diploma translation
Files checked and total confirmed before payment
Before you order
What should I upload with my Japanese diploma?
Upload every academic page you have. We identify the gakuiki, registrar certificates, and transcript, then confirm the page count, price, and delivery time before you pay.
01 · Always start here
Degree certificate (学位記)
The ceremonial award with the era-dated conferral, the degree title, and the university’s official seal. Upload the full page.
02 · Commonly reviewed with it
Transcript and graduation certificate
The 成績証明書 and 卒業証明書 from the registrar. Evaluators usually review them with the degree evidence as one set.
03 · Depends on your set
English university pages or replacement certificates
Include any 英文証明書 the university issued in English and the 学位授与証明書 if the original award was replaced — we translate only what needs translating.
Real Japanese translation casework
Real Japanese translation cases
Each case shows what was unusual, how we translated it, and what the evaluator or officer needed to see.
Japan · Katakana names
U.S. place names appeared only in katakana
Each katakana rendering was reconstructed to its real spelling and verified against the packet.
Read the case
Japan · Register correction
The register carried a corrected mother’s name
The correction entry was translated in place, so the name history stays traceable for the officer.
Read the caseHow it works
How does Japanese diploma translation work?
Upload your documents first. We confirm the pages, price, and delivery time before you pay. You can review the translation before we certify it.
- 01
Upload your diploma and related documents
Send a PDF, scan, or phone photo. Include the gakuiki, certificates, transcript, and any pages the university issued in English.
We confirm the pages, total, and delivery time before payment - 02
We translate and check every detail
Degree title, era-dated conferral, kanji and katakana name renderings, seals, and certificate numbers are checked against the source and your passport spelling.
Professional Japanese translator · separate quality check - 03
Review and receive your certified translation
Request free corrections before certification. After approval, you receive the complete English translation and a signed, stamped Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
24h standard · 12h Rush · 6h Super Rush
One physical page is billed once.
We do not split a dense page into two or three billed pages.
Certified price
$24.95/ page
Get my certified diploma translation
No payment until file review
Client reviews
What clients say about their diploma translations
4.9 / 52,400+ client reviews
Google Trustpilot Direct feedback
Kenji M.
Seattle, WA
“WES needed my gakuiki and transcript as one set. The katakana readings were matched to my passport spelling and the evaluation went through.”
Japan · Gakuiki + transcript
WES had no questions
Aiko S.
San Francisco, CA
“An earlier translation had converted my Heisei conferral date wrong. They fixed the year and kept the original date visible.”
Japan · Heisei-era conferral date
Admissions accepted it
Daichi H.
Chicago, IL
“My university issued English certificates for the transcript but the award was Japanese-only. They translated exactly what needed translating.”
Japan · Mixed English–Japanese set
Set stayed consistent
Record-type diploma review
Which Japanese academic document do you have?
The gakuiki, the registrar certificates, and a mixed-language set call for different handling. Find your record type to see what we check.
学位記
Degree Certificate (学位記) Translation
Also issued with: Replaced by a 学位授与証明書 when the original is lost
- Degree ladder
- 学士 · 修士 · 博士
- Issued
- Once, at conferral
- Watch for
- Era-dated conferral (Shōwa · Heisei · Reiwa)
The ceremonial award conferred once at graduation, naming the degree and field under the university’s official seal, with an era-dated conferral date.
We translate the full award with the era date converted, the degree title kept as issued, and the seal described — and we label a replacement conferral certificate as what it is.
卒業証明書 · 成績証明書
Graduation Certificate and Transcript Translation
Also issued with: Often available from the registrar in English
- Issued
- On request, reissuable
- Companion
- Transcript pairs with the degree evidence
- Watch for
- English versions may already exist
The registrar issues the certificate of graduation and the transcript on request — sometimes in English. Evaluators usually want the transcript with the degree evidence.
We translate the Japanese versions and keep names, dates, and course terminology consistent with any pages the university already issued in English.
Kanji · katakana · Latin script
Mixed and Japanese-Only Set Translation
Also issued with: Older awards and 賞状 prize certificates are Japanese-only
- The risk
- Three scripts, one name
- Our check
- One romanization, passport-matched
- Watch for
- Latin name printed on one page only
Real sets mix scripts: a diploma with a Latin name line, an award in katakana, a transcript in Japanese. In one real order, the Latin spelling appeared on the diploma only.
We reconcile every rendering against the passport and translate the Japanese-only pages, so the mixed set reads as one consistent record.
Holding a junior-college or vocational credential? We translate 短期大学士 awards, vocational certificates, and every other Japanese academic record — the three types above are simply the ones we see most.
Translate another Japanese credentialCompare page-based pricing
How much can a 250-word page cap add to your price?
A diploma may contain only a few words, but a transcript, registry page, or supplement can be dense. A provider with a 250-word cap may bill one physical page as two or three pages.
CertTranslate
$24.95 per physical page, regardless of word count
Typical capped provider
Re-counts the same document in 250-word billing units
Included here
Matched formatting, certification, and free corrections for objective errors
Your quote is based on physical pages. We confirm the page count and final total before payment.
Physical pages in your document
100 sparse600 dense
Typical — a diploma, registry page, or short supplement
CertTranslate$24.95
1 page × $24.95 — flat, no word cap
typical 250-word-cap provider$49.90
380 words ÷ 250 = 2 billed pages × $24.95
You keep $24.95 on this document.
Get your exact priceComparison estimate only, based on a 250-word page definition at a representative $24.95 per-page rate. Your final price depends on the actual document.
Frequent problems we correct
What can cause questions during credential review?
These four issues can make a diploma difficult to compare with the original. We check for each one before certification.
01
Katakana and Latin name renderings are not reconciled
How we handle it: We match every rendering to the passport spelling — including sets where the Latin name appears on only one page.
02
Era-based dates are converted wrong or the original is dropped
How we handle it: We keep the Shōwa, Heisei, or Reiwa date as printed and pair it with the verified Gregorian equivalent.
03
The graduation certificate is labeled as the degree certificate
How we handle it: We label the 学位記 and the 卒業証明書 as the distinct documents they are, so the evaluator sees what was actually issued.
04
A mixed set is submitted half-translated
How we handle it: We map which pages the university issued in English and which are Japanese-only, so the packet arrives complete and consistent.
If a field is unreadable, we do not guess. We ask for a clearer image or identify the limitation in a translator note.
Upload files for a free checkCertified diploma translation FAQ
Japanese diploma translation questions, answered
Clear answers about WES, ECE, the gakuiki, era dates, price, delivery, notarization, and seals.
How much does a Japanese diploma translation cost?+−
Certified Japanese diploma translation starts at $24.95 per physical page. One physical page is billed once, even when it contains more than 250 words. We confirm the page count and total before payment.
How long does a Japanese diploma translation take?+−
Most 1–3 page orders are delivered within 24 hours, included in the standard price. Twelve-hour Rush and six-hour Super Rush are also available. If the documents are longer or difficult to read, we confirm the delivery time before work begins.
Will WES accept my Japanese diploma translation?+−
WES requires an exact, word-for-word English translation when a translation appears in your personal Required Documents list. We provide it with a signed and stamped Certificate of Translation Accuracy. WES makes the final decision. If it requests a translation-related correction, we revise it free; if the translation is still rejected for that reason, we refund the translation cost.
Does ECE require a certified diploma translation?+−
ECE uses different rules from WES. ECE offers a paid Translation Waiver and may accept a word-for-word translation prepared by the applicant when the waiver is not purchased. Check your ECE order before buying a separate translation.
Can you translate my Japanese diploma and transcript together?+−
Yes. Translating the gakuiki and the 成績証明書 together keeps the student name, institution, degree title, and era-date treatment consistent. Whether you need both depends on the evaluator. Upload every academic document you have, and we will identify which pages need translation before you pay.
Is diploma translation the same as credential evaluation?+−
No. CertTranslate translates the academic documents into English. WES, ECE, or another evaluator decides the U.S. equivalency of the degree. We preserve the original credential wording and do not invent a U.S. degree or GPA conversion.
My university can issue an English certificate — do I still need a translation?+−
Maybe not, and we will tell you honestly at file review. If the English certificates cover every document your evaluator wants, you do not need us. Translation is needed for Japanese-only documents and for keeping one romanization across a mixed set.
How do you handle era dates like Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa?+−
We keep the era date exactly as printed and pair it with the correct Gregorian year. A conferral date converted wrong contradicts the rest of the packet, so the conversion is double-checked.
Should I upload the back, seals, stamps, and signatures?+−
Yes. Upload the front and back, including every seal, stamp, signature, registry entry, and attached apostille. We translate or describe every legible element that appears on the document.
Do I need a certified or notarized diploma translation?+−
A certified translation includes the translator’s signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate. Notarization only verifies the identity of the person signing that statement. Add notarization only when the organization receiving your diploma asks for it.
Is there a 250-word cap per page?+−
No. One physical page stays one billed page, even when the diploma, transcript, or supplement is unusually dense.
Evaluator reference
Common Japanese degree titles
These descriptions show how each credential fits into its local education system. The evaluator—not the translator—decides its formal U.S. equivalency.
| Original degree | Place in local system | Typical duration | Translation note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 学士 (gakushi) | First university degree | 4 years | Conferred with the gakuiki |
| 修士 (shūshi) | Postgraduate degree | 2 years | Completed after the bachelor stage |
| 博士 (hakase) | Doctoral degree | 3+ years | Highest academic award |
| 短期大学士 (tanki daigakushi) | Junior-college degree | 2–3 years | Kept as issued, never upgraded |
| 学位記 vs 卒業証明書 | Award vs registrar certificate | — | Two different documents — labeled distinctly |
Document glossary
Common Japanese diploma terms, explained
These terms explain why the award, certificates, and transcript may need to be translated as separate documents.
- 学位記 (gakuiki)
- The degree certificate awarded once at conferral — the diploma itself.
- 卒業証明書 (sotsugyō shōmeisho)
- Certificate of graduation, issued by the registrar on request; reissuable.
- 成績証明書 (seiseki shōmeisho)
- Academic transcript with courses and grades.
- 英文証明書
- English-language certificate issued directly by the university; may remove the need for translation.
- 公印 (kōin)
- The university’s official seal authenticating the document; described in English.
Common destinations
Where can you use a certified diploma translation?
The documents you need depend on where you are submitting the translation. These examples show what each reviewer checks and what people commonly send with a diploma.
WES / ECE
Credential evaluation
Evaluators compare the English diploma with the original and usually review the transcript in the same file.
Commonly sent
Gakuiki + transcript + graduation certificate
University
Admissions
Admissions teams use the translation to confirm your degree, field, institution, and graduation date.
Commonly sent
Diploma + transcript or academic supplement
Licensing
Professional board
Nursing, engineering, teaching, and other boards may need both the academic award and professional registration.
Commonly sent
Diploma + transcript + license or registration evidence
Employer / I-140
Employment verification
An employer or immigration counsel may use the credential to document the degree claimed for the role or petition.
Commonly sent
Diploma + any evidence named in the request
Not sure which path applies to your diploma?
Upload your diploma and any related academic documents. We’ll confirm which pages need translation, the price, and the delivery time before you pay.
Reference library
Helpful pages and official sources
Sources verified .
More from CertTranslate
Ready when you are
Upload your Japanese diploma. We’ll check the rest before you pay.
Include the gakuiki, certificates, transcript, and any pages your university issued in English. We’ll confirm the pages, price, and delivery time before you pay.
Get my certified diploma translation
No payment until file review