Yoko Owatari Kudo, an Japanese alumus of the Monterey Institute‘s prestigious Conference Interpretation (CI) program, never planned on becoming an interpreter. “I graduated from Sophia University (in Tokyo) with a Master’s in International Relations and went to work as a Junior Regional Analyst at the Ministry of Defense.” Later, her Ministry colleagues asked her to get professional training in interpretation so that she could help facilitate visits by defense officials from around the world. Yoko was successfully admitted to MIIS as an advanced entry student and completed her degree in Conference Interpretation.
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Enrollment Manager, Rob Horgan, of the MIIS Recruiting Department, sat down with Yoko in her office at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo recently. The two talked about the challenges of interpreting for global leaders.
The interview, conducted in both Japanese and English, is helpful for students considering a career in translation or interpretation. Yoko offers practical tips on how to best prepare for graduate school and which newspapers and magazines every Japanese interpreter must read everyday. In addition, Yoko carefully explains the advantages and disadvantages of studying interpretation outside of Japan.