Originally from the United States, Alex Smith has been translating a wide range of Japanese media for over twenty years. In particular, he has worked on the translation and localization of some of the most popular games to come from Japan, including titles from the Final Fantasy, Mega Man, and Ace Attorney series. He has also been involved in numerous manga series and several novels, including many of Keigo Higashino’s detective mysteries. In his talk with Japan Up Close, Alex shares his thoughts on why Japanese video games had such a huge impact overseas, the differences that come up when translating for games versus other media, and the benefits of an education in classical Japanese literature. He also provides some words of advice for those hoping to get into translation.