Ian Blake, MA Cantab, ibip Japan Managing Director

Born in East Sussex, England. Ian graduated in Natural Sciences and Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK. After graduating Ian spent six years in manufacturing, then over six years in technical consulting in Europe and Japan. Ian passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 1 exam in 2001 and has worked full-time in the patent industry since 2004.

After in-house proof reading and translating Ian was appointed as Translation Department Manager with a leading Japanese patent office. He embarked on freelance patent translation in 2006. Ian co-lectured the Japanese Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) English Patent Specification Writing course (E8C: Mechanical) from 2006 to 2009. In his spare time, Ian has a passion for DIY, gardening (specializing in cacti), playing the piano, and cycling.

Andrew Wood, MA Cantab, Senior Translator

Born in Bedford, England. Andrew graduated in language studies from the University of Cambridge, UK. Andrew has lived in China, and is fluent in Mandarin as well as in Japanese. After joining ibip Japan, he has readily grasped the idiosyncrasies of patent translation, progressing to senior translator in just over one year, and now plays a critical role at the company.

Andrew enjoys growing plants, with a particular fascination for cacti, and enjoys losing himself in maps and urban infrastructure, both figuratively and literally. He also enjoys walking, whether in the city or the countryside, and is interested in weather, climate, cities, the ocean, and just about anything else that catches his eye. Andrew knows more kanji than strictly necessary.

Joanna Kawakubo, MA (Translation), Translator

Having a passion for languages, Joanna first learnt French, studying at Edinburgh University before studying and working in Paris. She began learning Japanese whilst teaching English in Japan, before obtaining a master’s degree in Translating and Interpreting using Japanese from Newcastle University after returning to the UK. She has also achieved Level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

Joanna has been using Japanese in a professional context since 2008, gaining extensive experience in technical translation whilst working for a leading Japanese automobile manufacturer. She is now putting this to good use at ibip Japan.

Joanna’s first experience of living in Japan was on the islands of Kozushima and Niijima – places she later found many Japanese haven’t even heard of! Whilst there, she learnt to enjoy kusaya (a kind of very pungent dried fish), as well as many other aspects of Japanese culture. She also enjoys practicing yoga in her spare time.