When it comes to learning Japanese, the most challenging part is often not coming up with a list of words that you think you might need. Rather, it's trying to figure out how to convert those words from Japanese into English or your native language.

This process is complex and filled with a lot of trial and error. However, there are many different methods for making this conversion as well as several online tools that will do this for you automatically.

In this post, we'll go over a few tested methods to translate Japanese from an image and some tools that can help make the process easier. Let’s dive in.

PDNob Japanese Image Translator

When translating Japanese text, you'll often find yourself scanning a page, or an image, for words you can use to compare against your dictionary.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can have all that finger/eye-scanning done for you, in an instant, with PDNob Japanese Image Translator.

PDNob Japanese Image Translator is your go-to solution to effortlessly translate Japanese to your native language. It’s easy to use, and with a simple screenshot function, you can quickly access and translate Japanese characters in an image.

Why You Need PDNob Japanese Image Translator

They say “the internet has virtually reduced the world into a global village.” Well, it’s true. And the same technology has now made it easier for people with different languages to understand one another. That’s where PDNob Japanese Image Translator gets in.

You can understand Japanese without learning it using this software tool. Here’s why. With PDNob Japanese Image Translator:

• You can quickly access and copy, edit, and translate text in images, documents, and videos in any file format.
• You can perform batch OCR on multiple files using a screenshot tool or by uploading files.
• You don’t have to go to PDNob’s UI. All you have to simply do is start the app, open a file, press a keyboard shortcut, and edit your text. This should take at least 30 seconds.

Now that you know what PNob Image Translator can do, let's translate Japanese to English.

You’ll need to first download and install PDNob Japanese Image Translator on your device to get started.

The process is simple once you’ve installed the software. You can either do a batch OCR or screenshot your image to capture text.

Let’s start with batch OCR.

Batch OCR

This is especially important when you have multiple Japanese images you want to translate into English. For example, images from your favorite Manga comic.

• STEP1： Import your image files. Click the Import icon at the top left corner to import multiple image files from your computer.

• STEP2： Begin OCR scan. PDNob Japanese Image Translator will automatically start an OCR for every image file you’ve uploaded. Extracted Japanese characters will appear on the right side of every image scanned.
• STEP3： Translate Japanese into your native language. For this guide, we’ll translate Japanese text into English. On the bottom right of the text editor, click the dropdown menu to choose English to translate your text.

Alternatively, you can use their screenshot tool to translate Japanese.

Screen capture to Text

• STEP1： Activate the screenshot tool. Press the Command + 1 hotkey for Mac devices, or Ctrl + Alt + Z in Windows to activate the screenshot function. Hold down your mouse and drag this screenshot tool over your image to select the text you want to be translated.

• STEP2： Perform an OCR. Release your mouse to start an OCR scan. Extracted text will appear on PDNob’s text editor.
• STEP3： Translate your Japanese Text. At the bottom right of the text editor, you can click the dropdown menu and choose English to translate your text into English, or your chosen language.

Yandex Translate

Yandex Translate is an all-in-one online solution for localization. It is based on the same technology as Google Translate to perform instant translation of texts, words/phrases, websites, documents, and images in different file formats. Yandex Translate features an easy-to-use interface that can translate text to over 90 different languages of your web interfaces, content, communications and more and reach out to new global markets easily.

Google Translate

Google Translate is a free online service that allows for quick translation of texts, websites, images and documents between different languages, e.g. from English to Spanish or French, or over 100 other languages. Google Translate is available in all supported browsers and mobile apps including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Android.

Wrapping Up

You’ll come across several free online services you can use to translate Japanese should you browse the internet. But most translation services aren’t accurate, reliable, eats up a lot of time, and worse, don’t retain the file’s original format. It's not so with PDNob Japanese Image Translator. You can easily access and translate Japanese text from a single or multiple image files, and documents, accurately in a short time with this app.