Translate Japanese PDFs — with the original in view
Japanese PDF translation usually starts with a scan — a contract faxed years ago, a manual photographed on a shop floor. OCR reads the Japanese (vertical or horizontal), AI translates block by block, and every translated passage links back to its spot in the original. Any passage you rely on, you can check.
How it works
- 1
Upload the Japanese PDF or a phone photo — scans work the same.
- 2
OCR pulls out the Japanese text with its positions, then AI translation renders each block into English (or any of 24 target languages).
- 3
Read side by side — click a translated block and the source region highlights — then export a bilingual document or the translation alone.
Why OhMyOCR
Block-level source linking
Every translated block points back to its region in the original page. A name, number or date gets verified against the source in one click instead of taken on faith.
Handles scans, not just digital PDFs
Photographed and scanned Japanese documents go through OCR first — no text layer needed.
Inline or separate translation view
Show the translation under each block, or side by side as a parallel column. Either way the original stays on screen.
Fair character-based pricing
Translation is billed by actual characters against a separate monthly allowance — a dense page costs what it contains, not a flat premium.
Why “translate this PDF” needs OCR first — and proof after
Most Japanese documents that need translating are scans: contracts faxed decades ago, manuals photographed on a shop floor, family letters. Text-only translators can't open them, and one-step OCR-then-translate pipelines hand you English with no way back to the source. Was that date in the document, or did the model improvise it? You can't tell.
OhMyOCR keeps the chain inspectable. OCR extracts the Japanese with per-block positions — vertical and horizontal layouts both — then translation runs block by block, and every English passage stays linked to its region on the original page. Click a translated clause and the source lights up; names, figures and dates get checked against the actual document in one glance.
Working bilingually, exporting bilingually
Read inline — the translation under each block — or side by side; either way the original stays on screen. Corrections you make to the OCR text feed the translation, and translations are cached per block, so revisiting a document doesn't re-bill it.
Exports come as bilingual documents — original plus translation — or the translation alone, in Markdown or Word (.docx). Pricing tracks actual volume: parsing costs 1 credit per page, and translation is metered by characters against a separate monthly allowance. A dense contract page costs what it contains, and the free monthly credits plus translation characters cover trying a real page.
Frequently asked questions
Can it translate scanned Japanese documents?
Yes. OCR reads the scan first — vertical and horizontal layouts both — then AI translation works block by block with the original kept alongside.
How accurate is Japanese OCR + translation?
OCR on printed Japanese is strong, and translation quality tracks the language models behind it. What neither gives you on its own is verification — every block links to the source, so the names and figures that matter get confirmed instead of trusted blindly.
Which languages can I translate to?
24 target languages — English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Hindi and more. Chinese and Korean source documents follow the same workflow.
Can I export a bilingual version?
Yes. Export with translations included — original plus translation — or the translation alone, as Markdown or Word (.docx).
What does it cost?
Parsing costs 1 credit per page; translation draws from a separate monthly character allowance. Free monthly credits include enough to try a real page.
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Try it on your own file
Free to start, no credit card, results you can verify line by line.
Get started — free