If technology is truly meant to bring us all closer together, then recent translation services are doing their part to make the world a smaller place.
Flashy items like and the that can will get plenty of attention once they¡¯re tested and widely distributed, but in 2009 a number of other innovations have already begun to affect how Japan¡¯s residents interact with the world and each other.
Google has certainly been at the forefront. Their ¡°Translate this page¡± links are now built into Japanese search results, and the dedicated has made huge strides in turning select phrases, web pages and PDF documents into your preferred tongue. has opened the blogosphere even further with the option to change RSS feeds into English or other languages. Twitter, the year¡¯s other web darling, , and the ¡®s translate function is helping more non-Japanese speakers to keep better track of the country¡¯s 140-character community.
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