Between Britishness and Japanese : Examination of Translation Techniques in Bridget Jones's Diary

This paper examines the translation strategies of foreignization and domestication in the Japanese versions of Bridget Jones's Diary, focusing on how culturally and linguistically specific elements of the British original are adapted for a Japanese audience. The analysis draws on both the Japanese translation of the novel and the subtitles of the film adaptation, highlighting the different strategies employed across different media. It identifies foreignization techniques such as gikun, katakana-English, and the retention of British cultural references, which help preserve the tone, setting, and humor of the original. At the same time, the study explores domestication strategies, including euphemization, and cultural rewriting. As well as the use of Japanese women's language (joseigo), with particular attention to Bridget's mother. Her voice is overly feminized and mother-like. Particular attention is paid here to how gendered speech patterns, such as sentence-final particles, affective interjections, and pronoun choices, transform the character. The analysis reveals that translation functions not only as a form of cultural transfer but also as a powerful mechanism for reinforcing domestic gender norms. The Japanese version of Bridget Jones's Diary emerges as a hybridized text that selectively preserves foreignness while aligning characters with localized expectations of femininity, social behavior, and humor.