The Japanese government recently addressed a translation error that led to a misunderstanding during a press conference between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 2. The incident involved Takaichi mistakenly stating that Modi had referred to her as his “beautiful sister.” This error stemmed from a misinterpretation of Modi’s words during the translation process.
During the joint press conference, Modi spoke in Hindi, referring to Takaichi as “my sister.” The official English translation rendered this as “my younger sister.” However, complications arose during the subsequent relay interpretation from Hindi to English and then to Japanese, resulting in the phrase being inaccurately translated as “beautiful sister.”
Under the impression that the translation was correct, Takaichi repeated the phrase, expressing that she and Modi had agreed to maintain a brother-sister relationship. This misunderstanding was later clarified by Japanese officials, who noted the challenges inherent in simultaneous relay interpretation, which contributed to the error.
Despite the mix-up, Japanese officials have confirmed that diplomatic relations between Japan and India remain unaffected, and the incident has not caused any diplomatic tensions. Indian officials have not raised any concerns about the mistranslation, indicating a mutual understanding between the two nations.