Any written pieces that require knowledge of culture of original language are hard to translate, especially when languages and cultures are very different to begin with, like English and Japanese. The example of juku the author gives in the article "Eight Ways to Say You: The Challenges of Translation" is indeed interesting. The concept of juku would alienate English reader so much that an extra paragraph to explain what it feels. Direct translation to "cram school" wouldn't work either. However, being in Thailand where a concept of juku exists and matches the Japanese's, I instantly understand what a juku means and feels, and translating this piece into Thai wouldn't require an extra paragraph or even a footnote to explain. It really emphasizes the point of the article that translation is not a mechanical process of having a dictionary translating word in one language into another.
I also really like the point made in the other article that translators are always aware that many translations they choose among a pool of choices will not ever be a "perfect solution." Like when we had a discussion about what to translate for 若い女の子 in "Korokke" or whether we should write the title in singular or plural. Every suggestion we made in class indeed "works" but I'm sure none of us feel like the choice they made really are a "perfect solution" for that situation
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