Bento Books: Alexander Smith

Profile

Alexander O. Smith is a cofounder of Bento Books and the founder of Kajiya Productions. He has been translating video games, novels, manga, and lyrics from Japanese to English professionally since graduating from Harvard University with a M.A. in classical Japanese literature in 1998. After working at Square Enix’s Tokyo offices for four years, he went freelance and is now based in Kamakura, Japan. Alex has given talks about translation at several universities and conventions, including PAX Prime and PAX East.

AWARDS

Phillip K. Dick Special Citation, 2011 (Harmony, Project Itoh)
Eisner Award Nominee, 2009 (COWA!, Akira Toriyama)
American Library Association Batchelder Award, 2008 (Brave Story, Miyuki Miyabe)
Edge Magazine “Best Game,” 2006 (Final Fantasy XII, Square Enix)
RPGamer “Best Localization.” 2001 (Final Fantasy X, Square Enix)

NOVELS & ACADEMIC TRANSLATION

ICO; The Book of Heroes; Brave Story (Miyuki Miyabe) | Salvation for a Saint; The Devotion of Suspect X (Keigo Higashino) | All You Need Is Kill; Slum Online (Hiroshi Sakurazaka) | Rocket Girls; Rocket Girls 2: The Last Planet (Housuke Nojiri) | The Summer of the Ubume (Natsuhiko Kyogoku) | Twelve Kingdoms, Vols. 1-4 (Fuyumi Ono) | The Guin Saga, Vol. 1-5 (Kaoru Kurimoto) | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1-5 (Makoto Inoue) | Little Boy, Summon Monster? Open the Door? Heal? or Die?, Superflat (Takashi Murakami | Collected Paintings (Atsushi Suwa)

MANGA TRANSLATION

Cowa!, Dr. Slump, Vol. 1-18 (Akira Toriyama) | Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation (Toshiyuki Nishi) | Shaolin Sisters (Narumi Kakinouchi) | Samurai Deeper Kyo (Akimine Kamijo)

GAME LOCALIZATION