The Building Information Modelling (BIM) market in Japan is undergoing significant growth, driven by the region’s passion for technological advancement in the construction industry
The BIM market in Japan grew to US$0.46bn in 2024 and is predicted to reach $0.84bn by 2029. Like many other regions before it, Japan has seen an upsurge in BIM adoption and a digital first approach to project design and data management.
Back in 2020, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLIT) published guidelines for BIM standard workflows, which also stated the following of ISO 19650 standards where possible.
Since then, the Japanese government has made significant efforts to put BIM use on the agenda of the building design and in 2010, the MLIT announced the start of pilot projects for BIM use in public construction works.
Despite this, BIM in Japan is still not mandated, even though there is evidence that the use of BIM can address some of Japan’s unique construction challenges, such as its aging infrastructure and housing stock, plus stringent earthquake-resistant building regulations.
Okana BIM training in Japanese
Which is why Okana has taken the decision to translate all of its training materials into Japanese to work directly with the region in upskilling industry professionals in the use of BIM.
Okana training is positioned to educate and support global digital construction professionals and is now working to translate its ISO 19650 aligned BIM training content into multiple languages, including Japanese.
Okana associate and head of training Andrew Johnson spoke about the importance of BIM training: “Adopting digital tools and standardised practices is crucial in today’s fast-evolving construction industry, and with BIM at the heart of this transformation, and ISO 19650 providing a universal framework for managing information effectively – BIM training can equip professionals to drive project success while ensuring team compliance and collaboration.
“Converting all of our BIM training modules into Japanese is a complex yet rewarding endeavour. Central to this effort is Sean Chan, a bilingual member of our team with extensive BIM expertise and fluency in Japanese. Sean’s role has been pivotal in ensuring the translation balances technical accuracy with cultural nuances. His contributions, alongside ongoing collaboration with external language specialists, are laying the foundation for high quality, accessible content tailored to Japanese professionals.”
Translating BIM content is a meticulous process due to its technical nature. Achieving precision in terminology while adapting to cultural and contextual differences presents unique challenges.
The Okana work is leveraging Sean’s dual expertise in BIM and language, combined with a robust review process, to ensure every module meets high standards of accuracy and relevance.
Once complete, the translated training content will open up access to ISO 19650 aligned BIM education for the whole of the Japanese construction marketing, allow it to adopt global standards more proficiently, streamline workflows and contribute further to international projects.
Johnson added: “With a presence in over 40 countries, Okana is committed to tailoring its training to the unique needs of each market. By combining local expertise with the skills of our in-house professionals we can ensure our training meets the need of each respective region, whether that is an advanced or emerging market.”
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