Guides for companies in Japan · TYPO3 and Japan
The Japanese site runs in head office's TYPO3 — and nobody there reads Japanese
For head office it seems obvious: Japanese is just another language in the existing TYPO3. In practice a colleague in Japan maintains it in a German or English backend, head office's web team can't check Japanese content, and at every relaunch or update the Japanese pages are the last thing anyone notices. On top of that there is a deadline: TYPO3 12 no longer gets free security updates since 1 May 2026.
Does this sound familiar?
- German or English text suddenly appears on Japanese pages.
- Search doesn't find Japanese terms, or only by chance.
- Forms have no furigana field and no Japanese address order.
- Your team in Japan waits for head office's web team — often for days.
- Your site still runs on TYPO3 12 or older.
Why this happens
Language fallback is a deliberate setting
TYPO3 can replace missing translations with the default language, hide them, or allow freely designed pages. If nobody decided this for Japanese, Japanese visitors see German or English.
Japanese has no spaces
Search usually splits words at spaces. Japanese needs its own word segmentation, otherwise search finds little.
Forms follow European patterns
Japanese forms expect the name in kanji and furigana, and the address from postcode and prefecture. European templates don't cover this.
Two teams, two time zones
Editors in Japan can't reach anyone at head office when something breaks — and head office can't judge Japanese content.
What to do now
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1
Check version and deadline
If the site runs on TYPO3 12 or older, plan the update to 13 or 14, or paid extended support (ELTS).
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2
Decide the language setup for Japanese
Fallback behaviour, separate URLs (slugs) per language, hreflang and the Japanese home page.
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3
Adapt forms and search
Furigana, address lookup by postcode, Japanese error messages; a search that segments Japanese.
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4
Set up editing in Japan
Permissions, workflows and a short guide so your team in Japan can maintain pages without asking.
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5
Name one contact for both sides
Someone who talks to head office in English or German and to Japan in Japanese in writing keeps Japan from being forgotten at every release.
Checklist: TYPO3 with Japanese content
- A TYPO3 version with security updates (12 only via ELTS since May 2026)
- Fallback behaviour for Japanese chosen deliberately
- Separate Japanese URLs and correct hreflang
- Fonts, line breaks and line height checked for Japanese text
- Forms with furigana, postcode address and Japanese messages
- A search that finds Japanese text
- Backend language and permissions for editors in Japan
How we help
We have worked with TYPO3 since 2008, from version 6 to 13. QkSkima K.K. is based in Japan: we talk to your web team in English or German and write to your editors in Japan in Japanese.
- Setting up or fixing Japanese in your TYPO3: fallback, URLs, hreflang
- Forms and search for Japanese
- Updating from TYPO3 12 to 13 or 14, with the Japanese pages checked
- Looking after the Japanese pages through a plan, while head office sleeps
- A guide and a contact for your editors in Japan
Frequently asked questions
Should the Japanese site move out of head office's TYPO3?
No. It is usually better to keep it there and set it up properly — then design, data protection and updates apply to all languages.
We are still on TYPO3 12. How urgent is it?
TYPO3 12 has had no free security updates since 1 May 2026. The choice is an update to 13 or 14, or paid ELTS.
Do you write the Japanese texts too?
We prepare them with AI and a fixed glossary; a native speaker checks Japanese final texts before they go live.
Do you work with our current agency?
Yes. We take on the Japanese part or the update and coordinate with your provider at head office.