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DeepL Survey Reveals Hidden Toll of Language Barriers on Japanese Businesses

Nearly 20% of working hours spent on language-related tasks, with over 80% of decision-makers reporting lost deals or delays

Tokyo, Japan - April 7, 2026 - DeepL, a global AI product and research company, today released a new survey on language barriers and real‑time voice translation in Japanese companies. The findings reveal a hidden but significant business drag, with  companies in Japan spending an average of 20.2% of their working hours on translation, review, and other language-related tasks. More than 80% of decision‑makers report lost deals or delays due to language barriers, with an average of 4.8 missed opportunities in the past year.

“This survey highlights how deeply language barriers have long affected productivity and business opportunities for Japanese companies. Real-time voice translation is more than an efficient tool. It removes language constraints, elevates the quality of decision-making, and supports more inclusive participation across organizations. We believe it can transform workplace culture itself by empowering more people to speak up and contribute. DeepL will continue to deliver best-in-class translation technology and improve how teams communicate and collaborate. We’re excited to unveil our next wave of innovations in this area soon.” said Gonçalo Gaiolas, DeepL’s Chief Product Officer

The survey was conducted among 1,000 business professionals working at mid‑ to large‑sized Japanese companies (300+ employees), including 500 decision‑makers and 500 general employees. It quantitatively examined the impact of language barriers on work efficiency, decision‑making, psychological safety, and communication structures within business organizations.

Language barriers and productivity in Japanese companies

Language barriers are creating a measurable impact on day-to-day operations in Japanese companies.

  • The survey found that around 20% of working hours in Japanese companies are spent on translation, review, and waiting time. This is equivalent to roughly 380 hours per employee per year spent on language‑related work, indicating a substantial amount of time diverted to language-related tasks in day-to-day operations*.
  • More than 80% of decision‑makers report lost deals or delays due to language barriers. On average, they report 4.8 missed opportunities in the past year.
  • The survey also found impacts on recruitment and onboarding. Around 30% of decision‑makers report fewer job applicants or longer onboarding periods due to language barriers.

Participation and psychological safety

Beyond productivity, language barriers also affect participation in the workplace.

  • Foreign‑language environments limit participation in meetings, with around 30% of employees saying they find it difficult to speak up or ask questions.
  • General employees reported experiencing greater psychological strain than decision‑makers, and meetings involving foreign‑language communication were found to be associated with lower levels of psychological safety.

Expectations for real‑time voice translation

Given these challenges, expectations for real-time voice translation are increasing.

  • Spoken communication accounts for about 30% of foreign‑language communication in daily work. This highlights a clear need for real‑time voice translation.
  • Respondents expect improvements in time, cost, and decision speed with real-time voice translation.
  • 60.3% of respondents said they expect participation in meetings to increase if voice translation is introduced, signaling strong expectations for more inclusive discussions during meetings.
  • Respondents cited anticipated benefits following the introduction of voice translation, including faster decision‑making, increased participation in discussions, and more dynamic meetings, with survey data showing clear quantitative expectations for positive impact.

These findings are being released ahead of DeepL’s global announcement planned for April 2026. More details will be shared at a later date.

*The annual working‑hour estimate in this release is based on data from the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) “Comprehensive Survey on Working Hours and Related Matters (2025 edition)” (scheduled annual working hours: 1,901 hours 24 minutes). As the survey populations differ, this figure should be treated as a reference only. https://www.rosei.or.jp/data/labo/research/limited/2025rodojikan.pdf

Methodology

Survey title: Survey on Language Barriers and Voice Translation in Japanese Companies Survey agency: Cross Marketing Methodology: Online Survey Target respondents: Business professionals aged 25–59 working at companies with 300+ employees in Japan Industries: Mid‑ to large‑sized companies across industries Number of respondents: 1,000 (500 decision‑makers / 500 general employees) *Decision‑makers: Individuals with authority over the adoption of translation‑related tools; General employees: employees who use translation tools at least once per month Survey period: February 6th - 9th, 2026

About DeepL

DeepL is a global AI company building the language infrastructure that powers global business. More than 200,000 business teams and millions of individuals use DeepL’s Language AI platform to communicate globally, collaborate and operate across languages in real time. By combining breakthrough AI models with enterprise-grade security and privacy, DeepL enables organizations to work seamlessly across markets and cultures. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jarek Kutylowski, DeepL now has more than 1,000 employees and is backed by leading investors including Benchmark, IVP and Index Ventures. Learn more at www.deepl.com.