History
Background
Adam Fulford moved from England to Japan in 1981 to work as an English teacher. Japan captivated him. A few months after arriving, he moved from Tokyo to an old wooden house by a hiking course in Kamakura. The ancient capital became a classroom for his study of the language and the culture of Japan.
Origins and development
Fulford began building a relationship with NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation) in late 1981, when he was asked to check English-language news scripts for Radio Japan. Work flowed in, and Fulford Enterprises was established in 1985 as a language consulting firm focused on NHK. Since then, Fulford has supervised the use of English in NHK television programs such as Eigo de Asobo ("Let's Have Fun in English") and Eigo de Shaberanaito ("Gotta Speak English Tonight").
The company has gone on to handle translations and narrations for countless English-language programs that are broadcast worldwide on NHK World-Japan. In addition, the company's business has expanded into book translation and corporate public relations.
Cross-cultural communication
and
community engagement
Adam Fulford sees great value in education that opens the mind to new possibilities. He explored this theme in a course on cross-cultural communication that he taught at Asia University for four years from 2016. The course opened his own mind to new possibilities in the realm of regional engagement.
His first exposure to the challenges facing regional Japan came in 2010, when he was appointed as a judge for a "Beautiful Village Development Contest" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Following activities in various locations including Yamagata and Fukushima, in 2023 he was appointed as a Community Vitalization Manager for Furusato Zaidan.
Fulford Enterprises
today
Almost 40 years after its founding, Fulford Enterprises now features talented staff from Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. We are all involved in a variety of projects that connect cultures through language. We continue to work closely with our clients, exploring the potential of "a mind for the other" in order to generate win-win outcomes.
Adam Fulford
Chairman and Founder of Fulford Enterprises, Ltd. (established in 1985)
Place of birth: Devon, UK
UK Education: University of Nottingham (English and Linguistics)
Moved to Japan: 1981
Status: Permanent resident
Since 1981, Adam Fulford has been serving as a language consultant for NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and its group companies. Over the years he has worked as a rewriter, a proofreader, a newsreader, a translator, a script advisor, and a narration director. He is currently involved in the production of many programs broadcast on NHK World-Japan, including Japanology Plus. For the Japan National Tourism Organization, he serves as a presentation coach for MICE Ambassadors. Since 2010, he has been exploring paths to the future with communities in the Japanese countryside. In 2023 he was appointed Regional Revitalization Manager by the Japan Foundation for Regional Vitalization (Furusato Zaidan).